Long Beach State?s two losses last week put the 49ers men?s basketball team in a bind for the balance of the Big West Conference season, making every game, starting Saturday night against visiting Cal Poly, a must-win contest.
Long Beach is 12-14 overall and 6-4 in league play, tied with Cal State Fullerton for fourth place. The 49ers were also swept in the season series with the two teams tied for second, UC Davis and UC Irvine (both 7-3). Cal Poly (8-16, 3-7) had won two straight before being beaten by Fullerton on Thursday night.
The race for the league title remains the 49ers? goal, but Coach Dan Monson wants his team to focus on each of its remaining games without worrying about where they end up in the standings.
?The Big West title is always our goal,? Monson said. ?Those were two hard losses in games we had a lead in the second half and could have won.?
Getting his players to regroup was the theme of their practices this week.
The 49ers have two games left with first-place UC Santa Barbara (8-2) and a rematch with Fullerton as well as games with Hawaii and UC Riverside. Finishing in the top three in the league would theoretically give the 49ers a game against one of the teams near the bottom of the standings in the first round of next month?s Big West Tournament.
Long Beach is 12-14 overall and 6-4 in league play, tied with Cal State Fullerton for fourth place. The 49ers were also swept in the season series with the two teams tied for second, UC Davis and UC Irvine (both 7-3). Cal Poly (8-16, 3-7) had won two straight before being beaten by Fullerton on Thursday night.
The race for the league title remains the 49ers? goal, but Coach Dan Monson wants his team to focus on each of its remaining games without worrying about where they end up in the standings.
?The Big West title is always our goal,? Monson said. ?Those were two hard losses in games we had a lead in the second half and could have won.?
Getting his players to regroup was the theme of their practices this week.
The 49ers have two games left with first-place UC Santa Barbara (8-2) and a rematch with Fullerton as well as games with Hawaii and UC Riverside. Finishing in the top three in the league would theoretically give the 49ers a game against one of the teams near the bottom of the standings in the first round of next month?s Big West Tournament.
