Hegarty Era Begins in New Mexico
49ers Return Home Sunday for EWU; New Era Begins for Coach
November 17, 2003 UPCOMING SCHEDULE
NOV. 21 at New Mexico State
Darrin Spence begins his first year at the helm at the former Big West opponent (1991-98)... the Aggies went 11-5 against LBSU during that stretch... NMSU won the Western Division of the Sun Belt in 2003 and return 10 lettermen... the Aggies shot a combined 37% in its two exhibition wins with Sinnamonn Garrett averaging 14.0 ppg.
Nov. 23 vs. Eastern Washington
EWU went 17-12 last year and return seven lettermen and three starters... EWU won last year's contest in Cheney, 62-49... the Eagles split its exhibitions, defeating Northwest Sports 94-57 and losing 74-70 to Central Washington... EWU shot 47% in its two exhibitions... they open season at UC Irvine on Friday.
COMPLETE SCHEDULE
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BEACH TO OPEN SEASON ON THE ROAD
The 49ers will play four of its first six games on the road, beginning with the season opener at New Mexico State on Friday, November 21 at 6 p.m. PDT The Beach are 25-14 all-time in openers in its history. LBSU returns home to face Eastern Washington on Sunday, November 23, before heading back on the road for Thanksgiving at the Coors Rocky Mountain Invitational in Fort Collins, CO beginning on November 28. The Beach begin a new era under former UCLA standout Mary Hegarty, who led Division-III Chapman University to the last three NCAA Tournaments before departing to The Beach. Six-foot six center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) has been impressive in the exhibition season averaging 22.0 points per game.
THE HEGARTY FILE
Mary Hegarty, one of the 15 greatest players in UCLA women's basketball history (along with current assistant Denise Curry), begins her first season at the helm of the 49ers. Hegarty previously coached 10 seasons at Chapman University in Orange County, going 106-92 (.635), averaging 16 wins a season after the team won just two games the year prior to her arrival. Over the past three seasons, Chapman, a non-scholarship, unaffiliated Division-III program reached three straight NCAA Tournaments with at-large berths and went 57-24 (.704), including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2001-02. She appeared in four NCAAs in her 10 seasons.
49ERS SOLID IN BOTH EXHIBITIONS
The 49ers shot 48% from the field and averaged 83.0 points per game in taking both of its exhibition matches. Center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) averaged 22.0 points per game, while shooting 53% in the pre-season, leading six players who averaged 9.5 points per game or better. Guard Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) averaged 15.0 points per game,11-of-12 (.917) from the charity stripe and 50% from the field. Post player Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) averaged 5.5 assists and a team-best 9.5 rebounds per game.
EXHIBITION: MCCUTCHEON SCORES 17 IN WIN
Playing a team littered with former USC and UCLA players, the 49ers fought off numerous runs to defeat Love and Basketball 73-64 behind a 48% clip. Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) led five players in double figures with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Jennifer Baker (Riverdale, MD) added 13 points and eight rebounds. LBSU hit 14-of-18 from the free throw line. BOX SCORE
EXHIBITION: EXCLAMATION POINT! OVER PLAY MODE
The 49ers made an impressive debut against the Play Mode All-Stars shooting 49% for the contest in winning the first of two exhibition games, 92-69. Petra Gläser hit 13-of-21 from the field for a game-high 32 points, while Jayme Connors scored a team-high 12 rebounds and seven assists, while adding eight points. Crystal McCutcheon dished out six assists and had 13 points. BOX SCORE
FRONTLINE DUO
A lot of the hype surrounding the 49ers this season can be traced to the team's formidable front line of 6-6 Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) and 6-3 Jayme Connors (Las Vegas, NV). Connors was averaging close to a double-double of 11.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season, before falling to a season-ending ankle injury after six games, while Gläser averaged 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in her sophomore season at UNLV. If the exhibition is any indication of things to come, the two combined for 40 points and 20 rebounds against the Play Mode All-Stars.
TRANSFERS TO HELP IMMEDIATELY
Two redshirts from last year, Petra Gläser (UNLV) and Crystal McCutcheon (Pepperdine) will make an immediate impact in 2003-04. Gläser, a member of the German National Team, averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in two seasons at UNLV, while McCutcheon is a former Los Angeles Times Player of the Year out of Antelope Valley High School.
TWO ALL-BIG WEST PLAYERS RETURN
Co-captain Candice Wilson (Sacramento) returns for her junior season after garnering second team All-Big West honors last season by averaging 11.0 points and 4.4 assists per game. Also returning is Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Jennifer Baker (Riverdale, MD), who, despite being just 5-9, ranked eighth in the Big West with 6.8 rebounds per game, while averaging 8.7 points per game.
49ERS PICKED THIRD
LBSU was picked to finish third in both the coaches and media pre-season polls. UC Santa Barbara, which has won the last eight Big West titles was picked to win it. The 49ers have won eighteen conference championships in its history and reached seven Big West Tournament Championship games since 1989.
STILL NURSING ANKLE INJURIES
Two 49er post players, Denise Hagen (Kenmore, WA) and Cynetha Rush (Pontiac, MI) continue to nurse ankle injuries. Rush has begun light workouts during the team's practices, and should be ready for the opener, while Hagen continues to working her way back. In both players' absence, wings Lauren Bull (Rockford, IL) and Jennifer Baker (Riverdale, MD) will see the majority of the minutes underneath.
SUN SLOW TO COME BACK
Redshirt freshman guard Liz Sun (Chatsworth, CA) continues to work for a possible December return after two separate knee injuries have sidelined her since the spring of her senior high school season. Sun was a three-time West Valley League MVP and All-City selection out of the San Fernando Valley.
STRONG TRADITION OF WINNING
The Long Beach State program was ranked in the top-10 for much of the 1980's and have finished ranked in the top-20 10 times in its history. For 215 straight weeks from 1979 to 1991, The Beach were ranked in the top-25. LBSU has won 18 conference titles and reached 16 NCAA Tournaments. Despite not having a Kodak All-American since 1988-89, the 49ers ranked seventh all-time in total All-Americans since 1981.
WILLHOIT, HOLLANS TO REDSHIRT
Sophomore Val Willhoit (Colorado Springs, CO-Colorado State) and senior Aisha Hollans (Berkeley, CA-USC) will both redshirt this season after transferring. Willhoit is a former All-State guard out of Colorado, while Hollans is a former first team All-Pac 10 guard from USC who averaged 14.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in three seasons at Southern Cal.
49ERS INK TWO FOR 2004-05
Jeanie Saunders (Long Beach) and Junior College transfer Meghan Griffith (Rocklin) both signed letters of intent to attend LBSU starting in 2004-05. Saunders, a 5-7 guard from Wilson High, averaged 12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.0 steals as a junior earning second team All-Press-Telegram Dream Team status. Griffith, as a 6-3 freshman at Sierra College in Northern California, averaged 13 points, 8.0 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.
HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT?
Germany native Petra Gläser last name is spelled with an umlat (ä) over the "a" in German and Glaeser in English. The preferred spelling is with the ä, if you can figure out the proper keys (usually alt-u followed by the a) to produce it! |
