In a thriller league game. Long Beach State faced off against the number 2 team in the Big West League, the University of California San Diego. This game was not a let down with both teams giving it their all to secure a victory. Despite Long Beach’s great efforts against the Tritons, they would fall to 80-54.
Long Beach would come out strong, taking an early lead of 4-0 with the help of Devin Askeys. However, UC San Diego’s relentless offense and disciplined defense began to dictate the game. Tyler Mcghie would help the Tritons by taking back the lead by scoring three consecutive buckets. San Diego would go into halftime with the score being 38-23.
UC San Diego had an outstanding performance on both the offensive and defensive sides during this match-up. They shot an impressive 60% from the field in the first half and finished at a season-high 57.7%. McGhie had an outstanding game, scoring a total of 26 points. Let’s not forget to shout out to the defense, who would go on to have 11 steals.
The Beach’s offense, on the other hand, was inconsistent, managing just 23 points in the first half. Varick Lewis was a bright spot, coming off the bench to score 12 points on a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range, tying his career high. However, the rest of the team struggled, with Askew contributing 11 points and five assists and Cam Denson adding 10 points and four rebounds before foul trouble limited his impact.
Defensively, the Beach managed to string together a few stops but couldn’t keep up with San Diego’s fast pacing. UC San Diego repeatedly capitalized on lapses, turning them into scoring opportunities and building an insurmountable lead.
