Niners Snap Losing Streak with Final Road Win
LBSU Returns Home For Final Three Regular Season Games NORTHRIDGE, CA-- Long Beach State women's basketball (11-13, 8-5 Big West) snapped its three-game losing skid with a 75-66 victory over host CS Northridge (3-21, 3-10 Big West) on Saturday night. It was the 49ers' final road game of the regular season. The Beach would take the victory after the Matadors had cut it to four with under four minutes left. Jennifer Baker led The Beach with a career-best 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, while Glory Johnson added 19 points and 16 rebounds. Candice Wilson rounded out the scoring with 13 points and five assists. LBSU shot 39% for the game, but committed a season-low 13 turnovers. Kim Gildersleeve, a Wilson High graduate, scored ninepoints and added six assists for the Matadors. Ofa Tulikihihifo led CSN with 18 points off the bench, while Cassandra Markovich added 11 points. The Matadors shot 44% for the game, including 57% in the second half, but committed 21 turnovers. Johnson's layup with 2:00 left put the game away, at 68-60. Tulikihihifo's three-point play had cut it to 62-58 with 3:37 left. Six straight points by The Beach put the 49ers up 41-35 with 15:42 left, after CSN closed to 35-35 in the opening minutes of the second half. After that, the two teams would not tie again. Markovich's three had tied it with 17 minutes left as the Matadors opened the half on a 9-4 run. LBSU led 31-26 at the half, shooting 30%. The Matadors closed the half on a 10-3 run, shooting 31% over the first 20 minutes. Two straight driving layups by Baker, gave the 49ers a 28-16 lead with 3:01 left, capping a 9-2 run by The Beach. Denise Hagen's layup at 8:05 put LBSU 19-10, after a Breyza Rhodes layup at 11:25 closed the gap to 13-10. The Beach opened the game on a 12-4 run. The 49ers will close out the regular season with three straight home games, UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday at 7 p.m., Cal Poly on Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. and UC Irvine on Thursday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. BOX SCORE | 
