LBSU to battle Cornell for first time

[IE]

The long-awaited matchup of the Long Beach State and Cornell men's basketball programs finally takes place in the Walter Pyramid at 7:30 tonight. OK, so maybe the first-ever basketball game between the 49ers and Big Red isn't one that fans across the country have been clamoring for years to see take place.

But the respective teams have waited long enough for the game any game, in fact.

The host 49ers (3-6) haven't played since rallying to beat the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, 81-70, eight nights ago in the Walter Pyramid.

And Cornell (4-6), which finished second in the Ivy League a year ago, is playing its first game since knocking off Army, 74-39, on Dec. 20.

The 49ers "have had some good practices this week," coach Larry Reynolds said Thursday afternoon before his team was about to take the Walter Pyramid floor for another workout.

Getting minds back on basketball (after the Christmas break) "has been the main thing," he said.

"We have to focus on staying with what we have been doing and getting better at what we have to do (to prepare for the Jan. 7 beginning of Big West Conference play). Guys have to accept roles and some are still battling that. But guys are getting a little more comfortable with what we are asking them to do."

Cornell, coached by Steve Donahue, is led by 6-foot-6 senior Lenny Collins, a graduate of Santa Margarita High where he was an All-CIF selection for coach Jerry DeBusk.

Collins, who is 14 points short of the 1,000 mark, averages 12.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

He had 20 points and seven rebounds when the Big Red lost at Syracuse (67-62) in a Coaches vs. Cancer Classic game in November.

Freshman guard Adam Gore, who is averaging 12.2 ppg, also scored 20 points against the Orange.

"He's real heady, doesn't make a lot of mistakes and does a great job of running their offense," Reynolds said of Gore.

The 49ers return to action Monday night against UC Davis in the Walter Pyramid, then open conference play at UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 7.

 

[IE]

Big Red, Collins Return To Golden State To Face 49ers


Cornell looks for third win in last four games when it meets Long Beach State

The Big Red is coming off its most complete performance of the season, a 74-39 victory over Army on Dec. 20. Cornell limited the Black Knights to 30 percent shooting while hitting 52 percent of its own shots in the win. The team set season highs in assists (19), a season low in turnovers (nine) and outrebounded Army (36-23).
The game against Long Beach State will allow senior Lenny Collins, a first-team All-Ivy selection from a season ago, a chance to play in front of his family and friends with the possibility of reaching a milestone. The tri-captain and Blue Ribbon Yearbook's preseason Ancient Eight Player of the Year enters the contest needing 14 points to become the school's 21st 1,000-point scorer. Collins is a 2002 graduate of Santa Margarita Catholic HS in San Juan Capistrano.

It will be the 12th game in the Golden State all-time for Cornell, with the Big Red going 1-10 in the previous 11 games. It will be the Big Red's first trip to California since 1999 when the squad participated in Fresno State's Trend Homes Classic.

The 49ers enter the contest with a 3-6 record after topping UMBC 81-70 on Dec. 22. Head coach Larry Reynolds' squad is averaging nearly 84 ppg.


ABOUT LONG BEACH STATE: The 49ers are off to a 3-6 start after topping UMBC 81-70 on Dec. 22. Five players are scoring in double figures, led by Jibril Hodges (14.1 ppg.) and Kejuan Johnson (14.0 ppg). Long Beach State has averaged 83.9 ppg. this season, but has allowed an average of 85.3 ppg. on 47 percent shooting. Fourth-year head coach Larry Reynolds' team won 10 games a season ago, including seven of its last eight regular season games. He has a 134-104 record in nine years as a head coach overall.


CORNELL VS. THE BIG WEST: The Big Red has played just one contest against a member of the eight-team Big West Conference, dropping a 90-76 decision to Pacific on Dec. 3, 1988, in the consolation game of Stanford's Apple Invitational. Cornell has never played Cal State Fullerton, CS Northridge, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly or UC Riverside. It is the only game against a Big West foe this season.


A WIN OVER LONG BEACH STATE WOULD ...

improve Cornell's record to 5-6 overall.
be the 50th coaching win for Cornell head coach Steve Donahue.
give the Big Red its first winning record in December (3-2) since 1990-91 (5-1).
give Cornell a win in its first-ever contest against the 49ers.
be the first-ever victory for the Big Red against a team from the Big West Conference.
snap a five-game road losing skid to open the 2005-06 season.
be the 1,078th in school history.

HEADING TO THE 21ST CENTURY: Senior Lenny Collins enters the Long Beach State game 14 points from becoming Cornell's 21st 1,00-point scorer and the fourth in the last three years, joining Ka'Ron Barnes `04 (fifth, 1,396 points), Cody Toppert (eighth, 1,232 points) and Eric Taylor (18th, 1,011 points). His 986 points currently rank 22nd at Cornell, and he needs seven points to surpass John Sheehy `55 for 21st.


GOLDEN STATE OF MIND: Cornell will be playing in California for the first time since playing in Fresno State's Trend Homes Classic during the 1999-2000 season, defeated Norfolk State 92-89 in overtime before falling the following day to Jerry Tarkanian's Fresno State squad 105-86 in the championship game. The Big Red is just 1-11 in 12 games all-time in the state of California.



In California Opponent W/L Score Notes
12/28/86 at Fresno State L-2OT 56-62 at Fresno's Sun Met Tournament
12/29/86 vs. Texas-Pan American L 75-89 at Fresno's Sun Met Tournament
3/18/88 vs. Arizona L 50-90 NCAA first round (Los Angeles)
12/2/88 at Stanford L 45-90 at Apple Invitational (Palo Alto)
12/3/88 vs. Pacific L 76-90 at Apple Invitational (Palo Alto)
12/29/89 at California L 49-82
1/2/90 at U.S. International L 86-95
12/29/94 at Stanford L 55-67 Cardinal ranked No. 23
12/28/98 vs. VCU L 54-57 at Golden Bear Classic (Berkeley)
12/29/98 vs. New Hampshire L 51-56 at Golden Bear Classic (Berkeley)
12/21/99 vs. Norfolk State W-OT 92-89 at Trend Homes Classic (Fresno)
12/22/99 at Fresno State L 86-105 at Trend Homes Classic (Fresno)

BLISTERED IN THE SUN: Cornell is 2-10 all-time against schools located in California, having played California (1-1), Fresno State (0-2), Pacific (0-1), San Francisco State (0-1), Stanford (1-2), UCLA (0-1), USC (0-1) and U.S. International (0-1).


GOLDEN AND GRAND?: Senior Lenny Collins, a native of nearby San Juan Capistrano and 2002 graduate of Santa Margarita Catholic HS, could well become the school's 21st 1,000-point scorer in front of many family and friends. The 2004-05 first-team All-Ivy selection enters the Long Beach State game needing 14 points to reach the milestone. The team tri-captain was a three-time all-conference and two-time all-region selection in high school and was a nominee for California's Mr. Basketball Award after averaging 16.3 points as a senior for a team ranked in the top 40 nationally.


REPEAT FIRST-TEAMER: Senior Lenny Collins is attempting to become just the third Big Red player to earn first-team All-Ivy honors twice in a career, and he's off to a solid start. Collins has gotten better with each passing season, but he has shown flashes that his senior year will be his signature campaign. The tri-captain is averaging 12.7 ppg., including a season-high 20 points at No. 16 Syracuse. He also ranks third on the squad with 4.4 rpg. An ironman, Collins hasn't missed a game (91 and counting) in his Cornell career and is averaging 32.3 minutes per game this season, including a full 40 minutes against both the Orange and Penn State.


100 TIMES THREE: Senior Lenny Collins became the 11th Cornell player to surpass 100 career 3-point field goals with two treys in the win over Colgate. He needs another 17 to move into the top 10 in school history, as former teammate Ka'Ron Barnes `04 and Alex Compton `97 are tied for ninth with 126. Collins currently has 109.


STRUGGLING TO SCORE: Cornell is averaging just 58.9 ppg. so far this season, a mark that if maintained would be the fewest since putting up 57.7 points during the 2001-02 season. The Big Red has reached 60 points just once in its last five games and has been held to 25 points or less in five of the last 10 20-minute halves.


BUT MAYBE BACK ON TRACK: The Big Red shot .519 from the floor and scored 74 points, one shy of a season high, in a 74-39 win over Army in its last outing. Cornell had a season-high 19 assists in the victory.


DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND: The Big Red's defensive effort has been very good in the team's first 10 games and is a significant improvement over a season ago. Cornell is limiting foes to 60.3 points on 41 percent shooting, including 29 percent from 3-point range. Below is how this year's team matches up with last year's squad defensively after 10 games.



2004-05 2005-06
Opp. Scoring 71.7 60.3
Opp. FG Pct. .491 .405
Opp. 3Pt FG Pct. .421 .294
Opp. Gms 70+ pts. 7 2

MARGINAL WIN: The Big Red's 35-point victory (74-39) over Army on Dec. 20 was its largest in a win over a Division I opponent since topping Pittsburgh 110-72 at Barton Hall on Feb. 1, 1966. The Big Red has won nine games of more than 35 points since then, all coming against non-Division I opponents.


NO THREE'S FOR YOU: Cornell struggled defending the 3-point shot last year, allowing opponents to shoot 37 percent while hitting more than six treys per game. This year, with an added emphasis on guarding the line, the Big Red has forced its opponents into 29 percent shooting (53-of-180). Included was a 1-of-19 effort by No. 16 Syracuse as the Orange missed 19 straight after hitting an early trey. The Big Red defense held All-America guard Gerry McNamara to 0-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc, snapping a streak of 51 consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer. No opponent has hit more than seven treys, while seven of the 10 teams have shot under 33 percent from beyond the arc.

 

[IE]

Big Red must slow high-flying 49ers

By BRIAN DELANEY
Journal Staff


ITHACA ? It's a contrast of styles, to the extreme.

The Cornell men's basketball team prefers a controlled pace behind its deliberate offense and stifling defense. Long Beach State, on the other hand, likes nothing more than a full-court affair where scores rise toward the century mark.


The contest marks the first of two road games on the West Coast for the Big Red (4-6), which has been idle since a 74-39 throttling of Army on Dec. 20 at Newman Arena. A visit to seventh-ranked Washington awaits coach Steve Donahue's club on Monday, but a fast-paced 49ers team is first, with tip-off slated for 10:35 p.m. today at Walter Pyramid.

Has the Big Red played an opponent with a similar style?

?In all honesty, no. They really get up and go, as much as anyone we've played since I've been here,? Donahue said.

The 49ers (3-6) essentially play a four-guard system with a deep bench and a penchant for pressing and fast-breaking. Four starters average double figures, led by senior Jibril Hodges' 14.1 points per game, and the team averages almost 84 points per contest. Donahue knows that allowing Long Beach State to score in the 80s would be to the Big Red's disadvantage.

?We really have to control the game with our offense,? he said. ?They're not a great defensive team. You've got to make sure you take open shots, and good shots. There's no reason to force stuff. You've got to run a good offense.?

The matchup marks the homecoming for senior forward Lenny Collins, who hails from nearby San Juan Capistrano. Averaging 12.7 points per game, the swingman is the leading scorer on a team that relies on balanced offense. Freshman point guard Adam Gore nets about 12 points per contest as well.

But the big news for the Big Red is that junior forward Jason Hartford, who's missed several games due to a wrist injury, will begin seeing action in today's game. His practice time increased during the week, but individual matchups with the 49ers may limit his minutes.

?We'll play it by ear,? Donahue said. ?He's in pretty good shape. They play so many small guards, I don't know where his minutes may come from.?

The 49ers love the long ball and average nine made 3s per game. They have scored 80 or more points in six of their last seven contests and rank ninth in Division I in total scoring. Long Beach is coming off an 81-70 victory over the University of Maryland-Baltimore County on Dec. 22, a win that snapped a four-game losing skid.

Against UMBC, the 49ers drained 12-of-28 from long range. Conversely, Cornell is forcing opponents into 29 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

The teams are near polar opposites of each other; whichever dictates the flow of the game will surely gain the upper hand.

?It's going to be hard to keep it in the 60s,? Donahue said. ?I think we can score against them. I think we just have to be intelligent.?

 

[johnnyb.]

like all the info on my alma mater, go 49ers!!!

 

[bjfinste]

Long Beach is gonna dictate the pace of play. Their defense is so bad that Cornell will have to pass up good open looks in order to slow it down. I'm playing the 1h over and looking at the game over.