Long Beach State University Athletics
Women's Hoops Season Underway With First Team Practice
10/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LONG BEACH - The Long Beach State women's basketball team started the 2015-16 season with its first official team practice at the Walter Pyramid on Sunday, Oct. 4.
The Beach began its preparation for the upcoming year with a three-hour session in front of a handful of fans and alumni, including Penny Moore, Hallie Meneses and Alex Sanchez. LBSU will host San Diego State in its season opener on Friday, Nov. 13.
The 49ers return seven letterwinners and two starters from last year's team that had one of the best seasons in recent history. In 2014-15, Long Beach State went 22-10 and advanced to the WNIT for the second time in three seasons. Long Beach State reached 20 wins for the first time in 15 years and posted the program's best overall record since 1990-91.
LBSU welcomes back two of its top-three scorers. Junior Raven Benton led the 49ers with 11.5 points per game, while she also ranked second on the team in rebounding (5.0 rpg). Benton was a second-team All-Big West selection. Junior point guard Anna Kim added 9.0 points and 2.4 assists per outing.
The Beach also returns senior guard Chantel Dooley (5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), junior forward Madison Montgomery (5.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg), junior guard Jewelyn Sawyer (2.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg) and sophomore guards Cecily Wilson and Jessica Gertz. In addition, sophomore Gigi Hascheff will make her Long Beach State debut after redshirting last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
There will be four new faces in 2015-16 with freshmen Aaryon Green (6-1, Forward), Chanterria Jackson (6-1, Forward), Martina McCowan (5-9, Point Guard) and Katie Webster (5-11, Guard) joining the Beach family.
