49ers In Hunt for Big West Title

49ers Look for Big West Title
If They Win on Thursday, Saturday's Game at UC Santa Barbara is For Title

March 1, 2005

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* Regular Season Ends this Week with Chance at Title
* 49ers Riding Seven-Game Win Streak
* Big West Tournament Begins March 9

Record: 19-6 Big West: 13-3 | Home: 11-2 | Away: 8-3 | Neutral: 0-1

BEACH LOOKS TO WIN BIG WEST THIS WEEK: Long Beach State (19-6, 13-3 Big West), winners of seven in a row and 15 of their last 17, will try to win their first Big West title since 1990-91 when the team plays its final two regular season contests this week, traveling to Cal Poly (10-15, 4-12 Big West) on Thursday at 7 p.m. and to first place UC Santa Barbara (17-8, 14-2 Big West) on Saturday for an afternoon affair at 2 p.m. LBSU is a game behind the Gauchos in the standings as the 49ers need just one win to receive a free pass into the Big West Tournament Semifinals (a two-game bye) as one of the top two seeds. Also with just one more win, The Beach will post just its second 20-win season since 1991-92. With 13 conference wins, LBSU already has the most Big West wins since the early 1990's and can achieve the fourth-best win total in school-history with two more. The seven game win streak also matches their longest this season and the best since the 1990-91 season.

COULDN'T TOSS A BEAN BAG? BUY A TICKET: For those of you you could not toss a bean bag into the center circle at a Pyramid home event this season, to win free tickets, you can go the old fashion way by purchasing tickets for the 2005 Big West Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament through the Pyramid Box Office at (562) 985-7565. The first round featuring the fifth through eighth seeds will be on Wednesday March 9, the winners of those games will move on to play the third and fourth seeds on Thursday. On Friday the top two seeds will play the remaining winners with a chance to play for the championship on Saturday at 1 p.m.

A LOOK AT THE OPPOSITION
CAL POLY: The Mustangs enter the final week at 10-5 overall and 4-12 in the Big West... the Mustangs have lost 10 of their last 11, including losses at UC Riverside and CS Fullerton last week... Katy Paterson leads the club with 9.8 points per game, while Jessica Eggleston has 8.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent... the Mustangs are averaging 62.5 points per game, while shooting 37 percent as a team... LBSU won the first meeting 57-48 at The Pyramid, holding the Mustangs to just 23 percent shooting in the second half... LBSU leads the all-time series 30-7.

UC SANTA BARBARA: The Gauchos enter Thursday's game with the upset minded UC Irvine Anteaters (they defeated Idaho last week) at 17-8 and 14-2 in the Big West... UCSB has won the last six straight, cruising past CS Fullerton (83-40) and nipping UC Riverside 81-76... forward Kristen Mann leads the club with 20.0 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while guard Mia Fisher has 12.8 points and a 48 percent clip from the field... UCSB is averaging 71.6 points per game and shooting 44 percent as a team... the 49ers had led by five with two and a half minutes remaining over the Gauchos in the first meeting only to watch UCSB come back and win in overtime 85-80 with a 16-4 run... LBSU leads the all-time series 38-33, as the 49ers won 38 of the first 43 meetings.

LAST WEEK
LBSU 78, Idaho 75: Candice Wilson buried two free throws with 7.6 seconds left as Long Beach State won its seventh in a row with a 78-75 win over visiting Idaho. Wilson connected on 1-of-2 free throws with 23.4 seconds left, before Leilani Mitchell's three-point play with 8.6 seconds left made it 76-75. After Wilson's second pair of charity shots, Heather Thoelke missed a three-pointer from the left side with time running out to give The Beach the win. Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) scored a career-high 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting for the 49ers, while Emily Faurholt countered with a career-tying 39 points. LBSU shot 49 percent for the contest and 54 percent in the second half, while Idaho countered with a 50 percent clip and 43 shooting percentage in the second half. The 49ers re-took the lead with 6:49 left on two of Petra Gläser's 14 points, as LBSU led 61-60. The Beach would up the lead to 70-62 with 2:27 left as a driving layup by Aisha Hollans (Berkeley), two of her 15 points and nine rebounds, capped a 21-5 run. But Idaho had one more run in them as a Faurholt's three-point play closed the gap to 75-72 with 24.4 seconds left prior to Wilson's free throws. Another Faurholt three, one of five on the night, with 11 and a half minutes left made it 57-49 Idaho prior to LBSU's 11-3 run to take its first lead since early in the first half.

LBSU 75, Utah State 59: Long Beach State doubled up the Aggies in the second half to erase an eight-point halftime deficit and defeat visiting Utah State 75-59 on Thursday night. Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) led the 49ers with her 10th double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds, while adding seven assists. Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as The Beach shot a blistering 60 percent in the second half and 44 percent for the game, outscoring USU 48-to-24 in the second half. Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) added 15 points. Utah State, after a 52 shooting percentage over the first 20 minutes, managed just a 31 percent clip in the second half.

STAR-STUDDED COACHING STAFF: Forty-Niner Head Coach Mary Hegarty (193-117) is in 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.

DEFENDERS OF THE BIG WEST: The 49ers currently lead the Big West in defense, allowing just 59.3 points per game. Over the season, LBSU has allowed 50 or fewer points eight times. Opponents are managing an overall clip of just 38 percent and just 28 percent from beyond the arc.

WINNERS AT THE PYRAMID: The 49ers completed an 11-2 mark at The Pyramid this season, the second most wins at the arena since it opened in 1994. The Beach went a record 12-2 in 1998-99. LBSU is 8-4 away from home this season.

HOLLANS POSTS STRONG SEASON: Senior guard Aisha Hollans (Berkeley) has posted a solid final collegiate season after transferring from USC, posting 10 double-doubles on the season, including five in a row in December, and leading the 49ers with 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Hollans has scored at least 20 points four times, including 20 last week against Utah State and an LBSU-best 27 against UC Irvine on January 19. Hollans has hit for double digits in all but three games this season.

SHARP SHOOTING CRYSTAL: Forty-Niner wing Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) continues to lead the Big West in three-point shooting at 49 percent shooting as the junior also ranks second in steals (2.4) and shooting (49 percent), fifth in free throw shooting (78 percent), and eighth in scoring (14.0 points per game). McCutcheon has hit for double digits 18 times, including seven of the last eight contests. McCutcheon is coming off a career-high 24 points against Idaho on Saturday.

GLASER CONTINUES SOLID SENIOR SEASON: Six-foot-six center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) has been a consistent force up front for The Beach all season, averaging 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season. Her scoring ranks 11th-best in the Big West, while her rebounding is 10th as she has hit four double digits in 18 of 25 games, including seven of the last nine. Gläser has four double doubles on the season, the latest coming at UC Davis last Monday night (18 points, 11 rebounds).

WORKING THE BOOKS: Senior center Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) a member of the German National Team is not only getting it done on the floor, but in the classroom as the international business major was named an Academic All-District selection by CoSIDA. Gläser, a transfer from UNLV,, is likely to become a two-time academic All-Big West selection as well.

SANTOS ADJUSTS TO THE POST: With the lack of depth at the post this season, 6-3 Fernanda Santos (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was forced to learn a new position from her more natural guard spot. Santos, listed as a guard and more comfortable shooting three's for the Brazilian Junior National Team, has adjusted well to the post scoring a season-high 12 points at Idaho on January 27 and averaging 4.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in her first Division-I season.

CONNORS GRABS THE REBOUNDS: Junior post Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) continues to rebound with the best of them this season, ranking amongst the Big West leaders with 7.4 rebounds per game. Connors grabbed a season-best 14 December 30 against Cal Poly and has seven double digit rebound games on the season.

SAUNDERS GET ACCLIMATED TO DIVISION-I PLAY: At times, Jeannie Saunders (Long Beach) has played like, well, a freshman. At other times, she has played well beyond her one season of Division-I, scoring a season-best 17 points at CS Northridge on January 8. Overall it has been a successful season for Saunders, who has started seven of 25 games, averaging 6.7 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field.

BRACKETOLOGY: The experts at ESPN.com put out its mid-season predictions for the field of 64 in late January 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.

SEVENTH HEAVEN: The 49ers seven-game win streak and 11-4 start the season were both bests since the team routinely made it into the NCAA Tournament in the early 1990's, a streak the current team is currently on. During the streak from December 30 until January 19, The Beach outscored opponents by nearly 16 points per game. This time around, LBSU is averaging nearly 20 points better than opponents and shooting 47 percent from the field.

HOARDING THE BIG WEST LUMBER: So far this season, LBSU has garnered four Big West Player of the Week awards, Aisha Hollans on January 11 and February 14 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.

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!

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 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.


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