49ers Begin Big West Play on the Central Coast
Beach Have Won Two-Straight, Hit Surge, Begin at UC Santa Barbara
January 2, 2007 PDF VERSION OF THE RELEASE LBSU (3-11, 0-0)
50.1 ppg, 35.1 rpg
35% FG, 25% 3pt, 64% FT
UCSB (5-8, 1-1)
JAN. 4 • UCSB • 7 PM
62.8 ppg, 35.2 rpg
38% FG, 27% 3pt, 68% FT
Jenna Green leads the club by averaging 16.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, while Jessica Wilson is averaging 13.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game... Mark French's team ranks near the bottom of the league in defense (71.7 ppg allowed-7th), but third in field goal shooting (38%), but the rest of the way, they are near the middle of the pack... UCSB has won 11 consecutive regular season titles (tying with LBSU last year) and losing to UC Riverside in last year's conference finals.... UCSB leads the all-time series 39-35 as the 49ers snapped the 28-game Gaucho win streak last year at LBSU.
CAL POLY (4-9, 0-2)
JAN. 6 • SLO • 4 PM
65.1 ppg, 39.5 rpg,
38% FG, 28% 3pt, 72% FT
The Mustangs, who play UCI on Thursday, enter the week having lost five-straight, including road contests at CS Fullerton (64-49) and UC Riverside (75-65) last week... the team's last win cam on December 2 at home against San Francisco... Faith Mimnaugh's club posts a 3-1 record at home and 1-6 mark on the road... Jessica Eggleston leads the club with 12.6 points per game as the only player to average double figures... Cal Poly ranks near the top of the league in scoring (65.1-2nd).... LBSU holds a record of 32-8 against the Mustangs, winning four of the last five meetings... LBSU has gone just 1-5 in San Luis Obispo since 2001, winning last year. |
TO GET YOU UP TO SPEED
The 49ers (3-11, 0-0 Big West), winners of two straight, will travel up the Central Coast to play at co-Big West Champion UC Santa Barbara (5-8, 1-1 Big West) on January 4 at 7 p.m. and then travel to Cal Poly (4-9, 0-2 Big West) on Saturday, January 6 at for a mid-afternoon 4 p.m. contest. This is the opening weekend for conference play for the 49ers, as the rest of the league started last week. UC Irvine will again serve as the 49ers travel partner, playing Cal Poly on Thursday. The 49ers have gone just 1-11 on their trip through the Central Coast since 2001.
TURNING THE CORNER?
There are a few reasons the 49ers won both of their contests last week, but an assist might just be headed for Father Time. After having just one double digit scorer most of the season, Karina Figueroa; the 49ers last week had three players average double digits---Figueroa (14.0), Ally Wade (14.5) and Courtney Jacob (11.5). Also, Wade, Jacob and sophomore Lakin Saucedo all produced career nights. The 49ers also did not crumble when adversity came calling, the team sustained an extended run by Fairifield (who were down by 16) and put away UC Davis, after a close first half.
AS THE INJURY BUG TURNS
The 49ers, who played without four scholarship players on December 28 and won, have updated their weekly medical charts with the following: center Lindsey Beckner (ankle) is probable for this week after missing one game; forward Amanda Foster (right knee) is doubtful, as she is still recovering from an injury suffered in the game last week; and starting guard Lauren Sims (left leg) and her 8.0 points per game, is doubtful after missing the previous two games. Sims has practicing somewhat with the team. Sophomore forward Randi Cameron (knee) is available after missing the first half of the season with off-season knee surgery.
ALLY WADES THROUGH SYSTEM
Freshman forward Ally Wade (Yorba Linda), one of eight freshmen on the squad, tallied two of her top games as a collegian last week. Against UC Davis, Wade grabbed a career-best eight rebounds (nearly tripling her previous total) and scored eight points (second-best to that point). Against Fairfield, she exploded for 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, hitting four-of-eight three-pointers. On the season Wade is averaging 3.8 points per game.
JACOB CLIMBS LADDER
Florida freshman Courtney Jacob (Naples, FL) produced a career-night against UC Davis, pouring out 16 points and seven rebounds, exploding for 14 second half points in the team's second win of the season. Jacob followed that up with seven points and five rounds as she is averaging 11.5 points per game over her last two, after coming in at just over four points per game.
NOT A FORD, BUT A LAKIN
Sophomore guard Lakin (pronounced lay-KIN) produced an eye-opening week for the 49ers. Saucedo, who had grabbed just two rebounds all season, produced a career game of eight points and six rebounds in 32 minutes against UC Davis and followed that up with her first start on December 30 to average 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last week. Saucedo was expected to be more of a defensive presence off the bench.
STEADY AS SHE COMES
One consistent scoring threat this season has come from sophomore guard Karina Figueroa (Corona). The pre-season all-conference pick hit the game-winner on December 30 and has hit for double digits in each of her last four contests and nine of the team's 14 games this season. Figueroa is among scoring leaders at 11.6 points per game and passing, at 3.2 assists per game.
TWO NUMBERS TO BE RETIRED
Announced prior to Christmas, Final Four teammates Cindy Brown and Penny Toler, two of the greatest players in women's basketball history, will have No. 53 and No. 4 retired during a ceremony prior to the January 27 game against UC Irvine. Brown played from 1983 to 1987 and was instrumental on the 49ers' first Final Four team in 1987, earning All-America honors two times. The Pacific Coast Athletic Association Player of the Year in 1987 finished her career second all-time in career points (2696) and first in total rebounds (1184), blocks (318) and steals (400). Toler played on both Final Four teams in 1987 and 1988, also earning All-America honors during each of those seasons. Toler is one of just three players to score over 2000 points (2193) while averaging 21.7 points per game from 1986 to 1989. Toler also racked up a school-record 513 assists.
VERY YOUNG FROM THE GET GO
In her fourth season as head coach, Mary Hegarty has her youngest squad in her short tenure at LBSU. However, the 2005-06 conference Coach of the Year is quite optimistic with her 13 newcomers (eight freshmen) and five returnees.
STILL TOUGH AT HOME
Long Beach State is 24-9 over its last 33 home games dating back to Nov. 24, 2004. Also in that span, LBSU has knocked off two ranked opponents (Houston, Dec. 20, 2004, 54-52 and USC, Nov. 23, 2005, 51-46). The 49ers went 13-2 in the Walter Pyramid last season.
WELCOME THE NEXT WAVE
LaTorya Barbee (Moreno Valley/Canyon Springs HS), Brittany Brumfield (Long Beach/Long Beach Poly HS), and Ashley Bookman (Redondo Beach/Redondo Union HS), have all signed NLI's for the 2007-08 season. Canyon Springs, 10-4 as of January 2, has Barbee averaging 6.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Poly High is 12-1, with Brumfield averaging 3.1 points per game, but leading the club in steals (3.4) and assists (2.5) per game. Redondo is currently 5-4 on the season as part of the Bay League.
SQUAD BREACKDOWN
Seniors 1 (Willhoit); Juniors 3 (Calhoun, Musina, Pagani); Sophomores 5 (Cameron, Figueroa, O'Brien, Pena, Saucedo); Freshmen 8 (Bagley, Beckner, Jacob, Johnson, Sims, Takata, Timmons, Wade); Redshirt Freshman 1 (Foster)
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