49ers Host No. 15 Houston on Monday
Beach Return from Eight-Day Layoff for First Ranked Team of the Year
December 19, 2004
PDF Version of the Release NO. 15 UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
MONDAY, DECEMBER 20 | 7:00 P.M. | THE PYRAMID
WHAT TO KNOW: The 49ers (3-3) will host No. 15-ranked Houston (9-1) on Monday, December 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the team's final regular season tuneup prior to conference. The team will have an eight-day layoff between its last game, at California on December 19 and the team's match against Houston, due to finals. Prior to exams, The Beach saw the first glimpses of senior guard Aisha Hollans (Berkeley), who averaged 17.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, who sat out the first foru games of the season as the NCAA sorted out her eligibility. Hollans, a first team All-Pac 10 player, redshirted 2003-04 after transferring from USC. The 49ers now feature five players in its starting lineup who have, or are, averaging double digits during a season. LBSU opens up Big West play at The Pyramid on December 28 against defending champion UC Santa Barbara.
No. 15 HOUSTON: No. 15-ranked Houston is off to an 9-1 start, as the Cougars split its trip to Hawaii this past weekend, defeating the Wahine 66-55 and losing to undefeated Wake Forest 65-57, prior to its return trip, via Long Beach State on Monday... 6-4 senior center Sancho Lyttle, a second team All-CUASA selection, is averaging 21.6 points and 12.3 rebonds per game while shooting 49 percent, while senior wing Daphne Andre has 14.5 points and a 45 percent clip from three off the bench... the Cougars are holding opponents to a 38 percent clip and outscoring them 74-to-59... they are also outrebounding opponents 44-to-37, thanks to the 6-5 Lyttle and fellow senior Kiemona Harris... Joe Curl is in his sixth season.
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE BEACH
WORKING OUT THE KINKS ON THE ROAD
The 49ers concluded its four-game roadtrip to New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, 1-4, but with a light at the end of the tunnel. The 49ers could have just have easily gone 4-0, losing by a combined 12 points, having led at USF and Cal in the second half, and losing by just two against Pitt. The 49ers did hit 75 percent of their fouls shots, and had four players average double figures over that period, led by Aisha Hollans' 17 points per game last week and Crystal McCutcheon's 14.5 points per game clip. In fact, the team's top four scorers shot a combined 48 percent. LBSU did shoot 44 percent over the four games, which included a 20 percent clip from three.
California 67, LBSU 64: California (5-3) took advantage of four fouls on center Petra Gläser and used a 17-2 run midway through the second half to pull away and defeat visiting Long Beach State 69-64 on Sunday afternoon. LBSU, who had a 12-point lead with 15 and a half minutes remaining, scored four unanswered over the final minute of play, to close to within 67-64, but could not close any further as Kiki Williams sank two free throws with 16 seconds left to give her a game-high 22 points off the bench. California shot 48 percent for the game, including 44 percent in the second half, compared to LBSU's 44 percent clip and 41 percent shooting in the second half. Aisha Hollans produced a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Gläser added 13 points. The 49ers, despite trailing 53-50 , used a steal and layup from Jeannie Saunders to take their final lead, at 54-53, with 5:38 left. Cal though would use one final run, at 12-4, capped by one of four three-pointers by Williams, at 3:46 to keep the game out of reach. LBSU used a 14-3 run to go up by 12.
San Francisco 62, LBSU 57: Aisha Hollans made her awaited Long Beach State debut with a game-high 17 points, but the 49ers were outrebounded 47-to-26 as the University of San Francisco (5-3) held off a late rally by The Beach to win 62-57. Mary Jane Krueger led USF with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Hilltoppers shot 42 percent for the game and 46 percent in the second half. Crystal McCutcheon added 15 points, for LBSU, who shot 40 percent for the contest and 43 percent in the second half. USF led by six for much of the second half, before LBSU scored four unanswered points to make it 56-54 with two minutes left. But Toni Russell would get a key offensive rebound after two missed free throws by Krueger, which led to Jennifer Katsuyama hitting a running jumper with 1:05 left to put the contest out of reach. USF built its lead thanks to a 14-4 run.
HOLLANS RETURNS IN A FLURISH
Senior guard Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) returned to the court after a year and four games with much anticipation as the team adjusted to the former All-Pac 10 selection. Hollans scored 17 points twice, including a team-best 11 rebounds in the team's loss at California, but still had a few things to work on. Hollans was still getting back in the swing of things, as her 41 percent and seven fouls shows, but the talent is there. Stay tuned.
MCCUTCHEON EXPLODES IN THE PRE-SEASON
Despite a bump in the road at California (seven points, five assists), junior guard Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) has been on fire to start the 2004-05 season, averaging 15.3 points, while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 53 percent the three-point arc. McCutcheon had hit for at least 15 points in four straight contests prior to the Cal loss. McCutcheon earned her first Big West Player of the Week honor three weeks ago after averaging 18.0 points per game at the Stony Brook Classic in early December.
WILSON COOKS UP THE ASSISTS
With so much scoring, some one has to pass it right? Four-year starting point guard Candice Wilson (Sacramento) has picked up that job, dishing of five or more assists in three of the last five games for a 4.2 assist per game average. Wilson is also averaging a respectable 8.6 points per game.
SOLID FROM THE LINE
The 49ers are producing a strong clip fromthe chartiy strip this season, shooting 73 percent. LBSU has hit 70 percent or better in all but one contest this year.
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.
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 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 (not Grey), 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 five 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. Entering the season, 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. Jayme Connors currently is averaging 12.0 points per game.
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 has been with the Brazilian national program since high school.
QUARTET SIGNS WITH 49ERS
Four players signed with the 49ers during the early signing period led by All-CIF guard Karina Figueroa (Corona/Rosary HS), and forward Sheila Ho-Ching (Long Beach/Wilson HS). Amanda Foster (Los Angeles/Marshall HS), and Mary Has (Long Beach/Millikan HS) also signed National Letters of Intent. At 5-8, Figueroa led all of Orange County with 6.3 assists per game last season to earn first team All-CIF honors for the second time in her career. Figueroa added 7.8 points and 4.0 steals per game, to go along with her 52% clip from the field and a 35% percentage from 3-point range. Ho-Ching is the cousin of current 49er guard Jeannie Saunders, and one of two Long Beach players signed. Ho-Ching, a 5-10 forward, earned second team All-CIF accolades in 2002-03 and is a three-time All-Moore League selection. She averaged 10 points and nine rebounds per game last year. Foster, a 6-0 power forward from Marshall High School, is a two-time League MVP, All-City and All-League selection who injured her ACL prior to her senior season. Has, a 5-8 point guard from Millikan High, was named All-Moore League for the second time in her career last season after averaging 13 points, five assists and six rebounds 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! |
