NCAAB Game Preview - Long Beach State at Saint Mary's

Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:00 PM EST

It only took two games for Saint Mary's to experience a disappointing result.

The No. 18 Gaels will look to rebound from losing their home opener when they host Long Beach State on Thursday night at Moraga, Calif.

Saint Mary's (1-1) took a 61-59 loss to Winthrop on Monday night, six days after beating Wisconsin in overtime on a neutral floor.

The Gaels languished for most of the contest in their second outing of the campaign and trailed by eight with under five minutes to play. A late push fell short when senior guard Jordan Ford missed a close-range runner with one second left to send Winthrop into celebration mode.

The setback prompted Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett to analyze what's missing with his club.

"I think we have pretty good players and we are pretty good defensively," Bennett told reporters afterward. "We just have to figure out the right pieces to put together, trust each other and share the ball."

Ford has been solid with a 24-point scoring average, 5-of-12 shooting from 3-point range and a team-high five steals. He has yet to come out for a rest in 85 minutes this season.

Ford scored 22 points against Winthrop while junior forward Malik Fitts contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds. Fitts is averaging 17 points and nine rebounds despite making just 12 of 30 shots.

Senior guard Tanner Krebs is also in double digits with a 12-point average. He is 5 of 11 from 3-point range.

Outside that trio, nobody else on the roster is averaging more than 3.5 points per game. In fact, Winthrop exposed the Saint Mary's bench with a 38-2 edge in points.

Long Beach State (1-2) will be looking to bounce back from being routed 86-58 at Stanford on Tuesday.

The 49ers were never really in the game as they trailed 47-22 at halftime.

Long Beach State committed 19 turnovers in the contest and was outscored 16-2 in fastbreak points.

"I was disappointed that we weren't more ready to play," Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said. "I think a lot of credit has got to go to Stanford. They were the aggressor early and got the good shots.

"Our guys got frustrated and tried to make it up on the other end. Really, it snowballed on us."

Sophomore guard Chance Hunter, a junior-college transfer, averages a team-best 15 points but tallied just five against Stanford. He is 7 of 10 from 3-point range through three games.

Second-leading scorer Michael Carter III missed all nine of his shots -- including six 3-point attempts -- while scoring just two points against the Cardinal. The sophomore guard averages 12 points.

Freshman guard Max De Geest had a team-high 13 points, and senior guard Jordan Griffin added 12 against Stanford.

Prior to the loss at Stanford, Long Beach State lost a close one at UCLA in its opener and defeated San Diego. Hunter scored 19 points against the Bruins, then had 21 points and nine rebounds against the Toreros.

Saint Mary's is 3-2 all-time against Long Beach State. The Gaels won the most recent matchup 82-74 on Dec. 18, 2010.

--Field Level Media