By SAN DIEGO, Calif – Eight consecutive losses have quickly turned into three straight wins for Long Beach State men’s basketball following its 76-70 win on the road against the University of San Diego Toreros at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
Freshman guard Kam Martin‘s implementation into the starting lineup has been a revelation for The Beach over the past four games. Tonight, Martin posted a career-high in points with 25, going 8-10 from the field and a perfect 5-5 from deep in 37 minutes.
In the games Martin has started this season, he is averaging 14.8 points per game and shooting 14-23 (61%) from three with LBSU going 4-1 in those games. Martin adds a secondary scoring option for The Beach alongside senior guard Devin Askew.
“He could’ve been starting the whole year, we were just searching for an identity,” LBSU head coach Chris Acker said. “He’s been making shots because he’s been working on his game. He’s a tough freshman and he’s just added another level of competitiveness to our roster.”
The reigning Big West Player of the Week, Askew, was gifted several open looks with the defense having another scoring option to worry about in Martin.
Askew added 23 points of his own on 8-14 shooting to go along with a game-high eight assists.
The backcourt tandem combined for 48 of The Beach’s 76 points, leading the charge in another game where the team shot above 50% from beyond the arc, going 7-13 from distance as a team.
“It’s been amazing playing with Dev, being a freshman, being able to look up to him. He’s teaching me a lot, so I’m just trying to do my best to help him in his fifth year,” Martin said.
Despite nearly a seven-minute scoring drought early in the first half, Martin’s shooting quickly brought The Beach back into the contest, with their largest deficit being eight points early on.
Graduate forward Austin Johnson’s strong take to the basket where he scored through contact and finished the three-point play at the foul line tied the game at 20 midway through the opening frame. An Askew triple minutes later gave LBSU the lead, and the team had control from that point forward.
Leading 33-30 at halftime, The Beach continued to increase their lead as the second half progressed. Around the midway point, the defense led to offense and brought out a side of The Beach we have yet to see thus far this season.
Askew’s intensity on the defensive side of the ball forced a Torero turnover which was followed by one of his two threes of the night. After the three, he showed some rare emotion, screaming, and seemingly bringing life to The Beach’s bench.
This opened up The Beach’s first double-digit lead of the night, going up 59-48.
A scare came late as San Diego made one final push down the stretch when a three by its senior forward Bendji Pierre found the bottom of the net, making it a one-possession game with just under three minutes left to play and the score at 65-62.
LBSU’s late-game execution was crucial in closing out this game. It happened on both sides of the ball with stops on one end and back-to-back clutch shots on the other.
Freshman forward Andrew Nagy was able to convert on a layup with three San Diego defenders draped upon him in the paint to push the lead to five. An Askew driving layup followed the Nagy bucket to seal the victory for The Beach.
“The 1-8 start is not indicative of who we are as a program, it’s more about how we’re starting to win games now,” Acker said. “Even in the losses, we were having mini-victories in how we were playing in the course of the game.”
After improving to 4-8 overall, LBSU waits over a week for its next game on Thursday, Dec. 19 against Pepperdine in Malibu, before returning home to the Walter Pyramid on Dec. 22.
