Sunday, December 27
Long Beach, Calif.
4:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
UC Riverside
Photo by: John Fajardo
LBSU Women’s Hoops Opens Big West Conference Action Against UC Riverside
12/26/2020 10:23:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Beach hosts the Highlanders on Sunday and Monday at the Walter Pyramid to Kick off Big West Action
Game #3 // #4
Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside
Date: Sunday, Dec. 27 // Monday, Dec. 28
Time: 4:00 p.m. // 4:00 p.m.
Arena: Walter Pyramid
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Watch: Beach Vision
Talent: Nick Rice
Twitter: @BeachWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
LBSU Women's Hoops Opens Big West Conference Action Against UC Riverside
The Long Beach State women's basketball team kicks off the Big West Conference season with a pair of back-to-back contests against UC Riverside. The Beach host the Highlanders on Sunday, Dec. 27 and Monday, Dec. 28 at the Walter Pyramid. Tip off for both games is set for 4 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on Beach Vision with Nick Rice on the call.
Getting Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @BeachWBB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State went 1-1 in a shortened non-conference season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Beach picked up a season-opening win over Westmont (70-59), before coming up short at USC (71-65).
• The Beach are 22-13 in Big West Conference openers and 3-1 when playing UC Riverside in Big West openers. Additionally, LBSU is 15-6 when opening the conference season at home.
• Redshirt junior forward Naomi Hunt continues her hot streak from long distance. In just two games, she has drained nine threes to average 4.5 made 3-pointers per game to lead the Big West.
• In just two games, Hunt is averaging 16.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, per game, and has totaled eight assists, four steals, and one block.
• Long Beach State has three players averaging double figures. Junior guard Justina King leads that group with 17.0 points per game as she tallied 21 points against Westmont and 13 at USC.
• King is also tied for the team lead with nine assists, while adding five steals and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• Rounding out the three double-figure scorers for the Beach is redshirt junior guard Ma'Qhi Berry who is averaging 10.0 points per game.
• Berry has been solid in the first two games of the season thus far averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and dishing out nine assists, while leading the squad with a 58.3 field goal percentage (7-for-12).
• Sophomore guard Kristyna Jeskeova has seemed to settle into her roll cleaning up the glass. In the Beach's six-point loss at USC, Jeskeova led the squad with 12 boards and now averages 9.0 rebounds per game on the year.
• In addition to leads the team on boards, Jeskeova has also added 7.0 points per game, six steals, three assists, and three blocks. Her trio of blocks is also tops for the Beach.
• Off the bench, Patricia Chung was solid in her collegiate debut logging eight points, five rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 25 minutes of action. She continued that consistency in her second game at USC as she posted eight points in the 71-65 setback.
• As a team, the Beach are shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from long distance. LBSU is averaging 31.5 rebounds per game, 15.5 assists per game, 11.5 steals per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• The defensively strong Beach has forced opponents into 17.0 turnovers per game, while collecting 11.5 steals.
• Long Beach State has officially changed the nickname for all sports other than baseball to Beach with the NCAA. Please do not refer to LBSU basketball as the 49ers.
Scouting UC Riverside
• UC Riverside comes into the contest against Long Beach State with a 1-2 record in the non-conference season.
• The Highlanders are coming off of a 54-48 loss to Santa Clara last Wednesday. Their lone victory, thus far, came against Fresno Pacific when UCR earned a 74-51 win on Dec. 10.
• UCR is coached by Nicole Powell who took the reigns of the program in March 2020. She previously coached at Grand Canyon, and Oregon.
• The Highlanders are led offensively by Keilanei Cooper who is averaging 17.7 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game. After three games, Cooper has totaled seven steals and four assists, while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long distance.
• Daphne Gnago leads the team in rebounding with 7.0 per game. She is also the squad's second leading scorer with 8.7 points per game, while adding four assists, three steals, and three blocks.
• As a team, UCR is shooting 35.1 percent from the field while averaging 60.0 points per game. The Highlanders are averaging 38.2 rebounds per game as well as 11.0 assists per game, 10.3 steals per game, and 3.7 blocks per game.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Highlanders
Long Beach State and UC Riverside will meet for the 46th time in program history and the Highlanders narrowly lead the all-time series 24-21. Last season, the two teams split the series with LBSU earning a double overtime victory at the Walter Pyramid, 73-67, on Jan. 30, before the Highlanders secured a 58-57 win in Riverside, Calif., over the Beach on Feb. 15.
In the Hunt
Redshirt junior forward Naomi Hunt has kicked off the season averaging 4.5 made 3-pointers per game to lead the Beach and the Big West. The Fullerton, Calif., native made five 3-pointers in LBSU's 71-65 loss to USC to bring her career total to 119. She is now tied for seventh all-time at Long Beach State in made threes and is just four away from moving to sixth place. Hunt is shooting 39.1 percent from long distance as she has connected on 9-of-22 three-point fields goals this season.
King is Queen
Junior guard Justina King has started the season on an offensive tear as she is averaging 17.0 points per game in just two games. King opened the season with her seventh 20-plus point career performance, then came back and registered 13 points at USC. She is the Beach's leading scorer while shooting 45.2 percent from the field (14-for-31). Additionally, King
Berry Good
Redshirt junior Ma'Qhi Berry has had two solid performances for Long Beach State thus far. She is averaging 10.0 points per game, while adding 4.0 rebounds per game. The Irving, Texas native has also added nine assists and one steals, while shooting a team-leading 58.3 percent from the field (7-for-12).
Czech Her Out
Sophomore guard, Kristyna Jeskeova, who hails from Jablonec Nad Nisou, Czech Republic has seemed to settle into her role cleaning up the glass. In the Beach's contest at USC, Jeskeova led the squad with 12 rebounds to bring her average to 9.0 per game, which is also tops on the team. On the season, Jeskeova is averaging 7.0 points per game while recording six steals, three assists, and three blocks. Her steals and blocks also lead LBSU.
Next Up
Long Beach State will travel up to Bakersfield, Calif., to take on CSU Bakersfield on Friday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 2. Both games are set to tip at 4 p.m. Both games can be streamed on ESPN 3.
Long Beach State vs. UC Riverside
Date: Sunday, Dec. 27 // Monday, Dec. 28
Time: 4:00 p.m. // 4:00 p.m.
Arena: Walter Pyramid
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Watch: Beach Vision
Talent: Nick Rice
Twitter: @BeachWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
LBSU Women's Hoops Opens Big West Conference Action Against UC Riverside
The Long Beach State women's basketball team kicks off the Big West Conference season with a pair of back-to-back contests against UC Riverside. The Beach host the Highlanders on Sunday, Dec. 27 and Monday, Dec. 28 at the Walter Pyramid. Tip off for both games is set for 4 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on Beach Vision with Nick Rice on the call.
Getting Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at @BeachWBB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State went 1-1 in a shortened non-conference season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Beach picked up a season-opening win over Westmont (70-59), before coming up short at USC (71-65).
• The Beach are 22-13 in Big West Conference openers and 3-1 when playing UC Riverside in Big West openers. Additionally, LBSU is 15-6 when opening the conference season at home.
• Redshirt junior forward Naomi Hunt continues her hot streak from long distance. In just two games, she has drained nine threes to average 4.5 made 3-pointers per game to lead the Big West.
• In just two games, Hunt is averaging 16.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, per game, and has totaled eight assists, four steals, and one block.
• Long Beach State has three players averaging double figures. Junior guard Justina King leads that group with 17.0 points per game as she tallied 21 points against Westmont and 13 at USC.
• King is also tied for the team lead with nine assists, while adding five steals and 5.5 rebounds per game.
• Rounding out the three double-figure scorers for the Beach is redshirt junior guard Ma'Qhi Berry who is averaging 10.0 points per game.
• Berry has been solid in the first two games of the season thus far averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and dishing out nine assists, while leading the squad with a 58.3 field goal percentage (7-for-12).
• Sophomore guard Kristyna Jeskeova has seemed to settle into her roll cleaning up the glass. In the Beach's six-point loss at USC, Jeskeova led the squad with 12 boards and now averages 9.0 rebounds per game on the year.
• In addition to leads the team on boards, Jeskeova has also added 7.0 points per game, six steals, three assists, and three blocks. Her trio of blocks is also tops for the Beach.
• Off the bench, Patricia Chung was solid in her collegiate debut logging eight points, five rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 25 minutes of action. She continued that consistency in her second game at USC as she posted eight points in the 71-65 setback.
• As a team, the Beach are shooting 42.7 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from long distance. LBSU is averaging 31.5 rebounds per game, 15.5 assists per game, 11.5 steals per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• The defensively strong Beach has forced opponents into 17.0 turnovers per game, while collecting 11.5 steals.
• Long Beach State has officially changed the nickname for all sports other than baseball to Beach with the NCAA. Please do not refer to LBSU basketball as the 49ers.
Scouting UC Riverside
• UC Riverside comes into the contest against Long Beach State with a 1-2 record in the non-conference season.
• The Highlanders are coming off of a 54-48 loss to Santa Clara last Wednesday. Their lone victory, thus far, came against Fresno Pacific when UCR earned a 74-51 win on Dec. 10.
• UCR is coached by Nicole Powell who took the reigns of the program in March 2020. She previously coached at Grand Canyon, and Oregon.
• The Highlanders are led offensively by Keilanei Cooper who is averaging 17.7 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game. After three games, Cooper has totaled seven steals and four assists, while shooting 39.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from long distance.
• Daphne Gnago leads the team in rebounding with 7.0 per game. She is also the squad's second leading scorer with 8.7 points per game, while adding four assists, three steals, and three blocks.
• As a team, UCR is shooting 35.1 percent from the field while averaging 60.0 points per game. The Highlanders are averaging 38.2 rebounds per game as well as 11.0 assists per game, 10.3 steals per game, and 3.7 blocks per game.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Highlanders
Long Beach State and UC Riverside will meet for the 46th time in program history and the Highlanders narrowly lead the all-time series 24-21. Last season, the two teams split the series with LBSU earning a double overtime victory at the Walter Pyramid, 73-67, on Jan. 30, before the Highlanders secured a 58-57 win in Riverside, Calif., over the Beach on Feb. 15.
In the Hunt
Redshirt junior forward Naomi Hunt has kicked off the season averaging 4.5 made 3-pointers per game to lead the Beach and the Big West. The Fullerton, Calif., native made five 3-pointers in LBSU's 71-65 loss to USC to bring her career total to 119. She is now tied for seventh all-time at Long Beach State in made threes and is just four away from moving to sixth place. Hunt is shooting 39.1 percent from long distance as she has connected on 9-of-22 three-point fields goals this season.
King is Queen
Junior guard Justina King has started the season on an offensive tear as she is averaging 17.0 points per game in just two games. King opened the season with her seventh 20-plus point career performance, then came back and registered 13 points at USC. She is the Beach's leading scorer while shooting 45.2 percent from the field (14-for-31). Additionally, King
Berry Good
Redshirt junior Ma'Qhi Berry has had two solid performances for Long Beach State thus far. She is averaging 10.0 points per game, while adding 4.0 rebounds per game. The Irving, Texas native has also added nine assists and one steals, while shooting a team-leading 58.3 percent from the field (7-for-12).
Czech Her Out
Sophomore guard, Kristyna Jeskeova, who hails from Jablonec Nad Nisou, Czech Republic has seemed to settle into her role cleaning up the glass. In the Beach's contest at USC, Jeskeova led the squad with 12 rebounds to bring her average to 9.0 per game, which is also tops on the team. On the season, Jeskeova is averaging 7.0 points per game while recording six steals, three assists, and three blocks. Her steals and blocks also lead LBSU.
Next Up
Long Beach State will travel up to Bakersfield, Calif., to take on CSU Bakersfield on Friday, Jan. 1 and Saturday, Jan. 2. Both games are set to tip at 4 p.m. Both games can be streamed on ESPN 3.
Players Mentioned
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