Huskies connect late from 3 to sink upset-minded 49ers

SEATTLE (AP) — David Crisp made all four of his 3-pointers down the stretch and scored 26 points to lead Washington to a 94-88 win over Long Beach State on Tuesday night.

The Huskies (3-1) failed to connect on their first 13 3-pointers — meanwhile the 49ers (1-5) made 10-of-17 from range — but it was the 3-ball that sealed the victory for Washington, which sank its final eight. UW forced back-to-back turnovers with less than six minutes to play, and Matisse Thybulle followed each with a 3-pointer as the Huskies turned a two-point deficit into a 75-68 lead with 5:10 to play.

"It just wasn't falling, but in the first half, we were guarding," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said. "That allowed us to stay in the game. We talked to our team about it: The shots aren't always going to go in.

"The second half, we did start making shots and I think we forgot about playing defense at that point. Our identity shifted all of a sudden, where we had an offensive mindset."

Crisp made four from behind the arc en route to his career-high and Markelle Fultz added 21 points. The guards picked up the slack in the second half from Noah Dickerson, had 17 of his career-high 23 points in the first half and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

"Once he makes one 3, I think David, he can just go up from there," said Fultz, who also dished out six assists. "That's what he does. He makes big shots at big times."

The Huskies didn't lead for the first 17 minutes but went on a 14-2 run — eight from Dickerson — near the end of the half to lead 36-32 at the break.

Evan Payne led Long Beach State with 19 points and Noah Blackwell added 12, making 4 of 5 behind the arc.

BIG PICTURE

Long Beach State: The 49ers can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Tuesday's game against Washington ended a stretch of contests against Wichita State, North Carolina, Louisville and UCLA. All resulted in losses, but Long Beach State played their best game of the stretch in the last game.

Washington: Despite what the score against a 1-5 team might indicate, the Huskies played their most complete game of the season. If not for a team of hands that went collectively cold and vice versa for their opponents, the Huskies would have walked away with a decisive win over a team they battled closely in last season's NIT. Instead, Washington relied on Dickerson's best game since arriving on campus and a stellar defensive performance, forcing the 49ers to make shots with hands in their faces, which for the most part, they did.

REMATCH

Tuesday's game featured a repeat of the first round of the NIT last season. The No. 3-seeded Huskies prevailed in a track meet, 107-102. Of the six players to score in double figures in last year's meeting only the 49ers' Justin Bibbins (17 points, four assists) remained for the rematch.

"They've played us very tough in the past," Romar said. "It seems like whenever we play Long Beach State, the games are close. . We knew that they would come out here and play well."

UP NEXT:

Long Beach State: The 49ers will be seeking their first win since the season-opener as they travel to Fort Myers, Fla., to play Binghamton in the Battle4Atlantis Mainland on Thursday.

Washington: The Huskies head to Las Vegas for their first games away from home this season, playing Western Kentucky to open the Global Sports MTE on Friday.