That vapor trail was Long Beach State rocketing to the top of the Big West basketball standings.
A little more than a month ago, LBSU was 324th nationally in defense and, after its first three Big West games were canceled because of health/safety corners, beaten in the league opener against Hawaii.
“They controlled the first 35 minutes of that game,” LBSU coach Dan Monson said of the Rainbow Warriors. “We rallied a little bit in desperation. But there was no doubt in leaving the building last month they were the better team. They handily took care of us.”
But since then, the Beach have not lost, winning nine in a row. On Tuesday night, the Beach beat Cal State Fullerton to claim sole possession of first place at 8-1 and give Monson his 400th career coaching victory.
“It means I’m pretty fortunate to be in this business,” Monston said of the milestone. “As a head coach for 25 years and at three different places, I’ve had some good ADs and people who have stuck with me. There aren’t a lot of people who get to do what they love doing and wake up every morning and go work with young people and people they love to work with every day for that many years.”
Tonight’s rematch between the Beach and the ’Bows tips-off at 7:05 p.m. in SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
“There’s nothing like league play,” UH coach Eran Ganot said. “People know each other pretty well. The second time around, execution becomes that much more of a premium.”
In the initial meeting at Long Beach’s Walter Pyramid, the ’Bows hit 15 3-point shots. Since then, they have bolstered their rim protection with Bernardo da Silva, Mate Colina and Jerome Desrosiers taking turns at center. Kamaka Hepa, a 6-foot-10 wing, has found consistency in his 3s.
“Hawaii lit us up pretty good,” Monson said of the Jan. 8 game. “If they get as comfortable as they did in Long Beach, it’s going to be a long day. They beat us, and there was no doubt.”
But the Beach’s improved defense is reflected in the winning streak. “We were holding people to 74 points in the preseason, and now it’s like, 62, in the league,” Monson said.
Monson credited better defensive positioning and cohesiveness.
“I think earlier in the season, we got guys trying to learn where they’re supposed to be,” Monson said. “And now they’re in the right place to make a play defensively. They’re playing with a little more confidence. Everybody talks about confidence when you’re shooting the ball. I think this team got more confident defensively. They can front the post knowing there’s going to be a guy behind to help out. They can get beat on a drive and know there’s going to be another guy who will step over and recover.”
In league play, the Beach are averaging 15.6 points off 13.6 turnovers per game.
During a self-assessment session on Monday, the ’Bows addressed limiting giveaways. While they have done better in controlling the ball, the turnovers “seem to rear (their) ugly head at the worst times,” Ganot said. “It starts there. (Reducing) turnovers kill two birds with one stone. It helps our offense and defense if we take care of the ball and stop giving up pick-sixes and things like that.”
The ’Bows are seeking to fix glitches and not implement major changes after back-to-back road losses following a seven-game winning streak.
“You don’t want to over-react,” said Ganot, who is pleased with the ’Bows inside-out attack and aggressiveness on the boards. “We didn’t get run off the court the last two games. We did a really good job when the stakes were high for most of the games. We had critical lapses in short spurts.”
After Saturday’s loss to UC Davis, Ganot reminded the players that they are playing meaningful games in February in front of boisterous crowds.
“As much as it hurts,” Ganot recalled telling the players after that game, “we are living. … I’m happy you’re playing in these games. Let’s get better.”
Big West men’s basketball
At SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center
Long Beach State (13-9, 8-1 BWC) vs. Hawaii (11-7,6-2 BWC)
>> When: 7:05 tonight
>> TV: Spectrum Sports
>> Radio: 1420 AM
>> Online: ESPN+ (Not available in Hawaii)
