Long Beach State men’s basketball leaned on a gritty first half against San Diego State before dropping a 92-67 exhibition defeat on the road. Playing severely shorthanded with just 10 dressed players and a single available forward, the Beach put up a resilient physical fight before the Aztecs’ depth and size eventually broke the contest open in the second half.
Fantasy & Market Impact
- Scoring Distribution: Yohann Sissoko and bench contributor Brett Wright emerged as primary focal points, signaling potential usage spikes for early-season DFS formats.
- Pace and Rebounding Margins: The second-half rebounding differential (25-8) exposes vulnerabilities that upcoming opponents like Utah will likely exploit.
A Shorthanded Rotation Battles San Diego State
Playing without four forwards on the roster, Long Beach State showed remarkable heart during the opening 20 minutes at San Diego State. Freshman Max VanLaningham logged the full 20 minutes of the first half, pulling down six rebounds and chipping in four points to anchor the interior against a physical Aztecs frontline. After falling into an early 16-11 hole following a hot shooting stretch from the hosts, the Beach clawed back to seize a 19-18 lead courtesy of a second-chance bucket from VanLaningham.
San Diego State responded with a 7-0 run to regain control, but Long Beach State stayed within striking distance to trail 45-38 at the halftime whistle. While the rebounding margin sat at a manageable three-board edge for the Aztecs through the first half, the lack of personnel ultimately took its toll over the final 20 minutes.
Second-Half Depth and Size Take Over
The physical attrition caught up with the Beach after the break as San Diego State’s roster depth dictated the pace. The Aztecs widened the rebounding gap significantly, out-rebounding Long Beach State 25-8 in the second half alone to finish with a commanding advantage on the glass. Balanced scoring fueled the surge, with six different Aztecs players finishing the night scoring in double figures.
Despite the mounting deficit, Long Beach State found offensive production down the roster. Yohann Sissoko paced the squad with 14 points, while Brett Wright provided an immediate spark off the bench with 12 points. McCaden Adams and Jack Payne each contributed nine points apiece in the exhibition loss.
| Statistic | Long Beach State | San Diego State |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 67 | 92 |
| Leading Scorer | Yohann Sissoko (14) | Balanced (6 in double figures) |
| 2nd Half Rebounds | 8 | 25 |
Looking Ahead to the Utah Opener
The regular season begins on Monday, November 2, when Long Beach State travels to face Utah in the season opener scheduled for 6 p.m. PT with live coverage on ESPN+, as reported by longbeachstate.com.
The wait is over! We're kicking off the season with an exhibition matchup in San Diego! 🏀🆚: San Diego State🕐: 7:00PM 📍: San Diego, CA #GoBeach | #LongBeachBuilt pic.twitter.com/SdeN5qCiNs
San Diego State’s Chance Gladden just keeps coming up clutch as he sinks a buzzer beating 3-pointer to end the half. SDSU-45Long Beach St.-38 pic.twitter.com/EH96RHXZkF
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