Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
Houston
Beach Stays Perfect with 47-41 Victory at Houston
11/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Box Score (html) | Box Score (PDF) 
HOUSTON, Texas - It wasn't always pretty, but the Long Beach State women's basketball team grinded out a 47-41 win over Houston Thursday evening at Hofheinz Pavilion.
With the victory, the Beach improves to 3-0 for the first time since 1985-86.
Junior Anna Kim paced LBSU with a game-high 14 points and four assists, while classmate Jewelyn Sawyer put up her second career double-double. Sawyer finished with 12 points and matched her career best with 11 rebounds. Kim was nearly unstoppable as she closed out the night going 5-for-7 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from 3-point range.
The 49ers shot a season-low 33.3 percent (14-42), but were 47.4 percent (9-19) from beyond the arc. They held Houston to 32.5 percent shooting and a 3-of-11 performance from long distance. They also forced the Cougars into 24 turnovers.
Long Beach State scored the first seven points of the game and took a 15-2 lead following a Chanterria Jackson 3-pointer at the 4:51 mark. Houston would close the gap to eight, but the Beach responded with a 6-0 spurt, capped by a pair of free throws from Sawyer, to make it 21-7 with 24.7 seconds remaining. UH was able to drain a three before the buzzer as LBSU held a 21-10 advantage at the end of the first period. The 49ers were 6-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range.
The Beach then went cold in the second quarter, going 0-for-4 from the floor with 10 turnovers. They scored a season-low five points, all of which came from the free throw line. Junior Madison Montgomery made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to start the period, but Houston then used an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to three (24-21) at the 2:07 mark. Long Beach State would get two more free throws before the end of the half, taking a 26-21 lead into the locker room.
The Cougars (0-2) knotted the score at 26-26 early in the third period, but Kim quickly answered with a couple of threes, sparking an 11-3 run that put the Beach on top, 37-29, with 5:52 remaining. Kim's 3-pointer at the 8:12 mark was the 49ers' first field goal since the final minutes of the first quarter.
Houston then started to chip away and tied it up again at 37-37, before Sawyer's layup gave the visitors the two-point lead.
There wasn't much scoring in the fourth quarter as the two teams combined for 12 points. The 49ers got the first bucket with a three from Sawyer at the 8:12 mark. UH made it a three-point game twice, the second time with 1:26 left in the game, but senior Chantel Dooley stepped up, draining a 3-pointer to put LBSU up, 47-41, with 12.9 seconds remaining. That sealed the win as Houston was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer.
Jessieka Palmer and Alecia Smith led the Cougars with eight points each.
Long Beach State will be back in action at LSU on Saturday, Nov. 21. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (CT)/Noon (PT).
NOTES: Long Beach State is 3-0 for the first time since 1985-86 when the 49ers started the year 7-0 ... The Beach has yet to trail in a game this season, leading for 117:41 out of a possible 120 minutes ... They have also led by double digits after the first quarter of every contest ... LBSU has forced each of its first three opponents into 20 or more turnovers ... Anna Kim tied her career high with four 3-pointers made ... She is the first 49er to go 4-for-4 from beyond the arc since 2011.
