The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2024-25 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach State Basketball is sponsored by CSULB Distinguished Alumnus Nelson Farris.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach State men’s basketball for the 2024-25 season is sponsored by Arline & Mike Walter.
Even the most diehard Long Beach State men’s basketball fans watched Monday’s exhibition against Cal Tech at Walter Pyramid with a roster sheet in their hands. The Beach has an almost entirely new group of players for the first season under coach Chris Acker, and they were impressive in a 103-35 victory.
Acker was energetic and loud on the sideline while substituting liberally and giving his team a chance to work through different lineups.
“It’s about these guys and they get me inspired and fired up to come to work, and I owe them my best every time I’m on the floor because they give me their best,” Acker said. “Right now, it’s about making sure guys are in the right spots, and there will come a time when they know that and I can be a little bit less animated on the sidelines. But right now it’s about creating great habits.”
Junior seven-footer Christian Richardson had a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds (eight offensive rebounds) while five Beach players scored in double-figures.
Senior guard Devin Askew scored 16 points to go with a game-high seven assists from. Senior Cam Denson (13 points), sophomore Derrick Michael Xzavierro (15 points, seven rebounds) and freshman Kam Martin (10 points) also finished in double figures.
“Offensively we’re going to have a culture of sharing the basketball and moving the basketball,” Acker said. “We have a lot of different variations and different ways we can play.”
“I think we’ve got a great group of guys who work extremely hard,” Askew added. “That’s the culture that coach brings. That’s the way we execute, no matter if we make mistakes, we’re going to fly around and have each other’s backs. I think we did that tonight.”
Askew created the first field goal of the game when he swiped a steal on the perimeter and fed Denson for a breakaway dunk. LBSU went on to force 26 turnovers and hold Cal Tech to 21.7 percent shooting.
“It was important to set the defensive tone in our first game,” Xzavierro said. “We want to get everybody to come watch us because of how we play defense.”
LBSU led 17-0 and it took over 10 minutes for Cal Tech to make its first field goal. The Beach led 46-14 at halftime.
“When we play hard on defense the offense will take care of itself,” Richardson said. “We’ve got a great group of guys who just like to compete.”
LBSU opens the season on Monday against La Verne, another SCIAC program like Cal Tech. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Walter Pyramid.
