LONG BEACH STATE HAS A SHORT DANCE
Arizona blows out the Beach 85-65, ending team's stay in March Madness and coach Monson's tenure
Dan Monson's run at Long Beach State is over.
The 15th-seeded Beach lost 85-65 to Arizona in the NCAA Tournament, slamming shut Monson's 17-year tenure as coach.
Second-seeded Arizona scored 16 consecutive points over a five-minute stretch to turn a tight game into a laugher. At the end, Monson walked slowly off the court for the final time and blew three kisses to his school's small, tear-stained cheering section in the corner of the arena.
“It's a range of emotions,” said the 62-year-old coach, who learned last week that this would be his final season with the Beach.
Long Beach had a surprising run through the Big West Tournament that sent the program to March Madness for the first time since 2012.