Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Set to Begin Big West Play; McCutcheon POW
12/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
McCutcheon Does it Again with Weekly Award IRVINE, CA-- Long Beach State small forward Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) was named the Big West Conference's Player of the Week for the second time this season and third time in her carer, joining an elite group of former 49ers to have been honored by the conference three times. The Beach's next task is conference, the conference opener with arch nemesis UC Santa Barbara (2-4), who comes to town on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., sporting eight-straight NCAA appearances. Cal Poly (5-2) will play at The Pyramid on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. after play UC Irvine tomorrow. The 49ers are coming off one of the program's biggest wins over the last decade, thanks to McCutcheon, a two-point win over No. 15-ranked Houston. The 49ers went 4-3 in the pre-season with wins over Montana, San Diego, Stony Brook and Houston and three losses by a combined 12 points to Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Cal. The 49er junior with three conference awards, now ranks fourth all-time at Long Beach State in total certificates, behind All-Americans Cindy Brown (six awards), and Penny Toler (five) and first team all-conference selection Melissa Gower (four). This is also the earliest that LBSU has garnered two awards, since Toler and Brown earned back-to-back awards during the Final Four run of 1986-87. McCutcheon earned the award after firing off an 8-of-11 clip from the field to go along with a game-high 20 points in the team's upset of the Cougars last week. It was the school's first win over a ranked opponent since 1992, a span of 18 losses. McCutcheon is averaging a team-best 16.0 points per game, to go along with 4.1 rebounds per game. McCutcheon also has a team-best 51 percent clip from the field and is 10-of-17 from three-point range. McCutcheon is one of four 49ers averaging double figures this season. Aisha Hollans, who has played in three games since being NCAA certified, is averaging 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, which has included double doubles in each of her last two contests. Center Petra Gläser is avearging 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds, while shooting 45 percent, while fellow post player, power forward Jayme Connors is averaging 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Connors is listed as day-to-day after scoring the winning basket over Houston last week on an injured ankle. Connors re-injured her ankle in the opening minutes of the game, but gutted out 35 minutes. Connors missed most of the 2002-03 season with the ankle injury. UCSB, despite a 2-4 record, has lost to some strong teams this season, including a loss to No. 1-ranked LSU last week (72-52). The Gauchos have also lost at Arizona (96-80), in overtime to Purdue (66-65) and to Michigan (57-51). Their two wins are over Saint Mary's and Oregon State. Kristen Mann, a frontrunner for conference player of the year, is averaging 20.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while Jenna Green has 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Guard Mia Fisher is avearging 9.7 points per game. LBSU leads the all-time series 38-32. Cal Poly comes in sporting a 5-2 record, having gone 1-2 over its last three after perfect 4-0 start. Faith Mimnaugh's team is averaging just 63.3 points per game and shooting 36 percent from the field, with losses to USF and at New Mexico State. Katy Paterson is avearging a team-best 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Courtney Cameron and guard Sparkle Anderson are averaging seven points per game. LBSU leads the all-time series 29-7. LBSU was picked to finish third in the Big West, behind UCSB and Idaho, but come into the conference season sporting the second-highest RPI (92). |
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