FULLERTON, Calif.- After trailing by as many as 14 points in the first half, Long Beach State closed the first half on a big run to help the 49ers defeat Cal State Fullerton 83-64 at Titan Gym on Saturday night.
Fullerton moves to 7-12 overall and 3-3 in Big West play, while Long Beach State improves to 12-9 and 4-3 in conference play. The win snaps a four-game road-losing streak for the 49ers.
Senior guard Alex Thomas led all scorers with 20 points and five rebounds, while redshirt sophomore Hailey King and junior Tailer Butler both chipped in 14 points.
Junior Hallie Meneses went 4-for-6 from the field as she poured in 18 points and dished out nine assists for LBSU. Junior Lauren Spargo added 15 points and freshman Jewelyn Sawyer contributed a double-double, 10 points, 11 rebounds, in the winning effort.
To open the game the Titans jumped out to a 25-11 advantage over the first seven minutes, but after leading by 14, Long Beach State started chipping away at the lead and over the next six minutes a 7-0 run brought the 49ers within six, 29-23, with 6:38 left in the half. The 49ers then continued its run and with 3:48 remaining in the half an Ella Clark three-pointer gave LBSU its first lead of the night. Overall, the 49ers had a 24-2 run over the final eight minutes of the first half as they led at the break, 40-31.
In the second half, Fullerton was never able to get closer than 12 points, as the 49ers commanded their steady lead throughout the half and extended their lead to as many as 23 points at one point.
The Titans shot 28 percent from the floor and knocked down seven of their 41 three-point attempts, while the 49ers shot 52.8 percent from the field.
The Titans continue their three-game home stand next Thursday at 7 p.m. versus UC Riverside and then will face Cal State Northridge on Saturday at 6 p.m. in their annual pink game.
Notes: Tonight's meeting was the 77th meeting all-time between the 49ers and Titans…Fullerton falls to 34-63 all-time against Long Beach State and 17-29 at Titan Gym… the Titans move to 14-43 against LBSU in Big West conference games… the 49ers have now won the last four of five meetings...the 41 three-pointers are the most ever in a single game for Cal State Fullerton.
Quotes
Head Coach Daron Park
"I loved our energy, first 10 minutes of the game I thought we were ready to play. We were excited, making shots and then the switch flipped and Long Beach decided to dig in and compete and we didn't. That is on me, that is my fault. I take full responsibility for that. We have to find a way to continue to put our foot on the gas, and step on people's throats, and play for 40 minutes. We kind of got punched in the mouth and we got back on our feet a little bit. They were the aggressors tonight in our gym and that is credit to them, that's a credit to their staff. You know disappointing for us, I think that is uncharacteristic of our team, and that is uncharacteristic of this group of kids, but it is what it is. The results are the results, so we have to pick our chins up, nobody is going to feel sorry for us. We have to come back Monday and get ready to play a team that is arguably the best team in the league. We will be ready!"
"I mean we were definitely in a better flow, and for me it helps me. The first half we were playing defense and we had a lot of energy. Then things got a kind of stagnate and that is what I think really affected me. I had so many wide-open shots and I really need to hit them. That is what it comes down to."