Come to California. Dream big. Become rich.

A mantra established about 160 years ago at a random sawmill in Northern California was repeated again on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim.

Of course, riches are not always measured by currency. For a group of students who nicknamed themselves after the tides of people who made California the ultimate destination for dreamers, Sunday was definitely a day for dreaming big and realizing wealth.

While the original 49ers dreamt big about financial wealth in light of a few gold flakes supposedly discovered at Sutter Mill, the Long Beach State basketball team bearing the same nickname took the floor of the Honda Center with a different kind of dream – that of defeating UCLA. And defeating UCLA had its own wealth that could not be monetized.

When the final buzzer sounded in Anaheim on Sunday, the players who make up the Long Beach 49ers men’s college basketball team rushed each other in the name of discovering their newfound wealth – victory, and it came at the expense of the blue-and-gold of UCLA lore.

Eureka! They found it! Final score: Long Beach State 79, UCLA 68.

See, the 49ers definitely had reason to celebrate this weekend. These “riches” are not measured in dollars but in euphoria and happiness. It was a victory of David-beats-Goliath proportion.

After all, when it comes to college basketball, Southern California is definitely UCLA territory. So when the Bruins and the 49ers squared off on Sunday afternoon at the 76 Classic in Anaheim, it was a classic case of David versus Goliath, with one school (Long Beach) trying to escape the long, tall shadow cast by the other (UCLA).

Escape they did, as the 49ers earned their first-ever victory against UCLA, improving to 1-11 against the Bruins.

Of course, it was a shadow that was a long time in the making. When the two schools met for the first time on the hardwood in 1970, UCLA was fresh off a national championship and in the midst of college basketball dominance, with John Wooden at the helm and players such as Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, Walt Hazzard, Gail Goodrich and others biding time in Westwood.

The 49ers had quite a season of their own in 1970, boasting their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance and finishing fourth in their regional bracket. Long Beach State then made consecutive Elite Eight appearances in 1971 and 1972 – quite the accomplishment considering the school’s newcomer status.

Alas, the 49ers were overshadowed by their hardwood brethren a few miles up the San Diego Freeway, what with UCLA prevailing as National Champs in 1970, 1971 and 1972.

Ever since, the 49ers have been that cutesy little team playing in front of moderate-sized crowds at the Pyramid, Long Beach State’s pride-and-joy of a multi-purpose athletic facility. All the while, UCLA has dominated the front pages of the sports section as they shot hoops in the hallowed Pauley Pavilion.

Since they met for the first time on the court in 1970, it was UCLA who had all the “riches” and Long Beach State who settled for “scraps.” And it showed on the court, with the Bruins winning each of the first 11 match-ups between the two schools, not to mention all those national championships and NCAA postseason appearances.

Do not expect things to change in the future, either. The area is not ripe for regime change in light of Sunday’s game.

The Bruins will continue be an attractive school for blue chip recruits, despite loses to both Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton this season. “The Beach,” however, will always be just another college basketball program with occasional success.

Rebuilding year or not, it is still UCLA and everyone else.

Yet, every dog has its day. For the 49ers, that day was Sunday.

Sure, it is rebuilding year in Westwood, but ask the 49ers if they care. They finally beat UCLA. For this group of players from Long Beach State, no amount of riches can buy the happiness and joy derived from Sunday’s victory.

Long Beach State’s win, while not monumental, reminds us of the mantra echoed 160 years ago.

Come to California. Dream big. Become rich.

Even if becoming “rich” means you are a David defeating a Goliath.