49ers Head to Utah State, Idaho

49ers Hit the Road to Idaho and Utah State
* First Place Niners Head Out of State for Two
* ESPN.com Picks 49ers to Reach the NCAA Tournament
* 49ers Riding a Seven-Game Win Streak After 4-0 Home Stand

January 24, 2005

Record: 11-4 Big West: 6-1 | Home: 8-1 | Away: 3-2 | Neutral: 0-1

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VIEW FROM THE TOP: The first place 49ers (11-4, 6-1 Big West), winners of seven in a row, will take their show to the skies of Idaho and Utah, when the team heads out of state to take on Idaho (10-6, 5-2 Big West) on Thursday at 7 p.m. and Utah State (9-7, 4-3 Big West) on Saturday at 6 p.m. Both games can be heard live on the internet at www.longbeachstate.com. The Beach is off to its best start in 13 years and are on its longest winning streak since the team won 16 in a row in 1990-91 under then-Head Coach Joan Bonvicini. Both the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons marked the last time LBSU played in the NCAA Tournament, a string of 11 straight NCAA appearances by the program. This year's team continues to feature three players in double digits, led by senior guard Aisha Hollans' (Berkeley) 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

BRACKETOLOGY: The experts at ESPN.com put out its mid-season predictions for the field of 64 and Long Beach State is the sports network's pick to make it to the NCAA Tournament. According to the report, LBSU is the 14th seed and would play Texas Tech in Dallas.

A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION
IDAHO: The Vandals, at 10-6 and 5-2 in the Big West, are currently a game back of front runners UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State... Idaho was picked to finish second in the Big West during the pre-season... the Vandals have won four of their last five, the two trip ups in conference being at Cal Poly and at UC Riverside... Idaho is 5-1 in Moscow and 5-5 away... the team's one-two punch of reigning Big West Player of the Year Emily Faurholt's 21.4 points per game and Freshman of the Year Leilani Mitchell's 17.1 points per game is still around, but Idaho is managing just 64 points per game, while shooting 38 percent from the floor... a fundamentally sound team, the Vandals are shooting 73 percent from the free throw line to lead the Big West... LBSU leads the all-time series 11-2, with only one loss in Moscow all-time, back in 1998 and are 5-1 all-time in the city... LBSU won both meetings last year... Mike Divilbiss led his team to a 22-7 record last year.

UTAH STATE: Utah State, in just their second year of existence, are 9-7 and 4-3 in the Big West prior to hosting UC Irvine on Thursday... USU has won four of its last five, tripping up at CS Fullerton (64-55) last weekend... three players average double figures led by sophomore forward Brittany Tressler's 12.1 points per game off the bench and center Ali Aird and freshman guard Taylor Richards' 10.1 points per game... USU is averaging about 64 points per game, while shooting 37 percent from the floor... LBSU leads the all-time series 3-1, winning two of the three meetings last last season, including eliminating the Aggies from the Big West Tournament in Anaheim... Raegan Pebley is in her second year after going 5-22 last season.

LAST WEEK
LBSU 74, UC Irvine 50: Long Beach State pushed off to its best start in 13 years as they cruised to a 74-50 victory over visiting UC Irvine in conference play on Thursday night. LBSU remained in first place with its sixth win of the season as Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) led with a 49er-best 27 points. The 49ers' 10-4 start is their best start to a season since 1991-92, when the school's last NCAA Tournament team started the year 11-3. It is also just the second time since 1991-92 season (the other being 1999-2000) that the team has won six in a row. Crystal McCutcheon added 17 points and seven rebounds for The Beach, who shot identical 42 percentages in both the first and second half, remarkably ending with a 42 percent shooting clip for the game. Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) grabbed 11 rebounds. Angie Ned led UCI with 16 points. Irvine, who dressed just eight players, shot 35 percent for the game and 42 percent in the second half.

LBSU 73, UC Davis 47: Long Beach State ran its win streak to seven games as Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) led four players in double figures with 18 points, as the 49ers cruised to a 73-47 victory over visiting UC Davis in a non-conference affair Saturday night. The Beach continues its longest win streak since the early 1990's. Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) added 10 points and 11 rebounds. Candice Wilson rounded out the scoring with 10 points and six assists. The Beach shot 52 percent in the second half and 47 percent for the game, as UCD was held to just 31 percent shooting for the game, including a 30 percent clip in the second half. Kimberly Smith led the Aggies with 13 points. LBSU took a 36-23 lead at the half, holding the Aggies to just a 32 percent clip from the field. The 49ers shot 43 percent in the first half, hitting 10 of its first 18 shots.

STAR-STUDDED COACHING STAFF: Forty-Niner Head Coach Mary Hegarty (183-112) is entering her second year as head coach of the program after 10 successful years and four NCAA appearances at Chapman University in Orange County. Hegarty, along with current assistants Denise Curry (also a Naismith Hall of Famer) and Nicole Anderson, are three of the 15 greatest women's basketball players in UCLA history. In fact, the entire staff has a degree from UCLA, but bleeds black and gold and is fully on board with Long Beach's past history, which has included two Final Fours, 16 NCAA Tournaments and seven Kodak All-Americans.

IT'S NICE AT THE TOP: The 49ers, at 6-1, are tied with UC Santa Barbara a top the Big West standings a game ahead of Idaho. LBSU has remained in first place for the previous three weeks, after being picked to finish third in the Big West.

RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMPETITION: Over the past three games, Long Beach State has beaten its opponents by an average of 24 points, outscoring opponents nearly 72 to 48. Over that stretch, Aisha Hollans is averaging nearly 22 points per game, while LBSU is holding opponents to a 34 percent shooting clip.

THE WHAT IF'S OF STATISTICS: When senior guard Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) finally plays in 75 percent of the 49ers games, the team's leading scorer will not only rank in the top-five in scoring (17.9) and rebounding (9.3) in the Big West, but rank in the amongst the nation's leaders in scoring. Hollans has played in 73 percent of LBSU's 15 contests, missing the first four due to NCAA certification. LBSU is 8-3 with Hollans in the lineup.

McCUTCHEON REVS UP THE ENGINES: After a slow stretch to begin 2005 (13 points over two games, junior wing Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) is averaging 14.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game over the past four contests, twice reaching 17 points against UC Irvine and CS Fullerton. McCutcheon, a two-time Big West Player of the Week, is shooting an impressive 47 percent from three-point range and ranking amongst the Big West's top-10 with 13.9 points per game.

GERMAN DOUBLE DOUBLES JUST AS GOOD: Six-foot-six center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) has begun to take to the boards midway through the conference season, tagging two of her three double-doubles over the previous three games to up her average to 12.7 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game on the season. Gläser, a pre-season All-Big West pick, is also shooting 47 percent from the field.

CHARITY LEADS TO SCORING: The 49ers are shooting 72 percent from the charity stripe this season as four of the team's top scorers are shooting 80 percent or better from the free throw line this season. Petra Gläser is shooting 89 percent, followed by Candice Wilson's 82 percent clip, Aisha Hollans (81%) and Crystal McCutcheon (80%).

THE LITTLE THINGS COUNT: Despite not putting up the scoring numbers either is capable, power forward Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) and point guard Candice Wilson (Sacramento) are each amongst Big West leaders in two key categories. Connors ranks amongst the Big West top-five in rebounding, at 8.3 rebounds per game, grabbing double digits six times, while Wilson is third in assists at 5.0 per game, tallying 13 successful passes earlier this season.

LUCKY STREAK OF SEVEN: The 49ers seven game win streak has been all about taking the opponent out of its rhythym. LBSU has outrebounded opponents by an average of 48 to 33 and outscored its last seven foes 72 to 56. LBSU is also tallying nearly 11 steals per game and committing just 16 turnovers a game.

HOARDING THE BIG WEST LUMBER: So far this season, LBSU has garnered three Big West Player of the Week awards, Aisha Hollans on January 11 and Crystal McCutcheon on December 6 and December 27.

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.

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 careers. 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. Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) is coming off a 10.0 points per game clip last season, while Candice Wilson (Sacramento) average. followed by 9.7 points per game 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.

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!

2004-05 BIG WEST CONFERENCE STANDINGS
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, and we don't mean Gray, will become a full member in 2007-08.

PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
1. UC Santa Barbara (8)
2. Idaho (2)
3. LONG BEACH STATE
4. Pacific
T5. Cal Poly
T5. CS Fullerton
7. Utah State
8. UC Irvine
9. UC Riverside
10. CS Northridge

MEDIA PRE-SEASON POLL
1. UC Santa Barbara (14)
2. Idaho (1)
3. LONG BEACH STATE
4. Pacific
5. Cal Poly
6. CS Fullerton
7. UC Riverside
8. CS Northridge
9. UC Irvine
10. Utah State


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