We may act like real reporters and break down the game for you.  We may have some great photos and videos from our guys sitting courtside.  We may even occasionally travel with the team, and show you Coach Monson’s speeches.  But rest assured that, despite all that, we’re still fans just like you.  So I’m gonna talk about the game from what it looked like sitting in the top of the student section, decked out in LBSU gear and cheering with the best of them.

 

1. If you watched JJ’s video of the road-trip down to UCI (and if you haven’t, you need to), then you saw Coach Monson warn the guys after the big win down there that anytime you beat a team in their home, when they come to your house they are going to want revenge.  This week the Niners faced some teams looking for revenge.  The first (UC Davis) got theirs on Thursday, and on Saturday night it was clear the Pacific team was hoping for the same.

2. Coming in, you just knew it was going to be a close game.  In fact, four of the Niners’ last five games have all been decided by six points or less.  Add to that the three overtime games (including two that went to double-OT) at the beginning of the season, and it’s clear the Niners have been playing a lot of games down to the wire this year.

3. During pregame warm-ups you could tell how beat-up the Niners were when they had only ten guys during shoot-around.  The most glaring absence was of course Donovan Morris.  We know this team is deep, but it’s when a team plays without their leader (and leading-scorer) that you start to see what they are made of.  Eventually the five injured guys came out of the locker room too; including D-Mo, who watched the entire shoot-around from under the basket.  He’s a great cheerleader and teammate during the game, but during warm-ups it’s clear he just has to be near the action.

4. “The National Champion Long Beach 49er Dance Team.”  It has a nice ring to it.  Of course “National Champion” anything is gonna have a nice ring to it.

5. There ended up being a decent crowd, but after a sell-out a couple Thursdays ago I was a little disappointed there weren’t more people there on a Saturday night.  The Monson Maniac section was pretty full, but there’s always room for more.  Come on Long Beach, on a cold rainy weekend there is absolutely no better place to spend a Saturday evening than the Pyramid.

6. Speaking of the Monson Maniacs, I definitely like the Black and Gold shirts better than last year’s tie-dyed ones.  But I still love seeing the tie-dye because all I can think is “Wow, you saw last year’s team and you were willing to come back?”

7. Free-throw contests, dance teams, and t-shirt tossing–all of it is fine and good, but for my money there is nothing better than dogs playing with Frisbees during halftime.

8. One last note about the Monson Maniacs: before each game a player from the other team is targeted.  He’s going to be taunted, and booed, every time he touches the ball.  That player on Pacific was supposed to #41, Bryan LeDuc.  But the Maniacs were nowhere to be found.  Come on, this guy hit two dagger 3s AND he fouls out and you guys weren’t all over him?!?  You guys need to make him cry for his momma.

9. As I mentioned before, the Niners are no strangers to OT (or to double-OT for that matter).  So why is the concession stand closed before the end of the 4th?  We’re screaming, we’re yelling, we’re starving–and we’ve got nowhere to get food or drinks?  Come on Pyramid, if the team is willing to put in the extra time, so should you.

10. T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson were definitely able to step up in the points department in Donovan Morris’ absence.  And Casper Ware stepped up in the clutch department.  But I can’t help but think that if D-Mo is on the floor for the last shot in regulation, there’s no way it goes to OT.

11.  I don’t want to talk too much about stats (you can read the game write-up for those) but the Niners out-rebounded Pacific 36-22, including 12 LBSU offensive rebounds.  Pacific was just nailing it from behind the arc but it was the Niners’ ability to control the glass that kept them in this game.

12. So Domino’s has an offer that if Long Beach scores 80 or more, everybody in attendance gets free breadsticks.  The Niners scored 81.  I’m not saying that was the only reason they went to double-OT, I’m just saying I hope the guys called Domino’s to deliver to their post-game victory party, because they earned those free breadsticks.

13. Long Beach has been at home a lot lately and they owe the road some games.  They have 6 conference games left, and 5 of them are on the road.  I know that making the drive to Cal Poly or to UCSB is asking a lot of the fans, but look into that Wednesday game at Fullerton on Feb 18th.  We need to go support these guys.  Because don’t forget, when we go to Fullerton, we’ll be looking for some revenge.