Daily 49er, February 26, 2018

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, LONG BEACH

VOL. LXVIX, ISSUE 53 | FEBRUARY 26, 2018

49er

D EDUCATION

Conoley pushes students to break barriers The 13th annual CSU Super Sunday aims to motivate low-income communities.

By Wayne Camp Staff Writer

Rocky Patel, owner of the hotel since 2005, the rooms rent at $160 per week and typically house one or two tenants per room.

A member of the Zaferia neighborhood, Robert Bergeman has started the Clean Up Zaferia Coalition.

According to Bergeman, the goal of the coalition is to take back the community from businesses that foster criminal activity, which feed on the vulnerable

Cal State Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley Sunday took the stage at a local church Sunday to deliver an emotional call to action — earn a college degree despite financial roadblocks.

“A college degree can unblock life changing and transformative opportunities for you, your family, your whole community,” Conoley said. “It’s never too early to prepare to go to college and it is never too late to return.”

The 13th annual Super Sunday is a statewide event in which leaders from each California State University campus visit churches in low-income areas to encourage high school students to pursue higher education.

The event took place at 10 a.m.

Sunday with approximately 40 people attending the event at Second Samoan Congregational Church UCC and had a few specific differences from its previous years. This Super Sunday expanded its outreach to over 100 different churches to discuss Graduation Initiative 2025, an initiative which promises to increase graduation rates and limit both financial and achievement gaps.

Conoley suggested enrolling as a transfer rather than a freshman student could be better a better option for lower income families.

She advocated the importance of obtaining a degree and prompted her captive audience to take full advantage of educational opportunities.

see LOW-INCOME, page 3

see YOUTH, page 3

Joseph Kling | Daily 49er

Long Beach State junior outside hitter TJ DeFalco returns a ball in a match at the Walter Pyramid against UCLA Feb. 17. DeFalco has contributed 154 kills (.411), 90 digs, 29 assists and 22 blocks this season.

DeFalco, de facto Long Beach State junior outside hitter TJ DeFalco looks to finish his final two years in the men’s volleyball program with national championships. DeFalco has emerged as a focal player in the 2018 season, helping the team reach the No. 1 rank in the nation.

See page 8 for DeFalco’s profile.

LONG BEACH

Zaferia district community protests ill reputed apartment building The Clean Up Zaferia Coalition leads rally to take back the neighborhood from businesses that harbor criminal activity.

By Brian Varela Staff Writer

The disruptive activities surrounding a Long Beach hotel were the subject of contention on Saturday, after community members in the Zaferia neighborhood rallied on 11th Street and Obispo Avenue Saturday to protest the Grace Hotel.

The Grace Hotel primarily houses residents who are unable to afford the average rental price tag in Long Beach. According to

2 NEWS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM

EVENT

Residents to speak out on local issues in LB The seventh annual People’s State of the City will focus on closing barriers to success in diverse communities.

By James Chow

Senior News Assistant

While Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia introduced city problems and statistics in his January State of the City event, one thing was missing from the speech: live resident input.

“The people won’t be denied, the people won’t back down” are the first words of the People’s State of the City 2018 event description.

The People’s State of the City, unrelated to the mayor’s event, is a community-driven response and platform for marginalized groups to give their perspective on city government shortcomings.

The event will take place at the First Congregational Church in downtown Long Beach at 5 p.m. on March 1.

The seventh-annual event will be hosted by Long Beach Rising, a coalition of organizations that focus on civic engagement among marginalized groups.

“This is an event that talks about city challenges and progress from the perspective of working people, which is not really reflected in the actual State of the City,”

Courtesy of Long Beach Rising

The People’s State of the City 2018 presents community members with a platform to speak on city government issues and shortcomings. The event will take place March 1 at the First Congressional Church in downtown Long Beach.

said James Suazo, an organizer for Long Beach Rising.

According to the press release, the event will include free food and a Spanish and Khmer inter-

pretation.

There will be 16 organizations involved with Long Beach Rising.

Organizations that will be present at the event include the Los Ange-

les Alliance for a New Economy, the Filipino Migrant Center and the California Faculty Association.

Before the presentations from

different groups at 6 p.m., there will be a community fair hosted by the present organizations at 5 p.m.

Suazo said that the theme of the presentations will be based on how elected officials continually deny breaking down barriers to the success of marginalized groups, and how these groups can thrive by themselves.

These demonstrations will include proposed solutions from different groups’ toward different city issues including the housing crisis and sexual abuse protections for hotel workers.

“We’ll be talking about how people within the community who are organizing building groups with their neighbors actually implement different efforts for social change and how they’re making that work with or without the elected officials,” Suazo said.

Second district councilmember Jeanine Pearce and seventh district councilmember Roberto Uranga are confirmed to be at the event.

Several staff members from the mayor’s office are expected to attend as well, according to Suazo.

With the April city council elections around the corner, Suazo sees the PSOC for Long Beach residents as a chance to get to know their elected leaders. “[We’re] not just talking about the challenges and the community solutions but also educate people about who their elected representatives are,” Suazo said.

“We’re encouraging people to ... get active in the community.”

Irvine Institute of Technology, 2 Venture, Suite 515, Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 585-9137

cvc@irvine-institute.org

www.Irvine-Institute.org

It is critical for graduating seniors in Civil and Mechanical engineering to pass FE examinations before they apply for Job Placement. The FE exam administered by NCEES is 5-1/2 hours long and is closed-book.

Instructors for these seminars are distinguished faculty from CSULB, CSUF, UCI, and IIT. Irvine Institute of Technolgy offers a comprehensive 48 hour seminar with a Pass Guarantee. IIT/CSULB are pioneers in giving these seminars since 1972. Please refer to IIT website for Registration.

The NCEES exam fees and Pearson exam center fees amount to over $300.00. The seminar fee for 48 hours is $684.00 and you will learn/relearn all subjects and prepare for exams and interviews.

Day

FE (Civil) Date

Topic

FE (Mechanical) Hours

Date

6

3/31/2018

1. Mathematics 1

3/31/2018

2. Probability and Statistics 3. Computational Tools

2

4/7/2018

4. Ethics and Professional Practice 10. Materials

5. Enginering Economics

Topic

Hours

1. Mathematics

3

2. Probability and Statistics 13. Computational Tools 14. Engineering Economics

4/7/2018

3

15. Ethics and Professional Practice 7. Materials

6

3 3

3

4/14/2018

7. Statics 8. Mechanics of Materials

4

4/21/2018

3. Fluid Mechanics 8. Dynamics

3 3

4/21/2018

3. Fluid Mechanics 10. Dynamics

3 3

5

4/28/2018

15 Transportation Engr., Surveying 16. Enviromental Enginering

3 3

4/29/2018

7. Material Processing 11. Mechanical Design and Analysis

6

13. Construction

3

6

5/5/2018

11. Hydraulics and Hydrological Systems

3

7

5/12/2018

14. Geotechnical Engineering

6

5/19/2018

12. Structural Analysis 13. Structural Design

3 3

8

6

48

4/14/2018

6. Statics 8. Mechanics of Materials

6

9. Electricity and Magnetism

3

5/6/2018

12. Measurements, Instrumentation and Controls

3

5/13/2018

4. Thermodynamics

6

5/20/2018

5. Heat Transfer 10. Kinematics and Vibrations

3 3 48

Please register for the seminar by going to IIT website: www.irvine-institute.org. You will be given permssion to access Fall 2017 FE seminars. Start preparing and get ready for the live seminars starting March 31, 2018. If you recommend a friend, you will get a cash discount for 10% of the fee your friend has paid. Good luck on your studies and I wish you a pass on the first time you take the exam.

NEWS 3

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | CITYD49ER@GMAIL.COM

LOW-INCOME

continued from page 1

by providing less than adequate accommodations.

“We’re sick of people doing what they want,” Bergeman said. “[The tenants] have no consideration for their neighbors. They block the road and leave trash all around.

The rooms have fleas and bed bugs and people are using drugs [in the hotel].”

Despite complaints from the Long Beach community, Patel said he doesn’t agree that there have been a lot of problems within the building.

Patel also stated that the reason that people always seem to be entering and exiting the building is because there are public restrooms in the building.

“People don’t realize that people are living

in low-income housing because they can’t manage their finances, are going through a transitional phase or are retired and need to buy medication” Patel said. “The public assumes that the tenants are drug addicts and criminals.”

According to the Long Beach Police Department, the January Police Reporting District 501 had a total of 25 crimes listed that involved the Grace Hotel.

On the corner where the hotel is located, police responded to numerous calls in 2018, including narcotics possession and aggravated assault, according to the City of Long Beach’s Crime Incidents database.

“Three out of seven days there are cops outside of [the Grace Hotel],” said local resident Ronald Blunt. “It’s the only place in the neighborhood where the cops are consistently outside.”

Blunt said that there are often people hanging around the hotel, and screaming can be heard at night. Whenever Blunt

YOUTH

continued from page 1

Plugging the “No Barriers” campaign, she highlighted the amount of students who receive financial aid beyond loans.

“Most undergraduates with family incomes below $70,000 have their tuition fully covered by grants. I am proud to say about 75 percent of students here at Long Beach receive non-loan financial aid,” Conoley said. “Fifty percent of my students here at Long Beach graduate with no debt, while the average debt for a Long Beach State student is about $15,000 for the other half that have debt.”

Conoley also addressed the importance of establishing relationships with alumni, mentioning that the church is lead by alumnus Reverend Misipouena Tagaloa who graduated from the school’s graduate program in 1993.

“The fact that we were able to have the president here in our midst, worshipping with us, that’s huge, for it’s never been done in our community and that’s why we were so humbled,” Tagaloa said.

“Sometimes we just need that little extra edge, and I think she did that today.”

Tagaloa said he recognizes his importance as an alumnus of CSULB and as a pastor within the Samoan community.

“It was huge to have the president of my college, come and visit my church and talk to my young people. That’s Christ-like,” said Tagaloa. “I think institutions ought to power their leaders to do more of this work rather than hold them in a desk or some office somewhere.”

Once the service ended, high school students crowded around a table layered with pamphlets and colorful pages on how a high school student should prepare for the route to college.

“These events remind us of our responsibilities as a university to make sure our community knows how to interact and engage with us,” said Evelyn Daliwan, director of university outreach and school relations. “We want the students and people of Long Beach to know that we’re their CSU.” Daliwan emphasized the importance of preparing for college in high school.

“Of course we would love for them to come to the campus but it’s really about making sure they know it’s about getting ready for college,” Daliwan said. “The message is without a college degree, they may not have get the opportunities that are open to those who do obtain a college degree. We want to prepare them and help them get ready for the future.”

Daliwan said that the plan moving forward is for each of the 23 CSUs to individually find ways to get more involved with their communities in respective cities.

walks by the apartment building, he said that the windows are always open and that it smells inside.

“I feel the neighborhood is undesirable because of the hotel,” said Cindy Wiley, a local resident.

Wiley said someone had recently broken into her parking structure and vandalized her bicycle.

Though Wiley doesn’t know who vandalized her bicycle, she said she can’t help but relate it to the type of people who live in the Grace Hotel.

“I love living here,” Wiley said . “I want [the neighborhood] to be desirable and safe. I currently feel safe though.”

George Newton has been living in the Grace Hotel for three months and so far, he said everything has been good.

“Criminal activity is just gossip,” said Newton. “Nobody has bothered me. This is a pretty good place to live if you’re coming on hard times.”

Criminal activity is just gossip.

Nobody has bothered me. This is a pretty good place to live if you’re coming on hard times.”

“

George Newton, Grace Hotel resident

4 ARTS & LIFE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | ARTSNLIFED49ER@GMAIL.COM

PLAY REVIEW

Musical ‘Daddy Long Legs’ caters to a refined taste The performance uses sophisticated dialogue, a simple soundtrack and a small cast to drive its point home.

By Sabrina Flores

Assistant Photo Editor

Audience members watched Friday night as Jerusha Abbott poured her heart out in the musical production “Daddy Long Legs” produced by Mary Jo DuPrey at International City Theater.

The play begins with a mostly empty stage, home to a few pieces of simple furniture, which served as the John Grier Home orphanage in the early 20th century.

Soothing melodies of a cello and guitar set the scene with the help of musical director Bill Wolfe.

The female protagonist Jerusha Abbott, played by Ashley Ruth Jones, is the oldest orphan in the home and an aspiring writer. The musical begins, as to be expected, with Jerusha breaking out in a song centered around her dissatisfaction with being the oldest orphan at the home. The opening song is powerful, thought-provoking and satirically humorous as Jerusha jokes about her age and status in the orphanage, setting the tone for the rest of the musical.

Jerusha’s life is turned upside down by the appearance of a benefactor who takes an interest in her potential as a writer.

She dubs the unknown man “Daddy Long Legs” due his height and long “spidery” limbs after seeing his shadow in a doorway. While it takes Jerusha nearly the entire play to discover the identity of “Daddy,” viewers are quick to discover his name is Jervis Pendleton, played by Dino Nicandros, and he is stinking rich.

The choice for Jervis to remain anonymous to Jerusha throughout the play was one that aided in furthering the plot line along. Audience members were allowed to focus on the play from Jerusha’s perspec-

tive, which in turn allowed them to sympathize with and appreciate the growth of her character throughout the production.

As the play progresses and Jerusha’s writing skills develop, the humour of her letters intensifies, immersing the audience in her experiences as a parentless collegiate student falling in love through letter correspondence. Through her thoughtful use of jargon, wit and unconcealed humor, Jerusha personalizes her experiences through four years of schooling and paints a descriptive picture for the audience. The show does not break the fourth wall, although the actors dance dangerously close to the edge by acting alongside one another less than a foot away from the audience.

Due to only having two cast members, the plot is extremely simple but manages to remain engaging. This oftentimes requires a more sophisticated sense of humor to enjoy certain aspects. Many of the jokes recurred frequently or required inside knowledge on the subject of the joke.

One such example is Jerusha referring to Daddy Longlegs as an old man, as she is unaware for the majority of the play that Daddy Longlegs is Jervis, a youthful man.

This running gag, as well as the sarcastic tone of Jerusha’s letters, elicited more than a few chuckles from the audience.

The entire dialogue of the musical consists of back-and-forth engagement between the two characters, but in many of the scenes the characters do not speak directly to each other. Constant musical banter between the two creates a harmonious balance between female and male perspectives without overwhelming the audience and assists in making the story life-like and personable.

This makes for scenes that are equal parts frustrating and intriguing, as the play

Courtesy of Lucy Pollack Public Relations

Jerusha Abbott, played by Ashley Ruth Jones, stands slightly off stage during a duet with Jervis Pendleton, played by Dino Nicandro.

builds up the meeting of the two in a fiery crescendo of love and music.

The plot, though beautifully supported musically, was at times tired and predictable. Love stories are notorious for their inevitably to end in tragedy or resolution, and “Daddy LongLegs” concludes with what can be considered a typical happy ending.

While the play, overall, was pleasant and the music phenomenal, for those seeking something more thrilling or original, “Daddy Longlegs” falls short.

RATING

SHOWINGS (Until March 11) Thursday - Saturday: 8 p.m.

Sundays: 2 p.m.

TICKET PRICES Thursday & Friday: $47 Saturday & Sunday: $49 Can be purchased by calling 562436-4610 or at InternationalCityTheatre.org.

MOVIE REVIEW

It was one hell of a ‘Game Night’

The comedy-mystery delivers a thrilling and unique experience.

By Grant Hermanns Staff Writer

Screenwriters John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein have secretly been the driving force behind a lot of major comedy hits over the past seven years, including “Horrible Bosses” and “Spider-Man: Homecoming.”

They have delivered again with their new film, “Game Night.”

The film follows a group of friends who host a regular game night, but when one of them,

Brooks (Kyle Chandler), tries to kick it up a notch and turn it into a fake kidnapping mystery game, it becomes all too real.

The plot’s setup already structures the film with an interesting concept, as the idea of a game becoming dangerously close to reality is typically reserved for more family-friendly fare, such as “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”

As the film progresses, the twists delivered by the characters prove to be fairly surprising, especially for a comedy, and the levels of mystery surrounding what’s real and what’s not prove to be a solid puzzle for audiences to solve.

While the storyline was a strong highlight, the film truly

shined in two key areas, the first of which is humor.

Adult game nights typically tend to bring out the most outrageous behavior in the players,

Everyone embodies their characters brilliantly, showing stellar chemistry with each other and delivering all of the laughs with bravura.

“

and the film not only shows these quirks during their regular game nights, but how they come out in new ways as they find themselves

in real danger.

The ensemble cast is made up primarily of comedy heavyweights: Jason Bateman of “Arrested Development” fame, Rachel McAdams from modern classic “Wedding Crashers” and Lamorne Morris from the TV show “New Girl.”

Everyone embodies their characters brilliantly, showing stellar chemistry with each other and delivering all of the laughs with bravura.

One actor who particularly shines is Jesse Plemons, who came to fame in “Breaking Bad” who plays the awkward police neighbor, Gary, in this comedy.

Formerly a member of the game night crew before his wife

divorced him, Gary has been shunned for his quiet and often creepy nature as the group works to avoid him and keep him out of the game nights.

In recent roles, Plemons has portrayed the quieter characters, but never in a capacity such as this. He knows how to make it just over-the-top enough to compel the audience to simultaneously laugh and cringe while remaining a believable character.

For the rest of the story, please refer to Daily49er.com.

WWW.DAILY49ER.COM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018

5

6 OPINIONS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | OPEDD49ER@GMAIL.COM

RELIGION

Passing on unwanted campus prayers No one is safe from the tenacity of recruiting religious organizations.

By Sabrina Flores

Assistant Photo Editor

I

have a secret, one I’ve been struggling to keep due to fear of backlash, but feel must be said regardless of how it is received. I absolutely despise being approached by religious recruiters on campus while I’m scurrying between classes or sunbathing on a warm bench.

Let me be clear that I do not dislike the general presence of religious organizations on campus. Everyone has the right to their beliefs and this is something I’m glad the school is accepting of.

The topic of religion is not the problem, as every individual is unique in their religious and spiritual practices. Rather, it’s the abrasive approach taken by these organizations trying to recruit on campus that really aggravates me and detracts from their cause.

Personally, if I were a stranger viewing myself from an outside perspective, I would not associate my appearance with “God.” Erect nipples are my favorite day-to-day accessory and I’ve worked too hard to be comfortable with my body to cover it up because of some mythological man’s rules.

But these tactics seem to have the opposite effect for these recruiters. It seems as though my omnipresent nipples as well as the immorality of my Dai-

Photo Illustration by Hunter Lee | Daily 49er

sy Dukes serve as targets for devout Christians on campus looking for a new soul to solicit.

Neither of these stylistic choices are intended to incite attention from “God” or his congregation, but I believe my evident lack of morality draws these individuals likes flies to honey.

Let me retell the particular moment from which my intolerance stemmed. One day, I ventured out to the grassy quad of upper campus and found a perfect spot to stretch and enjoy my scarce leisure time.

To my right, I saw two women also enjoying the wonderful day, chatting in the sunshine.

Suddenly, I heard the conversation coming from their direction take on a uncomfortable tone.

For a moment I looked up

Daily 49er Miranda Andrade-Ceja Editor-in-Chief eicd49er@gmail.com

Mac Walby Managing Editor managingd49er@gmail.com

from my stretch only to see they had approached. The approachers were both female, one wearing a large smile and the other staring disinterestedly down at her shoes.

I thought nothing of the interaction happening ten feet away until I was in the middle of a particularly deep stretch.

“I saw you doing yoga, so I just wanted to come and say, hey, I do yoga too!” said the woman with her bright smile, speaking over her glum looking companion. I listened, as part of me was curious as to their incentive.

Within a minute of speaking to me, these girls had managed to formulate a conversation based solely on my beliefs of God. They began with the stan-

Editorial Office

General Manager

Phone (562) 985-8000 Fax (562) 985-7994

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-201 Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

News Editor Kat Schuster cityd49er@gmail.com

dard questions: Did I believe in Him a.k.a God? No. Why not?

Because I just don’t.

Neither of these answers seemed good enough for the girls and they invited my wicked soul to their bible study/prayer session commencing in about five minutes.

I did my best to politely decline, because I had absolutely no desire to pray in a public forum, but the girls would not take no for an answer. The silent one finally looked up from her shoes to encourage me to come, offering a smile and reassuring words.

I lied as a last resort, feeling both frustration and disappoint-

Business Office

Jennifer Newton (562) 985-5736

Phone (562) 985-8001 Fax (562) 985-1740

Design Adviser Gary Metzker Content Adviser Barbara Kingsley-Wilson

Multimedia Managing Editor Photo Editor Design Editor Arts and Life Editor Samantha Diaz Social Media Editor artsnlifed49er@gmail.com Copy Editor Exec. Video Editor Sports Editor Christian Gonzales Special Projects Editor sportsd49er@gmail.com

Robert Yagake Hunter Lee Jade Inglada Amanda Recio Nicole Fish Adriana Ramirez Carlos Villicana

ment. Said lie required me to get up and leave the area in order to generate a good enough excuse to deter their efforts.

As I departed, I thought that rather than ask me if I believe in God, they should have asked me if I had gotten enough rest or how I felt that day. Instead, these religious crusaders subconsciously forced me to gather my belongings in shame and forfeit my conquered patch of tranquility.

As I left I saw them peering over their shoulder at me, tracking my whereabouts with their eyes, making sure I was indeed hurrying off to an important meeting.

I tried not to take it too personally, since I got the vibe that the interaction was forced on their part, but ultimately was still upset by this as well as previous similar situations.

What these groups fail to acknowledge is that the individuals they approach may have religious views that conflict with theirs. Humans are not all engineered with identical philosophies, nor are we required to be.

Every individual on campus is free to seek out support groups that are centralized on their religion.

However, students do not need to have prayer forced down their throat in between classes or sitting around campus.

My recommendation, from an often-approached student to these groups, is to stop targeting people who are trying to enjoy themselves on campus or may have conflicting views with your own. Be respectful and keep your thoughts and prayers for those asking for them.

1250 Bellflower Blvd., LA4-203A Long Beach, CA 90840-4601

Senior News Assistant Assistant News Editor Assistant Photo Editor Assistant Design Editor Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Sports Editor

James Chow Sarah Verhs Sabrina Flores Drew Mametsuka Luke Ramirez Kevin Colindres

Opinions Editor Daniel Green opedd49er@gmail.com

Editorials: All opinions expressed in the columns, letters and cartoons in this issue are those of the writers or artists.

The opinions of the Daily 49er are expressed only in unsigned editorials and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the journalism department or the views of all staff members. All such editorials are written by the editorial board of the Daily 49er.

Letters Policy: All letters and e-mail must bear the phone number of the writer and must be no more than 300 words. The Daily 49er reserves the right to edit letters for publication in regard to space.

SPORTS 7

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The 49ers swim by the Rainbow Wahine Long Beach improves to 4-10 in Big West Conference.

By Jarrod Castillo Staff Writer

With the game tied at 70 and 4.4 seconds left, freshman guard Shanaijah Davison attempted to drive left with a chance to win.

However, pressure defense by junior guard Tia Kanoa gave Davison problems and forced her to miss the shot.

The game went into overtime, where Long Beach pulled out the win after being down by as much as 12 in the second half.

“I lost control of the ball, I couldn’t even look at the clock,” Davison said. “I just saw that I was open on a three and I just chucked it up.”

Despite a horrible third quarter in which the 49ers were outscored 25-9, the Long Beach State women’s basketball team (6-22, 4-10 Big West) was able to salvage the game and beat the Hawaii Rainbow Wahine (11-16, 4-10 Big West), 85-80, in overtime to tie for seventh place in the Big West.

“Another gutsy performance from our young ladies,” head coach Jeff Cammon said. “They’re getting better and better.”

Joseph Kling | Daily 49er

Long Beach State freshman guard Shanaijah Davison dribbles to the baseline in Saturday’s game against Hawaii at the Walter Pyramid.

Wilson played well in the first half, scoring 14 points and snatching three rebounds and playing solid defense, as well as hustling when the team needed it. Her effort helped push Long Beach’s lead to 11 with 8:15 left in the second quarter.

Hawaii would fight back, forcing turnovers to fuel the come-

back. At the end of the first half the 49ers led 35-28, with Wilson leading all scorers with 14 points while junior forward Lahni Salanoa had 10 for the Rainbow Wahine.

The second half started ominously for Long Beach as it shot 26.7 percent from the floor, outscored 25-9 and found them-

selves in a 53-44 hole going into the fourth with senior forward Sarah Toeaina scoring 10 points in the third alone.

“We’re just all out of sync,” Cammon said of the third quarter. “It was just breakdowns...and I’m just thankful we were able to respond to it and make the adjustment on the court.”

At the start of the fourth, the 49ers’ renewed defensive focus and aggressive attack on the basket allowed them to get to the free-throw line to trim the deficit, with Davison scoring six points in the period.

After missing the game-winning shot and going into overtime, fatigue played a huge part in Long Beach win. Hawaii committed only 13 fouls in regulation but had nine in overtime, giving Long Beach the separation they needed to pull away with the win.

“We were ready to come out and compete and that’s what we did,” Davidson said. “We got the outcome with the ‘W’ and we’re happy.”

Davison finished with 22 points, with 18 coming from the second half and overtime to lead five players in double figures for the 49ers.

Toeaina had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Rainbow Wahine.

With two games left in the season, Cammon wants to get both wins so the team has momentum going into the Big West tournament.

“We want to win those next two games and go on to that tournament to surprise some people,” Cammon concluded.

The 49ers continue their threegame homestand to end the season at 7 p.m. Thursday against UC Riverside.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

How the mighty have fallen Second half woes haunt the 49ers in crucial away game.

By Kevin Colindres Assistant Sports Editor

FULLERTON — Just a few weeks ago the Long Beach State men’s basketball team stood on top of the Big West Conference. Today, it sits in sixth, with only two games left before the Big West tournament.

LBSU (13-16, 7-7 Big West) came out firing on both ends of the floor, but fell short to Cal State Fullerton (16-10, 9-5 Big West) 81-71 Saturday.

“They got more aggressive and we just backed down,” head coach Dan Monson said. “This team is very fragile; we haven’t been able to handle adversity as well as we need to.”

The 49ers played one of their best defensive first halves of the year after holding the Titans to 27 points during the first half, but would let them score 54 to end the game. Long Beach’s defensive identity went missing, which ultimately cost it the match. Fullerton junior guard Khalil Ahmad had a night with 15 points and seven assists, after reaching the milestone of 1,000 points as a Titan.

“We executed the game plan today,” Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor said. “This group of

guys really understand how we play, and when we play that way we are really good.”

The Titans played consistently all night, shooting 52.6 percent from the field while also draining six 3-pointers. Long Beach struggled to rotate on defense which led to good looks from the perimeter for Fullerton. The 49ers would end the night shooting a dismal 41.7 percent from the field. Fullerton also took advantage of getting to the free throw line and knocking down 15-of-17 of its attempts.

“When adversity hits us we need to be more tough-minded, especially when we’re trying to close games,” Monson said.

Long Beach did manage to out-rebound Fullerton 37-31, but it wasn’t enough to keep them out of the paint. Most of the Titans’ work was done a few feet from the basket, where they outscored the 49ers 44-34. This was in large part due to senior forward Gabe Levin having foul trouble early and sitting out for the first part of the second half.

“Defensively we got ourselves going in the second half,” Taylor said. “We were consistent and we put pressure on their defense to end the game.”

Levin would lead the team with 18 points and four rebounds, while also earning the accolade of being the 12th player in LBSU history to score 1,000 points and grab 500 rebounds.

Long Beach will look to win its final road game 8 p.m. Thursday against UC Santa Barbara.

Matt Brown | CSUF Athletics

Long Beach State junior KJ Byers dived on the floor in Saturday’s game against Cal State Fullerton at Titan Gym.

8 SPORTS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 DAILY49ER.COM | SPORTSD49ER@GMAIL.COM

Joseph Kling | Daily 49er

Long Beach State junior TJ DeFalco, center, greets teammates in a game earlier this season at the Walter Pyramid. DeFalco was the reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association player of the year.

PROFILE

TJ DeFalco finishing business in Long Beach DeFalco turns down pro offer to stay at Long Beach.

By Zackery Handy Staff Writer

After leading the Long Beach State men’s volleyball team to a second consecutive Final Four in 2017, it is no surprise that a professional team in Italy came knocking on the doorstep of junior outside hitter TJ Defalco to recruit him.

This offer left DeFalco with a decision to make.

DeFalco, 20, took a few months to weigh his options on whether or not his collegiate career would be over. He had just come back from playing for the United States 2017 FIVB World League team when he finally decided to commit to his final two seasons at Long Beach.

“I was never really torn, it’s just a long decision making process,” DeFalco said. “I wanted to make sure I covered all my bases.”

In order to avoid possible NCAA violations, all contact with the Italian team was through his father, Torey, so the specific team has not been named.

DeFalco’s decision to stay and see his college career through at Long Beach has brought ease and stability in his three years at program.

The reigning American Volleyball Coaches Association player of the year is

one of the focal players on the No. 1 ranked cial times. team through a remarkable 14-0 season by “I have been working a lot on my team contributing 154 kills (.411), 90 digs, 29 asdynamic,” DeFalco said. “People have said sists and 22 blocks. things about me before but at the end of the He leads the team in digs and is second day it’s just my team that I care about.” in kills, four behind junior Kyle Ensing.

DeFalco has taken his game to another There were two parlevel in the past week in ticular aspects about the teams back-to-back I was never the decision that kept matchups against No. the Huntington Beach 2 UCLA. He racked up really torn, native in Long Beach. a combined 40 kills, 18 it’s just a long He felt the brotherhood digs, 10 assists and sevdecision making process. he shared with junior en blocks, leading the I wanted to make sure I setter Josh Tuaniga and team to its two biggest Ensing could not be games of the season. covered all my bases.” broken just yet.

Matches like these re“With Josh [Tuanimind head coach Alan TJ DeFalco, ga], its been five years Knipe of the first time Outside hitter of spending everyday he saw potential in Detogether,” DeFalco Falco. said. “We went to high It was at a U-15 volschool together and now here, you can’t get leyball tournament when Knipe first saw much closer than that.” on DeFalco.

DeFalco and Ensing go back as far as “[DeFalco is] super talented; good volplaying on the same youth club team as leyball player but a special right arm,” teenagers.

Knipe said.

“These guys were a huge part of my deciDeFalco has blossomed from a raw, sion, mostly because I really wanted to finaggressive and talented 15-year-old to a ish it out with them,” DeFalco said. “It’s also multi-faceted and decorated volleyball just so much fun playing with them. Kyle player. Some of his accomplishments in[Ensing] is probably my best friend on the clude the 2016 and 2017 AVCA All-Ameriteam and Josh [Tuaniga] is my brother. We ca First Team, the 2017 Karch Kiraly Award have a really close relationship.” (given to the nations best outside hitter) The thought of being a national chamand the 2017 AVCA Player of the Year. pion with his brothers continues to drive As DeFalco weighed his options in the DeFalco, helping turn him into the leader offseason, it left Tuaniga with new role to that the team feeds off of in its most crufill.

“

“I was holding the fort down,” Tuaniga said. “We created something here and I wanted him to see that and he did.”

DeFalco had another problem with leaving for the big leagues; his unfinished business with this team.

The 49ers have lost in the Final Four two consecutive seasons now. DeFalco still believes the team can take care of that goal.

“He has a ton of faith in the program and in what we’re doing and more importantly in the guys he gets to go to battle with,” Knipe said. “We have a nice group and a chance to do some good things, and I don’t think he was ready to walk away from that.”

While the Italian offer in the offseason left plenty of people wondering whether the star sophomore would return, one person who was never worried was his head coach.

“You could feel the ebbs and flows of the emotion, you always could hear in the back of his mind, ‘this sounds great but my guys, my team, my program, I want to graduate,’” Knipe said. “There was always this ground swelling that this is a part of my life that i’m not done with yet.”

DeFalco’s choice to remain a 49er for his entire college career will now put him in position to climb milestones such as the 49er all-time kills list, where he currently sits in 18th place.

The superstar junior has one goal that he needs to take care of before he leaves campus: standing next to his brothers as national champions and cementing his legacy in college volleyball lore.