Long Beach St defeats Cal Poly 74-66
Long Beach St Edges Cal Poly in Thrilling Conference Clash at Walter Pyramid
In a back-and-forth contest that showcased the best of both teams, Long Beach State (LSU) emerged victorious over visiting Cal Poly, 74-66, in a crucial conference matchup on Tuesday night.
The home team's dominance was evident from the opening tip-off, as they quickly took control of the pace and outscored their visitors by a margin of 12 points at halftime, 38-26. Despite trailing by eight points heading into the second half, Cal Poly refused to back down, employing a tenacious defensive strategy that limited Long Beach State's offense.
However, Petar Majstorovic, LSU's senior center, proved to be an unstoppable force in the paint, notching 25 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. His impressive performance set the tone for the game, as he single-handedly pushed his team forward whenever they fell behind.
Majstorovic's standout play was complemented by a balanced offense, which shot 50% from the field (29/58) and hit 24% of its attempts from three-point range (4/17). The team's free throw shooting also proved crucial, as they made 71% of their attempts at the line to seal the win.
On the other side, Cal Poly struggled with their outside shooting, making just 35.7% of its attempts from beyond the arc (10/30) and hitting a paltry 34.6% on their 2-pointers (9/26). Hamad Mousa led the way for the Mustangs, but even his strong performance couldn't overcome the team's inability to find consistency.
The final margin of victory was eight points, a testament to Long Beach State's ability to close out games when it matters most. With this win, LSU takes an important step forward in their conference standings, while Cal Poly returns to the drawing board after a tough outing on the road.
Game-by-Game Breakdown
The game was marked by several key statistics that highlighted the strengths of each team. Long Beach State's strong interior play (46 points in the paint) and ability to limit turnovers (12) were significant factors in their victory, while Cal Poly struggled with its own turnover rate (11).
Advanced metrics also played a role, as LSU's effective field goal percentage (53.4%) and true shooting percentage (56.5%) showcased the team's overall efficiency on offense.
In conclusion, this conference matchup at Walter Pyramid will be remembered for Long Beach State's gritty performance in the face of adversity, while Cal Poly's inability to find consistency from beyond the arc ultimately proved costly.