Long Beach State Beach (1-0) vs. UCLA Bruins (1-0)
The 2022-23 NCAA men’s basketball schedule continues on Friday as Long Beach State Beach takes on the UCLA Bruins at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.
This is an exciting battle of two teams who expect to be at the top of their respective conferences at the end of the season. The Beach defeated California Baptist to begin the season, 79-64. UCLA knocked off Sacramento State on Monday, 76-50. These teams met twice last season with UCLA winning both contests with ease, including a 96-78 victory on January 6.
Long Beach State shot 50.8% from the field to down California Baptist, 79-64. The Beach took just 10 three-point shots, hitting 28 of 53 shots from inside the arc. The defense was solid as well, holding their opponent to 32.3% shooting, including 22.9% from three-point range.
It was a big victory for head coach Dan Monson who has turned around a program and made LBSU one of the powerhouses of the Big West Conference. That includes seven top three finishes and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Long Beach State looks to make it two in a row, but will face a tough test at No. 8 UCLA on Friday night. #GoBeachhttps://t.co/yJ9ibS5OYo
— LBSU Men's Basketball ?? (@LBSUMBB) November 9, 2022
6-10 transfer Lassina Traore was impressive in his debut for the Beach, scoring 13 points and adding 12 rebounds. While Monson is committed to a 10-man rotation, it may be hard to keep the transfer off the court. “Guys know they can go hard for a few minutes and then (rest). If they continue to buy into that and not worry about their stats, we've got a chance to be a good team.” 10 players played at least 10 minutes in the opening contest.