January 17, 1999
Smalls plays a big role in 49ers victory
Basketball: Switch on defense stymies North Texas.
By GORDON VERRELL
Staff writer Long Beach Press Telegram
DENTON, Texas - The Long Beach State men's basketball team was digging itself a good-sized hole Saturday night, trailing by nine points with about 7 1/2 minutes left . . . and what in the world were the 49ers going to do about all of those North Texas 3-pointers?
About then 49ers coach Wayne Morgan opened the hangar doors and brought out lanky Richie Smalls, stationing him at the point of a 1-3-1 zone defense.
"He wanted me out there with my long arms," a beaming Smalls said afterward.
Long arms? The 6-9 Smalls can practically tie his shoes without bending over. And he must have looked like a 747 to the bewildered Eagles, who suddenly weren't launching 3s - and the 49ers were - and Long Beach State came roaring from behind for a 79-72 Big West Conference victory.
A 15-0 run shot the 49ers from a 65-56 deficit into a 71-65 lead, and the closest North Texas could get the rest of the way was four points.
The victory was the 49ers' fourth in five Big West games, easily the best conference start in Morgan's two-plus seasons. Overall, the 49ers are 7-8. North Texas lost for the 13th time in 14 games but had designs on winning its second in a row.
Until . . .
"That's the first time we've faced a 1-3-1 zone," North Texas coach Vic Trilli said. "And we didn't attack it."
"That hurt them," Morgan acknowledged. "We had to take away their 3s. We knew how they play . . . we knew we could get back into the game."
The 49ers were in it mostly because of Ramel "Rock" Lloyd, who scored 32 points and also came up with two key steals and a big rebound late in the game.
"I felt bad after the New Mexico State game," Lloyd said, reflecting on the 49ers' 14-point loss Thursday night at Las Cruces in which Lloyd missed eight of 13 shots and turned the ball over four times. "I felt that I'd let my teammates down. I wanted to show some leadership out there (Saturday night)."
He did, scoring 12 of the 49ers' first 18 points. He had 19 by halftime, when the 49ers were in front, 38-35. But the lead lasted only a minute and a half of the second half. With North Texas' Joe Ervin repeatedly firing away from long range, the Eagles built their lead to nine.
"We lost our intensity," North Texas' Deginald Erskin said when asked about the 49ers' stirring comeback.
Lloyd started the run with a 3-pointer of his own, one of three he made. Smalls tipped in a basket, then Lloyd and D'Cean Bryant both made 3-pointers, Bryant's putting the 49ers on top, 67-65, with 4:52 remaining.
"We weren't getting our 3s, then they hit two they hadn't hit all night," Trilli said.
One thing the 49ers didn't hit on was the free throw line. They missed 17 of 36 free throws. As Lloyd pointed out, "We've got to improve on that. Even Mate (Malisa) missed a couple. When he misses you know it's a bad night."
Malisa had his string of successful free throws snapped at 18.
Malisa and Charles O'Neal each had 10 points, Antrone Lee nine and Smalls eight.