Long Beach State University
UC Irvine
Beach Continues Hot Streak With Third Straight Win
2/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 28, 2008
Irvine, Calif. - LaTorya Barbee scored a team-high 15 points to lead the 49ers as Long Beach State beat UC Irvine on the road 59-53 on Thursday. Down 47-43 with eight minutes to play, Long Beach State went on a 10-0 run to seal the win, their third in a row.
Coming into the game averaging a double-double, the 49ers also had trouble with UC Irvine's Stephanie Duda but did what they needed to offensively and defensively against the rest of the Anteaters to pick up their sixth conference win. Duda had 15 points and 14 rebounds, scoring her 1,000 career point in the contest, but Long Beach State (8-18, 6-8 Big West) had an answer for each run UC Irvine made.
UC Irvine (6-22, 2-12 Big West) took an early lead, but a Karina Figueroa three-pointer and a Barbee jumper gave the 49ers a lead they would not relinquish in the first half. Duda nearly reached her double-double in the first half, with 10 points and nine rebounds but the 49ers took a lead of as many as nine points, and entered the half with the lead at 28-26.
Early in the second half, the Anteaters took advantage of some cold shooting from Long Beach State to take their first lead since the opening minute, moving out to a four-point lead two times.
Trailing again by four at 47-43, Long Beach State recovered with their biggest run of the game. Increasing their defensive pressure, the 49ers switched to a full-court trap which gave UC Irvine guards Kirian Ishizaki and Keyonna Johnson problems, leading to the total of 20 turnovers on the game.
Long Beach State on the other hand limited their turnovers, finishing with just two more than their season low with 13 turnovers.
Capping the run, Tyresha Calhoun tipped the ball away from Ishizaki and converted an uncontested layup for a 57-49 lead, and with a pair of additional free throws the 49ers took the victory easily, despite a late desperation three from the Anteaters which cut the lead to six with the final score of 57-53.
Long Beach State finishes the regular season next week with two road games before participating in the Big West Tournament. The 49ers start their road trip north with a 7 p.m. contest at Cal Poly on March 6.
