49ers Host Final Two of the Season
Thursday's Game on KVMD Television
February 13, 2007 PDF VERSION OF RELEASE 49ERS CLOSE OUT HOME SCHEDULE:
The 49ers (5-20, 2-9 Big West) will close out their home schedule this week with a game on local channel KVMD on Thursday against first place UC Riverside (15-9, 9-1 Big West) at 7 p.m. and on Saturday against fourth place CS Fullerton (12-12, 6-4 Big West) at 4 p.m., as part of a double header with the men's team, which hosts Hawaii at 7 p.m. Saturday will also be Senior Night for lone senior, Val Willhoit, who has missed the entire season due to a back injury and was a two-time winner of the Pat West Award, given to the program's hardest worker. Including this week, LBSU has three conference games and UC Davis remaining during the regular season. The Big West Tournament starts on March 7 at the Anaheim Convention Center. THIS WEEK'S OPPONENTS
UC Riverside (15-9, 9-1) on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Pyramid... the Highlanders have lost just four times over the last 15 games... forward Kemie Knele is averaging a team-best 15.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game... three players, Nkele, Seyram GBewonyo and Roney Friend have started all 24 games... that trio, along with Tainoisouti Lott all scored double digits in the last meeting with the 49ers... LBSU leads the all-time series 8-6, but have lost the last three games in the series.
CS Fullerton (12-12, 6-4) on Saturday at 4 p.m. in The Pyramid... Toni Thomas (17.2) and Charlee Underwood (14.9) are the team's two-headed scoring machine tis season... the duo combined for 37 points in the first meeting with The Beach... Thomas is also leading the club in rebounding at 8.5 rebounds per game... LBSU leads the all-time series 59-30, having lost the last two meetings, but having won 14 of 16 overall dating back to 1999.
STREAKS OF NOTE
The 49ers enter the week having lost four in a row, last winning on January 27... LBSU has won just twice in the 2007 calendar year... the Highlanders have won three in a row and six of their last eight and are a game and a half in front in the Big West standings... the Titans have won two in a row and five of their last six.
LAST TIME THROUGH
The 49ers dropped both of its contests with this week's opponents on the road. UCR used a 13-0 second half run to pull away, holding the 49ers to just 19 second half points. The Highlanders led by just three at half as LBSU tied it at 35-35 with 13:26 left, but did not score again until the five minute mark, falling 58-43. In Fullerton, Karina Figueroa scored 20 of her career-high 29 points in the first half, but a 14-2 run, keyed by Dayna Frias put the game out of reach, at 68-57.
POST PLAYERS FIND ANSWERS
The 49ers two post player, Brett Timmons and Kaiti O'Brien combined for 24 points and 16 rebounds last week against UC Santa Barbara as both players have had double digit scoring games in two of their last three games.
NAPLES KNOWN FOR REBOUNDING
Naples, Florida resident Courtney Jacob is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game over her last six games, grabbing at least seven in five of them.
LEADING SCORER TO PASSER
As the main scoring threat most of the season, Karina Figueroa (Corona) has changed to more of a passing mentality as of late, averaging 4.3 assists per game over her last four contests. Figueroa has scored in double digits in 15-straight games, tallying 20 points six times.
SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
Head Coach Mary Hegarty is in her fourth year at the helm, going 216-147 in 13-plus years of coaching at Chapman (160-92) and Long Beach State (56-55). LBSU was18-10 in 2006-07 in which the 49ers were co-champions of the Big West and Hegarty was named the Big West Coach of the Year. Hegarty is one of three of the greatest women's basketball players in UCLA History, joining assistants, Hall of Famer Denise Curry and Nicole Anderson.
BIG WEST TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
All eight teams in the Big West Conference will be a part of the annual tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center from Mary 7 to 10. Tiered seeding will be effect, as the top four teams in the conference have some type of bye. For ticket information call (562) 985-4949. All session passes are $60 for both the men and women, or just $30 for all the women's action.
AS THE INJURY BUG TURNS
The 49ers will be without the services of forward Amanda Foster (knee) for the rest of the season after she injured her knee in late December. Senior Val Willhoit has not played all season due to back problems. Lauren Sims (leg) has been back and fourth on the disabled list with a stress fracture.
STILL TOUGH AT HOME
Long Beach State is 26-10 over its last 36 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 and are 4-6 this year.
DUO JOINS THE RAFTERS
On January 27 the 49ers retired two of its all-time greats when current Sparks General Manager Penny Toler and her No. 4 jersey and Olympic gold medalist Cindy Brown and her No. 53 jersey were official retired. Both were All-Americans at The Beach and both played on the Final Four teams in the mid-1980's. The duo join Wade Trophy winner, LaTaunya Pollard, who played at LBSU in the early 1980's.
A VERY LONG YEAR
The 20 losses this season are a school-record. The program has won single digits just two times over the past four decades, going 7-19 in 1997-98 under Dallas Bolla and 9-17 in 1992-1993 under Glenn McDonald. LBSU has never finished in last place in the standings, so this is just a blip on the radar. The team features 12 newcomers (eight freshmen) and four returnees.
WHERE THEY RANK...
Karina Figueroa ranks fourth in the league in scoring (15.4), second in free throw shooting (.822) and seventh in assists (3.2)... Tyresha Calhoun is fifth in the league in assists (3.7) and fourth in free throw shooting (.746).... Courtney Jacob is 10th in the league in blocks (0.7)... Kaiti O'Brien is 14th in rebounding (5.5).
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.
SQUAD BREACKDOWN
Seniors 1 (Willhoit); Juniors 3 (Calhoun, Musina, Pagani); Sophomores 4 (Figueroa, O'Brien, Pena, Saucedo); Freshmen 8 (Bagley, Beckner, Jacob, Johnson, Sims, Takata, Timmons, Wade); Redshirt Freshman 1 (Foster)
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