Long Beach Gets Better Against UCI

IRVINE â€”  Long Beach State finally slipped to a level where it could dominate, or at least win. It didn’t quite qualify as a heady moment, but it certainly went down as a relief.

The 49ers, after losing three consecutive games and two players, took their turn at beating UC Irvine on Saturday. Long Beach’s 82-69 Big West Conference victory in front of 1,861 in the Bren Center righted things, at least for the moment.

By the time James Cotton and Brandon Titus had finished with the Anteaters, the 49ers had their first road victory and the situation looked a little more rosy. Enough, anyway, for Coach Wayne Morgan to stop and sniff the aroma.

“Finally, I can come out and smile,� Morgan said. “It’s a really good feeling to get one under the belt on the road.�

This, mind you, was merely a victory over Irvine--something every team that has played the Anteaters can claim. But when you are underachieving, even a victory against the overmatched can be a watershed moment.

“It relieves a lot pressure on us,� said Cotton, who finished with 28 points. “Everyone came out and played well and we finally got it done.�

The 49ers (5-7, 1-1) had lost five of six games. To make matters worse, there have been internal problems.

Four times Morgan or conference officials have suspended players. Earlier this week, forward Akeli Jackson was thrown off the team. Saturday, forward Corey Saffold quit.

“No matter what problems they are having, people still think they are good enough to win the conference,� UCI Coach Rod Baker said.

“They are under duress right now and they are either going to accept it and lay down or they are going to stand up and fight. They stood up and fought tonight. That was good for them and bad for us.�

The results for Irvine were far less tangible.

True, the Anteaters played well for a second consecutive game. Lamarr Parker had 23 points and six assists and Wendell Robinson scored 15 points. But it still amounted to baby steps.

“I know it’s starting to sound like a broken record, but we just have to keep improving,� Baker said. “That is still our mantra.�

Irvine (0-11, 0-2) turned the ball over four times--all 49er steals--in the first three minutes and trailed 8-2. The 49ers scored six of those points off steals. Of Irvine’s 10 turnovers in the first half, eight were steals.

Yet, the Anteaters wouldn’t fold, not immediately anyway. They even led, 33-29, before Long Beach closed the half with a 10-3 run. Still, the Irvine players were buoyant.

“We all thought this was one we could get,� guard Juma Jackson said. “Then we let it slip away.�

Or rather, Cotton took it.

Cotton, tied for fifth in the nation in scoring before the game, had 12 points in the first four minutes of the second half. His jump shot with 15 minutes 52 seconds left gave the 49ers a 53-42 lead.

“James decided he wasn’t comfortable with the points he had at that time,� Baker said. “At some point, they said, ‘Here James, go do what you do.’ �

Simply put.

Said Parker: “You can’t let him get the ball for open shots. We didn’t do that too well tonight.�

An understatement. Cotton made 10 of 16 shots. His three-pointer with 3:21 left gave the 49ers a 74-57 lead.

Cotton had help.

Titus had a career-high 22 points, including 13 in the first half when the game was close. Marcus Johnson had nine points and six rebounds in the first half.