Georgetown Rallies to Defeat Long Beach

One of the larger Cal State Long Beach home crowds in recent years--4,557--rocked the Long Beach Arena midway through the second half Tuesday night.

The 49ers had just taken the lead, 59-57, and it appeared they were primed for a major upset of eighth-ranked Georgetown.

Long Beach had the fans, the momentum and the lead. And with all that going for them, the 49ers collapsed.

Georgetown went on a 10-0 tear that produced an 86-72 victory, the ninth in a row for the undefeated Hoyas.

“When the crowd got involved, they tightened their belts and played,” Georgetown Coach John Thompson said of his players.

And then the crowd was no longer involved as the 49ers’ response to Georgetown’s surge was meager.

“Our pressure started getting us some things, and they lost their concentration,” said Thompson. “Our defense forces you to concentrate for 40 minutes.”

And it was for only 32 minutes that the 49ers were sharp. They passed and shot well and and matched the Hoyas in quickness.

Guard Tony Ronzone came off the bench and startled the Hoyas with long, high-arching three-point shots, making the first four he tried in the first half.

“The turning point was when we finally got out on that kid,” Thompson said. They shoot deep and they shoot well.”

But always there to answer Ronzone was Georgetown’s Reggie Williams, who led all scorers with 27 points.

Williams was helped by the outside shooting of guard Mark Tillmon, who had 15 points.

Those two provided the baskets which regained the lead for the Hoyas.

Although Ronzone hit another three-pointer--his only one in the second half--to cut the lead to 67-62, the 49ers were in no condition to bounce back with Morlon Wiley and Andre Purry in foul trouble.