January 15, 1998
49ers bumped off by gritty Aggies
Basketball: Shaky start in second half costly for LBSU.
By GORDON VERRELL
Staff writer Long Beach Press Telegram
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - Long Beach State's men's basketball team isn't an especially explosive offensive outfit anyway, so when it encounters a clamp-like defense, as it did Thursday night at New Mexico State, chances are the 49ers are in for a long evening.
New Mexico State pretty well put the wraps on the 49ers' top scorers, Mate Milisa and Rock Lloyd, particularly in the second half, to hand Long Beach State its first Big West Conference loss, 60-46, before 7,293 fans.
It's the fewest points the 49ers have scored in a game this season.
The 49ers made a game of it, at least, paring an 18-point deficit to eight late in the game. But they still wound up with their 10th consecutive loss at the Pan America Center, a winless span covering 11 agonizing years.
New Mexico State (10-5, 3-0) had only a four-point lead at the half, 30-26, but blistered the 49ers with an 18-4 run to start the second half.
They did it with defense, not offense. At one point, little more than four minutes into the second half, the 49ers had as many turnovers as they had shots: three.
It wasn't as if the Aggies were shooting the lights out either. They missed 18 of their first 22 shots in the second half, yet still managed to pull away.
The loss left the 49ers 6-8 overall and 3-1 in the Big West.
After the Aggies opened a 48-30 lead, the 49ers seemed to come alive. Grant Stone tipped in two baskets and Lloyd tossed in two free throws. Billy Keys made two free throws for New Mexico State, then Richie Smalls made a jumper, Lloyd made an off-balance hook and D'Cean Bryant converted two free throws as the 49ers climbed back to 50-42.
But they didn't get any closer.
New Mexico State was operating without 6-9 center Aaron Brodt, who was ill, yet the Aggies still edged the 49ers in rebounds, 32-31.
The 49ers got out to a six-point early on, and were still ahead, 21-19, until the Aggies went on an 11-2 run shortly before the end of the first half to go in front, 30-23. Charles O'Neal made a 3-point basket at the buzzer to get the 49ers to within four at halftime, 30-26.
It was the only 3-pointer the 49ers made in the first half while the Aggies, the best 3-point-shooting team in the Big West, made six of 10.
The Aggies had no problem with the 49ers' zone, shooting 50 percent (11 for 22) in the first half. Keys, the Aggies' point guard, picked apart the 49ers' defense, recording seven first-half assists.
The 49ers shot well, too, in the first half, making 12 of 22 shots (55 percent). Milisa led with eight points. Lloyd scored seven, but he also turned the ball over four times.
Mikko Noopila came off the bench to lead the Aggies with nine points in the first half, all on 3-pointers. He didn't score in the second half.
Lloyd ended up with 13 points to lead the 49ers, but they were well-earned; he missed eight of 13 shots. Milisa finished with 10, the only other 49er in double figures.
Charles Gosa and Bradley Bestor each had 13 points for New Mexico State, Keys had 11 and freshman Eric Channing 10.