By Apparently the 49ers can be beaten at their own game after all, which Hawaii proved by outrunning the Long Beach State men’s basketball team 93-78 at The Walter Pyramid Saturday night.
It was the first home loss for LBSU (18-7, 9-2) this season, ending a five-game winning streak punctuated by three straight victories on the road. However, the 49ers still are in first place in the Big West standings because the contest was a non-conference game.
Hawaii (15-12, 5-8 WAC) arrived in Long Beach with its offense firing on all cylinders, setting a season-high in points while shooting an even 56 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Most notably, the Rainbow Warriors shot 93.9 percent (31-for-33) from the free-throw line. In the second half alone, they made 27 of their 28 free-throw attempts.
“When a team shoots 31-of-33 from the free-throw line, and you give up 31 points from the free-throw line, that’s hard to guard there,” said LBSU head coach Larry Reynolds.
The 49ers were able to keep up with Hawaii in the first half by shooting 48.5 percent, although they struggled in the second half, shooting only 36.8 percent. The 49ers only shot 8-for-15 from the free-throw line and missed a number of crucial foul shots in the final minutes.
Aaron Nixon led the 49ers with 17 points, most of them coming on long-range 3-pointers. Sterling Byrd poured in 16 points and shot 4-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc, while Kejuan Johnson added 15 but only shot 6-for-18 from the field.
LBSU sought to take early control of the game by pushing the ball down the floor and bringing out its trap defense earlier than usual to force turnovers. The plan worked at first, as Hawaii turned the ball over six times in the first five minutes in an unsuccessful attempt to keep up with the 49ers’ running game.
LBSU took advantage of those turnovers by going on a 19-4 run capped off by Louis Darby’s twisting reverse layup to give the 49ers a 21-9 lead.
However, the Warriors were able to respond to LBSU’s transition offense with a running game of their own, as they reeled off a 16-2 run to take a 34-29 lead, although the 49ers put up a 7-0 run late in the half to keep the game close.
Although LBSU extended its lead to 62-53 with 11:54 remaining, Hawaii immediately responded with a 15-1 run to take a 68-63 lead. The Warriors eventually extended their lead to double figures by continuing to push the ball down the floor while taking advantage of a worn and cold-shooting 49er squad, and they never looked back.
“I kind of asked my guys to play a different style from what we had normally been playing, and they probably got a little leg-weary in the second half,” Reynolds said. “We just thought we could pressure them a little bit and create an up-tempo game, but the kids we played are very tough kids, and they weathered the storm.”
The Warriors also took advantage of this weariness by taking the ball to the basket more often to draw contact, resulting in 28 free-throw attempts in the second half.
“You have to give Hawaii credit,” Reynolds said. “They made some adjustments in the second half, and they got to the free-throw line.”
Riley Luettgerodt spearheaded Hawaii’s offensive attack by dropping 23 points on 6-for-9 shooting, along with eight assists. Matt Lojeski put up 22 points and seven rebounds, while Ahmet Gueye added 16.
After a week of rest, the 49ers will head back to The Walter Pyramid to play UC Davis on Saturday at 4 p.m.
