{"id":887,"date":"2010-12-03T06:45:00","date_gmt":"2010-12-03T06:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/sports\/long-beach-state-struggles-with-d-ii-opponent-again-in-90-83-win-over-byu-hawaii\/"},"modified":"2010-12-03T06:45:00","modified_gmt":"2010-12-03T06:45:00","slug":"long-beach-state-struggles-with-d-ii-opponent-again-in-90-83-win-over-byu-hawaii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/sports\/long-beach-state-struggles-with-d-ii-opponent-again-in-90-83-win-over-byu-hawaii","title":{"rendered":"Long Beach State Struggles With D-II Opponent Again In 90-83 Win Over BYU-Hawaii"},"content":{"rendered":"

Was it a tired team, an unmotivated team, a team still searching for its identity or a team that plays to its competition that squeaked out a 90-83 home win over Division II BYU-Hawaii on Thursday night?<\/p>\n

Perhaps it was all of those things.<\/p>\n

Head coach Dan Monson<\/strong> and his Long Beach State 49ers offered up all of those explanations and more during the post-game press conference, but the bottom line is that a team that is expected to content for a Big West Conference championship had considerable trouble beating an inferior team. And in the end, Monson offered only one explanation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no excuses,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to keep addressing things, especially on the defensive end.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the heavily-favored 49ers may have only won the game not based on talent or effort, but because the visiting Seasiders didn\u2019t play particularly well.<\/p>\n

After a see-sawing first half, Long Beach held a 41-34 lead but BYU-Hawaii shot 0-10 from three-point range. If just a few of those bombs had connected, the 49ers would have trailed.<\/p>\n

“I didn’t think any one player played poorly,” said Monson. “But they didn’t play well together.”<\/p>\n

It was the same story in the second half, as Long Beach struggled to maintain intensity and were beaten several times both in transition and the post. When forward Jake Dastrup<\/strong> scored four consecutive points, it gave the Seasiders a 49-47 lead with 14:46 to play in the game.<\/p>\n

Long Beach rattled off a 13-2 run, capped by a step-back three-pointer from Casper Ware<\/strong>, to take a 19-point lead with just six minutes to go, but BYU-Hawaii would come roaring right back. Led by 32 points from shooting guard Tsung-Hsien Chang<\/strong>, the Seasiders closed the gap to just four points with under two minutes to play.<\/p>\n

On the next possession, reserve wingman Tristan Wilson<\/strong> took a pass at the high post and zipped a feed to forward T.J. Robinson<\/strong> for a reverse left-handed layup, and Ware would connect on late free throws to seal the victory. But it was far from a jovial mood in the locker room.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just let up, like we always do,\u201d said Ware, who led the 49ers with a career-high 22 points. \u201cWe never sustain things for a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Monson, never one to defend a poor performance, explained that his team was adjusting to key injuries and a rugged road schedule that has left them depleted and tired. On top of that, the players need time to study for upcoming exams after nearly two weeks out of classes.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these kids have been in the Bickerstaff Study Center for eight hours today,\u201d Monson said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just the wear and tear of the games and travel, but they\u2019ve got finals and academic stuff to worry about, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are very real issues on the court, as well, and Monson was quick to acknowledge those. Injuries to 6\u20198\u201d forward Edis Dervisevic<\/strong> and 6\u20196\u201d guard Larry Anderson<\/strong> left the 49ers with a rather small roster. Dervisevic is recovering from an arch strain and will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip, and is expected to miss the Boise State game on Sunday but be ready for following games at Utah State and North Carolina.<\/p>\n

Anderson, however, broke his left hand at a blowout loss to No. 22 Washington earlier this week and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. He said that the hand remains sore and sometimes throbs with pain, and he will not travel with the team. Anderson said he tried to box out during the Washington game but made contact leading with his fingers rather than his palm, and he immediately knew that something was wrong.<\/p>\n

Normally one of the team\u2019s most vocal leaders, the loss of Anderson creates a void both in spirit and ability. While relegated to the bench, he says he will continue to be as loud as ever, but on the court there is no replacing his size and athleticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a good thing,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cHopefully our other players step up so when I get back we have more chemistry.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the players who could benefit from Anderson\u2019s absence is backup point guard Jerramy King<\/strong>. When do-everything point guard Ware fatigues, Monson normally turns to Anderson to handle point guard duties. But with Anderson out, and Ware needing regular rest to avoid cramps, King will have an opportunity to shine. He played just seven minutes against BYU-Hawaii but showed more aggressiveness, especially attacking off a screen-and-roll by darting into the lane, cradling the ball like a running back and rising for the layup. <\/p>\n

Still, Ware logged 35 minutes against a Division II team in what should have been an opportunity to rest before a grueling road trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cI figured I was going to play less but it didn\u2019t happen that way,\u201d said Ware. \u201cIt\u2019s ok, I\u2019ve just got to recuperate, hit the training room, get some treatment and be ready for the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

But the point guard is being asked to carry more of the load than ever, especially with Anderson out. At times on Thursday, Ware simply took over the offense and scored nearly at will against taller but less capable athletes. He also added 9 assists, many to senior guard Greg Plater<\/strong> for his career high 22 points and 6 three-pointers. Ware is a physical guard at just 5\u20199\u201d but wears down quickly. How Monson juggles the necessity to play Ware and the necessity to rest him could determine the fate of the 49ers until Anderson returns to the team.<\/p>\n

Monson reiterated that the team needs to find identity and chemistry, and quickly, while Ware acknowledged that the 49ers have trouble bringing the right mindset into games they are supposed to win.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere shouldn\u2019t have been a problem getting up [for the game] today,\u201d said Ware. \u201cI mean, we lost by 27 against Washington and we should have wanted to kill somebody tonight. That\u2019s just on us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 49ers play at Boise State at 1:05pm this Sunday, and then travel to Utah State for a Tuesday night game.<\/p>\n

News & Notes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n