49ers to Host Season Opener on Wednesday
Montana This Week, San Diego Next Week, Begins Season
November 22, 2004
PDF Version of the Release UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA
Wednesday, November 24 | 7:30 p.m. | The Pyramid
WHAT TO KNOW: The 49ers (0-0) will open up Mary Hegarty's second season with two home games, starting with the season opener on Wednesday against Montana (0-0, play Montana-Western on Monday) at 7:30 p.m. The Lady Griz, which reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season, are picked to win the Big Sky this season. Montana won both of its exhibition games, while the 49ers dropped both of theirs. The Beach will celebrate the opening of The Pyramid on November 30 when they host San Diego, also at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.
THE OPPONENT: Montana will embark on a jam-packed opening week of basketball, playing four games in six days starting on Monday against Montana-Western... Montana will then travel to Southern California to play in Wednesday's match at The Pyramid and in Pepperdine's Tournament following Thanksgiving... freshman forward Johanna Closson averaged 16.5 points per game in the team's two exhibition games as the Lady Griz averaged 83 points per game... four starters return from last year's 27-5 club which reached the NCAAs for the first time since 2000... eight players stand over six feet, led by All-Big Sky selection, six-foot-three Hollie Tyler and her 13.6 points per game... 11 players are from Montana, with one lone Californian, starting senior center, Crystal Baird, hailing from Chino and Don Lugo High School.
EXHIBITIONS PRODUCE MIXED RESULTS
The 49ers showed a much improved offense from its two exhibition games, averaging 73.0 points per game as Petra Gläser averaged 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and Candice Wilson added 13.5 points per game. The team also improved from one game to the next, reducing its turnovers (from 31 to 22), and rebounding (outrebounding Love and Basketball 46 to 42). The 49ers also shot 9-of-27 from three-point range in the two games.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEACH
Love and Basketball 78, LBSU 74 (exhibition): Petra Gläser missed a potential game-tying jumper with 10 seconds left as Love and Basketball came back to defeat Long Beach State 78-74. Michell Greco, who hit the go-ahead jumper with under a minute left, finished with a game-high 27 points. A mini 5-0 run by L&B gave the visitors their first lead of the half, at 73-72,with 1:55 left, as Greco's jumper with 56.7 seconds left kept them in front at 75-74. Jayme Connors missed a chance to tie it with 30.4 seconds left, missing the front end of a 1-and-1, as L&B converted 1-of-2 free throws to set up the final play with 20.7 ticks left. Gläser led the 49ers with 18 points, while Crystal McCutcheon purchased a double-double of 10 points and 11 assists. LBSU shot 41%.
Play Mode All-Stars 90, LBSU 72 (exhibition): The Play Mode All-Stars went on an 18-8 run midway through the second half and ran away with a 90-72 exhibition win over host Long Beach State. Local Wilson High product Jeannie Saunders (Long Beach) had an impressive 49er debut scoring a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, adding six steals as well. Former Arkansas State star Tanisha Johnson scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench for the All-Stars. The more athletic All-Stars shot 50% for the contest, including 53% in the second half. Three 49ers scored in double digits as Candice Wilson (Sacramento) scored 16 points off the bench, followed by Saunders and 13 points from Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany). Gläser also had nine rebounds. LBSU was limited to just 36% shooting in the second half and 40% for the game.
Black and Gold Scrimmage: At full strength, junior college transfer Fernanda Santos hit for a game-high 18 points, while another newcomer, senior guard Aisha Hollans added a combined 15 points in Long Beach State women's basketball's Black and Gold game. Senior center Petra Gläser had 16 points, while Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) added 10 points. Santos, tallied 18 points, including four three-pointers. Hollans added 10 points for the Black squad and another five for the Gold squad.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR THE PYRAMID
November 30, 2004 will mark the 10th Anniversary of The Pyramid at Long Beach State and to celebrate one of the most unique sports arenas in the all of the U.S., the women's game on November 30 against San Diego, will be free to the public. The Pyramid is one of only three pyramids in the U.S. (the others are in Memphis and Las Vegas) as the school's opening on November 30, 1994, was witnessed by 5,021 fans as well as a nationally-televised ESPN audience. This Pyramid has not only been home to numerous All-Americans and Olympic medalists (Beach volleyballer Misty May is the latest), but also to Magic Johnson (Summer Pro League), Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny (Space Jam was filmed in the arena).
49ERS PICKED THIRD
The 49ers were picked to finish in third place in the Big West pre-season coaches poll, following UC Santa Barbara and Idaho. Last year LBSU finished fifth, but won two games in the conference tournament. Pacific, Cal Poly and CS Fullerton made up the next trio, followed by UC Riverside, CS Northridge, UC Irvine and second-year program, Utah State.
THE REST OF THE PRE-SEASON
Following the team's two home games, LBSU will head to New York City (Stony Brook Classic) and to the San Francisco Bay Area (USF, California) before returning home for one final non-conference affair, Houston, on December 20. Big West nemesis, UC Santa Barbara, opens the conference season on December 28 at The Pyramid.
STRONG TRADITION
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.
SCHWARZENEGGER'S BIG WEST
Coming in 2005-06 the Big West Conference will become an all California conference with the exit of Idaho and Utah State to the Sun Belt and the addition of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's neighbor, UC Davis. Davis, near Sacramento, will become a full member in 2007-08.
THIS YEAR'S OPPONENTS
This year's opponents have a combined 38 NCAA Division-I Tournament appearances, led by Montana's 15 appearances and UC Santa Barbara's nine. UC Davis, which moves up from Division-II, appeared in an additional 12 NCAA Division-II Tournaments. Long Beach State has appeared in 11 NCAA Tournaments, with its last "dance"coming in 1992. Montana is picked to win the Big Sky, while Houston is picked third in Conference USA.
SCORING PUNCH
The 49ers feature four players who have averaged at least 10 points per game in a Division-I season, and two seniors who have averaged double digits over their four-year careers. Center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) averaged a team-best 13.4 points per game last season and has an 11.5 scoring average in two years at UNLV and one at LBSU, while guard Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) averaged 14.3 points per game in three years at USC. Junior guard Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) is coming off a 10.0 points per game clip last season, while senior guard Candice Wilson (Sacramento) averaged 11.0 points per game as a junior followed by 9.7 points per game last year.
CONSTRUCTIONAL REBOUNDING
Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) has made it her business to build a presence in the post and her foundation is rebounding, ranking third in the Big West (7.8) in that category last year. The constructional engineering major also chipped in 9.2 points per game, grabbing at least 10 rebounds, 10 times last year. Overall, Connors is shooting 46% from the floor and averaging 8.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game over two seasons. She was an honorable mention All-Big West selection last year.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
The 49ers boast two national teamers on the roster in Germany's Petra Gläser (Amtsberg) and Brazil's Fernanda Santos (Sao Paulo). Gläser competed for the Germans this past September and helped them qualify for the European Championships next fall, while Santos as been with the Brazilian national program since high school.
STATUS UNCLEAR ON BOTH
Junior College transfer Fernanda Santos (Sao Paulo, Brazil) should be eligible for the season opener against Montana. Santos, and fellow transfer, senior Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) sat out both exhibitions due to eligibility certification. Hollans status is still unknown. Both have continued to practice with the team.
TWO MISS FINAL EXHIBITION
Sophomore transfer Val Willhoit (Colorado Springs) and junior forward Cynetha Rush (Pontiac, MI) missed the team's final exhibition game due to injury. Both are day-to-day as Willhoit has been battling back spasms and Rush was still recovering from a leap over the scorer's table during practice last week.
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! |
