10:33am | Senior Larry Anderson has been named the Big West Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week after leading Long Beach State to a 3-1 record last week and a runner-up finish in the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii. The conference player of the week award is his second of the season, the sixth of his career and the fifth in seven weeks for a 49er this season.

Anderson (Long Beach, Calif./Jordan HS) averaged 14.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 57.1 percent (20-of-35) from the floor and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from 3-point range. He opened the week with a 14-point (6-of-9 shooting), seven-rebound night in a win over Eastern New Mexico. Anderson followed with three double-digit scoring games in the Diamond Head Classic. He had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in an upset of No.14 Xavier. He scored 16 points (5-of-6 shooting) and grabbed three rebounds in a win over Auburn, and then had 17 points (3-of-6 from 3-point range), four rebounds and four assists against Kansas State in the championship game.

Anderson earned a spot on the Diamond Head Classic All-Tournament Team after leading LBSU to a 2-1 record and a spot in the championship game. He averaged 15 points, four rebounds 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, while making 53.8 percent (14-of-26) shots and 60 percent (6-of-10) of his 3-pointers in the tournament.

Anderson’s first Big West Conference weekly honor this season came on Nov. 15 after he scored 16 points and matched a career-high with seven assists in LBSU’s 69-61 season-opening win over Idaho. The 49er guard made all four of his field goal attempts, while canning three 3-pointers, in 27 minutes of action. He also went 5-for-6 from the free throw line, grabbed two rebounds and had a steal. His first career player of the week award came on Nov. 16, 2009 when he earned co-player of the week honors after leading LBSU to a season-opening win against Alaska Anchorage. He added three player of the week honors as a junior during the 2010-11 season, winning back-to-back awards during the first two weeks of the conference season (Jan. 3 and Jan. 10) and then adding another one on Feb. 20.

Current Long Beach State players have won 15 career Big West Player of the Week honors with T.J. Robinson winning four, Casper Ware three and Eugene Phelps one. Their five player of the week honors this season already match last season’s total.