LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Gavin Sykes scored 34 points to propel Long Beach State to an 87-80 men’s basketball victory over Cal State Northridge on Saturday at the Matadome.

The 49ers, who trailed 38-35 at halftime, used a 52-point second half to secure the Big West Conference win. Sykes keyed the comeback, supported by Rob Diaz’s 18 points. Larry Hughes led the Matadors with 21 points.

Long Beach State improved to 8-11 overall. Cal State Northridge fell to 11-9. The 49ers won despite being projected as heavy underdogs by analytics systems.