Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Fall at UCSB After Slow Start
1/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
49ers Can't Complete Comeback After Slow Start
GOLETA, CA-- Long Beach State (3-12, 0-1 Big West) nearly came back from a 16-point, closing to within three with eight minutes left, only to fall 71-60 to UC Santa Barbara (6-8, 2-1 Big West) on Thurday evening. The Gauchos, who kept LBSU at bay for the final eight minutes were led by Jessica Wilson's 13 points, six assists and eight rebounds. "We dug ourselves a hole in the first half," said Head Coach Mary Hegarty. "We fought back to get close, but were just not able to get over the hump. The differnce was that they were able to get the loose balls and the rebounds, we were not." Gaucho leading scorer Jenna Green, who was held to just four first half points, finished with 20 points, and hit a key layup with 3:25 left to make it 64-56. UCSB shot 35 percent, as Gaucho Head Coach Mark French won his 500th game. Tyresha Calhoun scored a career-high 14 points and six assists, while Nondi Johnson, in her first career start had a career-best 12 rebounds. Lakin Saucedo had a career-high 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting as LBSU shot 34 percent for the game. Madison Pagani, who had the task of containing Green for most of the night, hit one-of-two free throws with 8:19 left to close the deficit to 49-46. UCSB creeped away from there leading by six to eight points until the final minute. After a Wilson three-pointer made it 47-36 with 13:06 left, the 49ers went on a 9-2 run to close to within 49-45 with 9:46 left on a fastbreak layup by Karina Figueroa. Calhoun brought The Beach ever closer, as a fastbreak layup made it 38-32 with 15:31 left. The 49ers, after missing 17 of their first 20 shots, and leading scorer Figueroa on the bench with two fouls for the final four and a half minutes, LBSU closed to 31-22 at the half on a Saucedo jumper with two seconds left. LBSU closed the half on a 14-7 run after UC Santa Barbara built a 24-8 lead with 6:52 on five-straight points by Jordan Franey. The 49ers shot 28 percent, making 6-of-12 to end the half. UCSB shot 37 percent. The Beach led for the first nine minutes of the game, prior to a 12-0 run by the Gauchos gave them a 14-6 lead with 9:52 left. The 49ers learned earlier today that forward Amanda Foster, who redshirted last year after knee surgery to her left knee will miss the rest of the season after tearing three ligaments in her right knee. Foster, who was averaging 1.5 points per game off the bench this season, injured the knee in the first half against UC Davis on December 28. She will have surgery on Monday. Also, guard Lauren Sims will miss the next three weeks with a stress fracture in her left leg. Sims missed last week's games against Fairfield and UC Davis and is averaging 8.0 points per game over 12 games and 10 starts. The 49ers close out their two-game road trip at Cal Poly on Saturday at 4 p.m. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
