49ers Host San Francisco
LBSU Looks to Win Third Straight Game
November 29, 2005 PDF Version of this Release GAME #5 - vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Long Beach State vs. San Francisco • Sunday, Dec. 4 • 2 PM • The Walter Pyramid
Listem Live: www.longbeachstate.com 2-2, 0-0 Big West
Home: 2-0 • Away: 0-2 • Neutral: 0-0
Quickly:
The Long Beach State women's basketball team (2-2) remains at home this weekend when it hosts the San Francisco Dons (1-3) on Sunday at 2 pm. The Dons play two games (vs. Cal Poly on Nov. 29 and at UC Davis on Dec. 1) before facing The Beach. Long Beach State is 4-3 all-time versus USF, but have lost the last two meetings, including a 62-57 loss at War Memorial Coliseum last season (Dec. 9, 2004).
Saunders Named Big West Player of the Week:
Sophomore Jeannie Saunders, was selected as the Big West Conference Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday (Nov. 28). This was Saunders' first Player of the Week honor. She was named to the Big West All-Freshman team last season as well. Saunders (Long Beach/Wilson HS) averaged 12 points per game and shot 63 percent from three-point range in Long Beach State's two victories over No. 21-ranked USC and Richmond from The Walter Pyramid last week. The 5-8 guard recorded 12 points, dished out two assists, and was a perfect 3-for-3 beyond the arc in the 49ers' 51-46 victory over the ranked Trojans on Nov. 23. Saunders poured in 12 points, four rebounds, and two steals in the 59-51 win over Richmond on Saturday. Saunders' three-pointer with 11:02 remaining in the second half versus the Spiders put Long Beach State up for good at 41-40.
Last Week in Review Pt. I:
The 49ers knocked off their second straight ranked opponent for the second straight season after their 51-46 triumph over #21 USC on Nov. 23. Long Beach State topped Houston on Dec. 20, when the Cougars were ranked #15. The 1,166 on attendance was the sixth highest crowd in Walter Pyramid history. In its first ever meeting against Richmond on Nov. 26, LBSU collected a 59-51 win.
Last Week in Review Pt. II:
(LBSU 59, Richmond 51 • Nov. 26) Jeannie Saunders scored 12 points and Meghan Griffith pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to lift the Long Beach State women's basketball team to a 59-51 win over Richmond on Saturday afternoon at the Walter Pyramid. Long Beach improves to 2-2 with the victory, while Richmond, who won at UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday night, fell to 2-3. The 49ers limited the Spiders to a .322 field goal percentage for the game with a suffocating defense. Richmond committed 19 turnovers in the contest and hit just 5-26 (.192) of its three-point attempts. Long Beach didn't shoot particularly well from the field (.303), but was outstanding at the free throw line connecting on 13-14 (.929) for the game. Leading 47-44 with 3:58 left in the contest after a jumper by Richmond's Araceli Gil, the 49ers scored five quick points to push the advantage to eight, 52-44. Saunders knocked down a long three-pointer, just beating the shot clock buzzer, at 3:23 and then the 49ers scored on a layup by Katrina Figueroa at 2:58 giving the 49ers an eight-point lead. Richmond would get no closer than five points the remainder of the game. The 49ers knocked down seven of eight free throws in the final 0:59 of the game, with Saunders hitting three of four. Jayme Connors had a strong outing finishing with 10 points and six rebounds and Griffith added six points to her career-best 15 boards. Griffith set her career-high earlier this week in the 49ers win over No. 21-ranked USC, when she pulled down 12 boards. Mary Has and Figueroa both chipped in with seven points.
(LBSU 51, #21 USC 46 • Nov. 23) Three key offensive rebounds over the last 13.5 seconds led unranked Long Beach State to a 51-46 win over No. 21-ranked USC at the Walter Pyramid on Wednesday evening. Meghan Griffith, tripled her career-high with 12 rebounds, and grabbed a key offensive rebound with 13.5 seconds left and LBSU up 47-46, leading to the 49ers second win over a ranked team in as many seasons. The 49ers defeated Houston last season on Dec. 20 at The Walter Pyramid, when the Cougars were ranked No. 15. The 49ers are now 1-2 on the season, while USC fell to 2-1. Griffith made 1-of-2 free throws to finish with six points, as her second miss led to an offensive rebound and foul, and another missed free throw, by Jayme Connors, led to the third offensive rebound. Jeannie Saunders hit a jumper at the buzzer to finish with 12 points. Crystal McCutheon led the 49ers with 13 points, while Eshaya Murphy had 14 points for USC. Long Beach State shot just 34 percent for the contest, while USC hit 33 percent of their shots. Long Beach State took the lead for good with 54 seconds left on a three-pointer by McCutcheon to make it 47-43, capping a 11-3 run by LBSU. About San Francisco >>>San Francisco Dons (1-3)
San Francisco opens a busy week when it hosts Cal Poly Tuesday night at War Memorial to wrap up a three game homestand. The Dons suffered a tough 53-51 loss Saturday night in the 2005 Odwalla Classic final against No. 22 Oklahoma after breaking through for their first win of the year against Rider (80-44) on Friday. Following the showdown against the Mustangs, USF plays at UC Davis Thursday and travels to Southern California for a Sunday evening game against Long Beach State in the Walter Pyramid.
>>>Probable Starters
G • #11 Shay Rollins, 5-4, Fr. (6.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.8 apg)
G • #12 Dominique Carter, 5-11, So. (8.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
G • #2 Jenni Jones, 5-9, Sr. (4.5 ppg, 2.3 rgp, 1.8 apg)
F • #13 Nickie Warren, 6-1, Jr. (10.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.0 apg)
F • #5 Leeane Jensen, 6-2, Sr. (5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.5 blocks)
>>>USF Team Stats
Points per Game (59.8), Rebounds Per Game (33.0), FG % (.261)
Five Wins Shy:
Third year head coach Mary Hegarty is just five wins shy of 200 for her career. Hegarty has compiled 195 wins in 13 years of coaching.
Second Half Shooting:
Long Beach State shoots five percent higher in the second half of its games this season (34 % in the first half, 39% in the second half).
Home Friendly:
Long Beach State is 13-2 over its last 15 home games dating back to Nov. 24, 2004.
The Last Time that Happened:
Long Beach State did not record a blocked shot in its 51-46 win over USC on Nov. 23. The last time that happened was at UCSB on Mar. 5, 2005... Karina Figueroa dished out 10 dimes in the season opener at TCU on Nov. 18. The last time that a 49er registered 10 or more assists was by Candice Wilson, who had 13 at CS Northridge on Jan. 8, 2005...The 49ers committed 25 personal fouls in the season opener at TCU. The last time LBSU committed 25 or more fouls in a contest was 26 at LMU on Dec. 14 , 2002
Player Notes:
#3 Crystal McCutcheon
• Needs two three-point field goals made to tie Nicole Legaux (65) for seventh all-time at LBSU
• Hit 3-of-5 from three-point range en route to a 16 point, 5 rebound effort at TCU on Nov. 18
• Scored 13 points and had four steals vs. USC (Nov. 23)
• Has made two or more three-point field goals two times this season
• Ranks t-7 in the Big West in scoring (11.3 ppg)
#20 Karina Figueroa
• Made her 49er debut with 23 points and 10 assists (1 turnover) at TCU on Nov. 18
• Leads the 49ers with 18 assists, and ranks second in steals (7)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Assists per Game (4.50)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Free Throw Pct. (.889)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Assist/TO Ratio (+2.25)
#33 Jeannie Saunders
• Big West Player of the Week (Nov. 28)
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in Three-Point FG% (.462)
• Averaged 12 points per game and shot 63 percent from three-point range in Long Beach State's wins over USC and Richmond
• 3-for-3 from three-point range vs. USC (Nov. 23)
• Logged 10 minutes of action in the season opener at TCU because of a sprained ankle suffered late in the week
• Netted eight points and four rebounds at Houston on Nov. 20
#25 Jayme Connors
• Posted her ninth career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the season opener at TCU on Nov. 18
• Has 430 career defensive rebounds, third all-time in program history
• Pulled down 10 rebounds vs. USC (Nov. 23)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Rebounds per Game (9.5)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Defensive RPG (6.75)
• Ranks No. 1 in the Big West in Minutes per Game (38.2)
#45 Meghan Griffith
• Career-High 15 rebounds vs. Richmond (Nov. 26)
• Grabbed 12 rebounds and added six points vs. USC on Nov. 23
• Poured in a career-best seven points at Houston on Nov. 20
• Posted a career-high five rebounds at TCU on Nov. 18
• Ranks No. 3 in the Big West in Rebounds per Game (9.0)
#21 Mary Has
• Had five points, two rebounds, and two steals in her 49er debut at TCU on Nov. 20
• Notched 7 points in both wins over USC (Nov. 23) and Richmond (Nov. 26)
#23 Rosalyn Omoruyi
• Had eight points, three rebounds, and two steals at Houston on Nov. 20
#55 Fernanda Santos
• Posted three steals with six points and three rebounds in the season opener at TCU (Nov. 18)
• Two blocks vs. Richmond (Nov. 23)
49ers Ink Six for the 2006-07 Season:
Long Beach State women's basketball head coach, Mary Hegarty, announced that six players, Lauren Bagley, Sherissa Bayes, Lindsey Beckner, Nondi Johnson, Lauren Sims, and Ally Wade have all signed National Letters-of-Intent to enroll at Long Beach State for the 2006-07 season. "It's a very talented and deep recruiting class," said Hegarty. "We addressed all of our needs at the post position with four new post players. This class has a strong work ethic and strong academic backgrounds. They will fit nicely with the players we have returning next season. This class will help take our program to the next level."
Big West Pre-Season Predictions are Out:
The Big West Conference had its annual media day on Nov. 2 and the Long Beach State women's basketball team was picked to finish second by both the conference's eight coaches and the media. Senior Crystal McCutcheon also made the pre-season all-conference team. In the media poll, the women compiled 67 points, with one first place vote behind UCSB's 79 points and nine first place votes. In the coaches poll, the women received two first place votes and 43 overall points to UCSB's 46.
Four Double-Headers this Season:
The 49er women will play four doubleheaders with the men's team this season. The first will be on December 30 as the women host South Dakota State (5 pm) and the men Cornell (7:30 pm). On January 28 both teams will tangle with UC Irvine in The Walter Pyramid (2 & 5 pm). February 11 will be Homecoming on the 49er campus and the women will take on Pacific (3 pm) while the men tangle with UCSB (5:30 pm). The final doubleheader will be on March 4 at UC Irvine (4 & 7 pm).
The Beach on TV:
When Long Beach State tangles with UC Santa Barbara on February 18 in Santa Barbara, the game will be aired on Fox Sports West 2 at 5:00 p.m.
The 05-06 Schedule:
Five of Long Beach State's non-conference opponents advanced to the NCAA post-season last season, including TCU, Houston, USC, Montana, and Richmond. Conference rival, UC Santa Barbara also advanced to the NCAA post-season as well.
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