Long Beach State University Athletics
49ers Fall To UCR
3/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
49ers Fall Just Short In Semi-finals
IRVINE, CA-- Number one seed UC Riverside used a 7-3 run over the final five minutes of the contest to come away with a 59-53 win over Long Beach State in the semi-finals of the Big West Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center. Karina Figueroa led the 49ers with 20 points and Ally Wade added 14 as Long Beach ended its season at 9-23. Kemie Nkele led the Highlanders (20-10) with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The 49ers battled back from a 34-27 halftime deficit to take its only lead of the second half, 50-49, with 6:40 remaining after Wade hit one of two free throws. Wade scored seven consecutive points during a span of two and a half minutes to lift the 49ers from a 49-43 deficit to a 50-49 advantage. The Highlanders countered with an 8-0 run to grab a 58-50 lead with 3:05 remaining highlighted by a three by Vanessa Campillo and a jumper by Brittany Wadell. Figueroa knocked down a three with 1:13 left to cut the deficit to 58-53, but that would be the final 49er tally of the contest. Waddell tallied 17 points and nine rebounds for the Highlanders, hitting five-of-eight three's, and Seyram Gbewonyo added 11 points and eight boards. UCR shot just .322 (19-59) from the field for the game, but were 9-22 from three-point range. UCR won the battle of the boards 45-to-44, but the 49ers out-rebounded UCR 27-22 in the second half, while allowing just four second half offensive rebounds after allowing 13 in the opening half. The 49ers struggled from the field as well, shooting .317 (20-63) overall and .261 (6-23) from three-point range. Long Beach had just nine turnovers in the contest, but just two in the second half. Kaiti O'Brien added 11 points and eight rebounds to the cause and Courtney Jacob had five points and a career-high 12 rebounds. In a tight first half, UCR closed out the half on a 7-3 run to take a 34-27 lead into the lockerroom. Nkele had 13 of her 17 points in the opening half, with seven points coming at the free throw line. Long Beach shot .400 (10-25) from the field and were 4-5 from three points range. Figueroa tallied nine points in the half and Wade seven. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
