Ware's 33 Points Nail Long Beach's Big West Victory

Long Beach State
men’s basketball team overpowered the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 77-64 and is on its way now to its first NCAA tournament since 2007.

Of Saturday night's Big West Tournament final at Anaheim's Honda Center, the 49er Head Coach Dan Monson said:

“It’s a relief. This has been a four year process to get here.  Although you want to do it as quickly as you can, I am relieved that we finally got here.”

Casper Ware led the way for the Beach with a game-high 33
points (including eight 3-pointers) to garner tournament MVP honors.  Ware also had five assists.  James Ennis tallied 15 points, while Eugene
Phelps and Peter Pappageorge each dropped eight points in the win.

“I told Casper (Ware) that you will take us to the championship,” Monson said.  “He gave me the ‘we’re going to do this‘  look.”

Neither team could get any sort of significant run going early in the first half as both teams traded baskets. Long Beach, however, began to pull away, going on an 11-4 behind 3-pointers from Peter Pappageorge and Casper Ware. 

Long Beach converted 8 of 19 from behind the arc in the
first half and finished 14 of 33 for the game. 

The 14 three-pointers were second all-time in Big West tournament
history.  Ware’s eight 3-pointers put him third all-time in tournament history.

“I do whatever the team needs me to do,” Ware said, “whether
it be to take a charge, I’ll take a charge, or to grab some rebounds.”

Orlando Johnson and James Nunnally each dropped 17 for the
Gauchos while Alan Williams added 13 points and seven rebounds and two steals.

“They (Johnson and Nunnally) are very good players and they
will get their (points),”  Ware said.  “I just needed to put pressure on them and make it tough for them to score.”

Ahead 47-46 with 15:05 remaining, Long would pull away with
a 12-0 run from which Santa Barbara was unable to recover.

With Larry Anderson unavailable throughout the tournament
because of a sprained knee suffered in the final game of the season, Monson looked to others on the bench to step up and contribute.

“Mike Caffey, Peter Pappageorge, Edis Dervisevic were the X factor this weekend,” Monson said.  “Everyone did their jobs, and that is why we were the better team tonight.”

Long Beach now awaits who its opponent will be in the NCAA tournament.  There will be a viewing party at Legends Sports Bar on East 2^nd Street today at 2 p.m.  The selection show starts at 3 p.m.

BOX SCORES

LONG BEACH (77)- Casper Ware (33), James Ennis (15), Eugene Phelps (8), Peter pappageorge(8), Mike Caffey (6), TJ Robinson (5), Edis Dervisevic (2)

UC SANTA BARBARA (64) – James Nunnally (17), Orlando Johnson (17), Alan Williams (13), Jaime Serna (7), Greg Somogyi (6), Keegan Hornbuckle (2), Christian Peterson (2)