Near-Miss at Nebraska Shows Pieces Falling Into Place for 49ers

They picked a bad time to go to Lincoln, Neb. Actually, is there ever a good time?

But honoring contracts is sound policy, so off went the Long Beach State men’s basketball team for a nonconference game last Saturday. Nebraska made a West Coast trip last season and defeated Long Beach, 82-71, at the Pyramid. It was the 49ers’ turn, so they traveled through the cold and snow.

Inclement weather was the least of the 49ers’ concerns. Nebraska’s fans--typically voracious and single-minded in their devotion--were especially excited. The Cornhuskers were still celebrating the football team’s rout of Florida in the Fiesta Bowl and their second consecutive national championship.

Moreover, the basketball team was hot. Nebraska had recently defeated then-No. 23 Texas.

If the 49ers had been overwhelmed, they would have had many excuses. But they didn’t need to check their list.

Nebraska barely held off Long Beach, 69-68. Long Beach pushed Nebraska with its multiple defenses and improving guard-dominated offense, which has helped Long Beach rebound from a rough start.

“We didn’t play as well as we could have,” Coach Seth Greenberg said. “We could have won. We were right there.”

Long Beach (7-4, 2-0 in the Big West Conference) will play the rest of its regular-season games against conference opponents. Long Beach defeated Fullerton, 79-66, Wednesday night at the Pyramid, and plays tonight at Nevada Las Vegas.

Guard James Cotton has emerged as the dominating offensive force Greenberg said he would be, averaging a team-leading 20.6 points. Forward Akeli Jackson is finally approaching his potential.

Together, the center trio of Gerry Branner, Marcus Johnson and Brian Yankelevitz should be enough to handle the Big West’s opposing posts. And, as always, Juaquin Hawkins’ defense is outstanding.

“We’re still not clicking yet offensively, and we have to get better in defensive transition, but we’re making progress,” Greenberg said. “I’m not satisfied, though, and I don’t want the kids to be satisfied either.”

Knowing Greenberg, the 49ers won’t get the chance to let up. Long Beach began the season 0-2, losing at No. 18 Arizona and Detroit.

“We’ve played a tougher nonconference schedule than a lot of teams, and that’s helped us,” Greenberg said. “I know our [conference] didn’t do great [during the nonconference season], but it’s still not going to be easy. But, yeah, I think we’ve got a good shot.”

Utah State Coach Larry Eustachy doesn’t agree. He believes Long Beach is clearly No. 1.

“I told everyone from the beginning that I liked Long Beach,” Eustachy said. “I talked to Seth after the first couple of games and he was kind of down, and he said he was thinking about getting a psychiatrist for his team.

“I told him he didn’t need a psychiatrist, he needed an easier schedule. I mean, come on, who is going to go to Arizona and win? Now, it looks like they’re really coming together.”

*

The zone: Give Greenberg credit for adjusting.

A staunch supporter of man-to-man defense, Greenberg installed a 1-3-1 half-court zone into the defensive scheme this season. He did it as much to compensate for the 49ers’ lack of front-court size as to utilize their defensive quickness.

It has worked better than Greenberg had hoped. Opponents have struggled to get good shots on the perimeter and often commit turnovers as they try to force the ball inside.

“The zone has been a lifesaver for us,” Greenberg said. “We didn’t execute it as well as we could against Nebraska, but we’ve done a pretty good job with it overall.”

In the defense, Hawkins pressures the ballhandler from the top of the key to near the midcourt line. Cotton and point guard Rasul Salahuddin play along the baseline to the left and right of the lane, and the forwards and centers jam the middle.

“I think the real strength of the zone is right down the middle,” Greenberg said. “Hawk is the key, and Rasul and James do a good job at the corners disrupting the passing lanes.”

Greenberg and assistant coach Clyde Vaughan learned the defense when Greenberg was an assistant coach at Pittsburgh and Vaughan a star player. This is the first season Greenberg felt comfortable implementing it.

*

49er Notes

Former major league manager Sparky Anderson, who guided the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers to World Series victories, will be the featured speaker Tuesday night at the baseball Lead-Off Dinner at the Long Beach Marriott. Tickets for the event, beginning at 7 p.m., are $75 per person. For information: Jill Keenan, (310) 985-4550. . . . Aimee Periolat (Marina High) has played well in place of starting point guard Akia Hardy, who has been suspended by women’s basketball Coach Dallas Boychuk for disciplinary reasons. Periolat had six assists and only two turnovers in an 83-68 victory over Cal State Fullerton Sunday.