Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
6-4
Miami (Ohio)
3-6
LBSU Women's Basketball Tops Miami, 76-61
12/17/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2013
Box Score (html) | Box Score (PDF) 
LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State women's basketball team used a balanced effort, with four players scoring in double figures, to defeat Miami (Ohio), 76-61, Tuesday evening at the Walter Pyramid.
Freshman Raven Benton led the way with a game-high 17 points, marking her eighth-straight double-digit performance. Benton was 5-of-9 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw line.
Freshman Anna Kim added a season-high 16 points, while junior Hallie Meneses registered a season-best 15 points to go along with four assists and four steals. Kim and Meneses made a trio of 3-pointers each. Junior Alex Sanchez rounded out the quartet with 13 points, all of which came in the first half.
Freshman Madison Montgomery chipped in a team-high eight rebounds and classmate Jewelyn Sawyer had six.
LBSU (6-4) finished the night shooting 37.9 percent from the floor and 73.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Benton got Long Beach State off to a good start with a 3-pointer on the opening possession. The RedHawks then took their only lead of the game at 5-3 before the 49ers scored 11 unanswered to hold a 14-5 advantage with 15:32 remaining.
LBSU would go up by as many as 10 following a Sanchez layup at the 7:18 mark, but Miami pulled back within one at 26-25 with 1:58 to go. Long Beach State wouldn't relinquish the lead, however, as Sanchez responded with five-straight points. Kim then drained a 3-pointer with four seconds on the clock, ending an 8-2 rally that gave the home team a 34-27 cushion at intermission.
Miami (3-6) started the second period with a 6-2 spurt to close the gap to three (36-33), but the 49ers came storming back with a 17-6 run, capped by a Meneses 3-pointer, to pull ahead, 53-39, with 10:28 to play.
LBSU went on top by as many as 15 before the RedHawks started chipping away with a 10-3 run that brought them within eight at 65-57 with 3:08 remaining. Long Beach State answered by outscoring Miami, 11-4, over the final three minutes for the 76-61 victory.
Hannah Robertson paced the RedHawks with 12 points, while Nicole Anderson grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.
Long Beach State returns to the Walter Pyramid this weekend to host the annual Beach Classic, Dec. 20-21.The 49ers will open the four-team tournament with a 5 p.m. showdown against Richmond on Friday.
