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.
It was a wire-to-wire win for Long Beach State men’s basketball in its season opener on Monday night at Walter Pyramid. The Beach used a 16-4 run in the first half to build a big cushion and cruise to a 93-48 victory over visiting La Verne out of NCAA Division III.
This is the first win for new coach Chris Acker and his squad made up of 12 new players. Asked postgame if this team would beat his same team he met during the offseason, Acker smiled and said, “Absolutely.”
“This team right now is a lot closer to where we need to be than when we got together this summer,” he said. “I’m excited for what’s to come and the journey ahead. We just want to continue to get better every single day.”
LBSU point guard Devin Askew scored a game-high 20 points to go with five rebounds and five assists. Fellow guard TJ Wainwright finished with 18 points, six rebounds and three assists.
La Verne pulled within 15-12 in the middle of the first half and called a timeout. LBSU came out and answered with the 16-4 run. It was Askew and Wainwright who sparked the run by playing good defense and getting out in transition.
“I’m looking for the best play available,” Wainwright said. “Whatever the game requires of me, that’s what I try to bring to the table. Before that timeout we were straying away from our habits. After that timeout we knew we had to pick it up and we made better reads and plays.”
The Beach got another great game from forward Derrick Michael Xzavierro recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Fellow big man Christian Richardson had eight points and eight rebounds in his Division I debut while LBSU scored 46 points in the paint.
“Spending time with each other is a part of it, we’re getting more connected,” Xzavierro said of getting more comfortable on the court with his teammates. “It has to be like that. I’m trying to settle myself down, but I have to work harder.”
Also making his Division I debut was freshman Kam Martin who scored 11 points and six other LBSU players scored while the Beach recorded 15 assists.
“When we challenged them at halftime and talked about some of the reads they were missing, they took it upon themselves to share a little bit more and move the ball a little bit more, and then we looked better offensively,” Acker said.
Defensively, La Verne was held to 24 percent shooting and got out rebounded 57-27. The Beach swiped 13 steals, and Wainwright forced a game-high four turnovers.
LBSU (1-0) travels to Brookings, South Dakota and faces the Jackrabbits Friday night in a game carried live on the Summit Network.
