Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Survive Past Utah State 55-48
3/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
49ers Survive Past Eighth-seeded Utah State ANAHEIM, CA-- Fifth-seeded Long Beach State women's basketball (13-15) survived past eighth-seeded Utah State (5-22) 54-48 in the first round of the Big West Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Aggies closed to within one with 3:20 left, but the 49ers would score the final five points to move on to the second round. The Beach plays Thursday at aproximately 2:30 p.m. against fourth-seeded Cal Poly. Candice Wilson and Jayme Connors led four 49ers in double figures with 13 points a piece, while Crystal McCutcheon added 11 points. Jennifer Baker grabbed 10 rebounds. LBSU shot 39% for the game. Lauren Bull became only the second player in 49er history to knock down 100 career three-pointer when she did so with 6:31 left in the first period. Bull finished the contest with 11 points and 101 career three-pointers. Christina Zdenek had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Aggies, who shot 38% for the game. Utah State used a 6-0 run to close to within 49-48 with 3:20 left on a Anne-Marie Thorp free throw, but then were scoreless the rest of the way. Bull picked up her fourth foul with 12:40 left in the second, and LBSU up 39-32, but foul trouble proved to not be a factor, despite Connors' five fouls and Petra Gläser's four over the final 12 minutes of the contest. The 49ers had scored nine unanswered just prior to Bull's foul, to take the seven-point lead, at 39-32. The 49ers trailed 26-24 at the half, as The Beach shot just 39% and committed 14 turnovers. USU shot 40% and committed 13 turnovers. The Aggies ended the half on a 22-16 run. Utah State missed nine of their first 10 shots, scoring just two points over the first eight and a half minutes, to trail 10-2. USU though would score 12 unanswered to take a brief 12-10 lead, as the final 11 minutes became a back-and-forth affair. It was the first Big West Tournament game for Long Beach State Head Coach Mary Hegarty, who is in her first season at The Beach after 10 successful seasons at Chapman University in Orange County. Utah State is in their first year of basketball since the mid-1980's.
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