Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
2-18 (0-6BWC)
Cal Poly
10-8 (4-3BWC)
Beach Women's Basketball Unable to Hold Off Cal Poly
1/25/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LONG BEACH -- Senior guard Jessica Gertz gave Long Beach State its first lead of the game with a three pointer just one minute into the game and the Beach held the lead for more than 31 minutes behind solid offensive efforts by Gertz and freshman Shanaijah Davison. However, a tough fourth quarter led to Cal Poly coming back and handing Long Beach State a 75-64 loss.
Gertz and Davison combined for 35 points for Long Beach State (2-18, 0-6 Big West). Davison was the Beach's leading scorer with 18 points, for her eighth double-figure showing of the season, and Gertz tallied a season-high 17 points, knocking down five threes in the contest.
Everything was clicking for the Beach to start off. Long Beach State quickly jumped out in front of Cal Poly (10-8, 4-2 Big West) 17-7 in the first quarter. The opening five minutes of action were highlighted by the Beach's long distance shots as Gertz knocked down three, while freshmen Ma'Qhi Berry and Naomi Hunt contributed the other two. However, Cal Poly would close the frame on a 7-0 run to cut LBSU's lead down to three (17-14) heading into the second quarter.
The Beach shot 58.3 percent (7-for-12) in the next 10 minutes as Gertz and junior Martina McCowan combined for nine points. Gertz notched five points, draining another three, and McCowan added four as she connected on 2-of-4 field goals. The Long Beach State used an early 9-0 run to extend its lead over Cal Poly to 10 (26-16) forcing the Mustangs to call a timeout.
Following the break in action, Cal Poly managed to whittle Long Beach State's lead down to six, as the Beach took a 32-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Davison was Long Beach State's spark plug in the second half as she knocked down 11 points in the third quarter to account for more than 50 percent of the Beach's points in the frame. She was 4-for-4 from the field, 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and 1-for-2 from the line. Despite Long Beach State's 57.1 shooting percentage (8-for-14) in the quarter, the Mustangs managed to outscore the Beach 21-20 in the frame and cut Long Beach State's lead down to five (52-47) heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
Long Beach State led for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, but Cal Poly used a 10-0 run to take a 64-60 lead that the Mustangs would not relinquish. The Beach battled, but were held to 12 points in the frame, while the Mustangs knocked down 11-of-21 shots from the field to shoot 52.4 percent. Cal Poly tallied 28 points in the frame and went on to win the game, 75-64.
Cal Poly was led by Dynn Leaupepe's double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Her sister Lynn Leaupepe added 16 points of her own as the Mustangs' second leading scorer.
Long Beach State had a solid game from three-point range, connecting on 10-of-23 from beyond the arc to shoot 43.5 percent.
The Beach will be back in action on Thursday, Feb. 1 at 7 p.m., when they host UC Davis inside the Walter Pyramid.
