Thursday, February 20
Long Beach, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
UC Irvine
Photo by: John Fajardo
Women’s Basketball Takes on UC Irvine in Black & Blue Rivalry
2/19/2020 5:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Beach host the Anteaters Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
Game #25
Long Beach State vs. UC Santa Barbara
Date: Thursday, Feb. 20
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Arena: Walter Pyramid
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Listen: 22WestMedia.com
Talent: Nick Rice
Watch: Beach Vision
Twitter: @BeachWBB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
Women's Basketball Takes on UC Irvine in Black & Blue Rivalry
The Long Beach State women's basketball team welcomes Big West Conference foe UC Irvine to the Walter Pyramid for the Black & Blue Rivalry game on Thursday, Feb. 20. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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 last week with a pair of defensive battles against UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside. The Beach came away with a 59-53 win over the Gauchos, before dropping a 58-57 contest at UCR.
• LBSU is 11-13 on the year and 6-5 in Big West action. The Beach are currently in third place in the conference standings sitting behind UC Davis (9-2) and Hawaii (8-3).
• The Beach are averaging 58.7 points per game and are shooting 37.5 percent from the field.
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 30.8 rebounds per game to go along with 10.8 assists per game, 10.9 steals per game, and 2.0 blocks per game.
• LBSU leads the Big West in steals with 262 to average 10.9 per game. The Beach are also tops in the conference in turnover margin (+6.8).
• Guards Shanaijah Davison and Justina King lead the Beach in scoring with 13.7 points per game and 13.3 points per game, respectively.
• Davison ranks 17th all time at Long Beach State with 1,150 career points and is just 13 points shy of breaking into the top 15 at the Beach.
• Cydnee Kinslow is the team's leading rebounder with 5.7 boards per game. She has racked up four double-figure rebounding games so far and has led the squad in boards on 12 occasions this season and 22 in her LBSU career.
• Ma'Qhi Berry leads the Beach with 57 steals to average 2.4 per game which is tops in the Big West. She leads a quartet of LBSU players who rank in the top 15 in the league.
• King is the Beach's leader in assists with 79 to average 3.2 assists per game to rank in the top 10 in the Big West.
• Lauren Green is the team's leader in blocks as the sophomore forward has put up 13 on the year so far, while Kinslow and Jasmine Hardy right behind her with nine and eight, respectively.
• 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 Irvine
UC Irvine comes into the game against Long Beach State with an 8-17 overall record and a 4-7 Big West Conference mark to rank eighth in the league standings.
The Anteaters went 1-1 last week with an 82-75 victory over Cal State Fullerton, before dropping a 65-53 contest at UC Davis.
Lauren Saiki is the team's leading scorer with 12.0 points per game. She also leads the squad with 162 assists and 42 steals, while contributing 2.8 rebounds per game and six blocks.
Sophia Locandro's 5.0 rebounds per game are tops on the squad, while she leads the team with 26 blocks and is second with 9.9 points per game.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Anteaters
Long Beach State and UC Irvine will face off for the 76th time in program history and for the second time this season. On January 25, Long Beach State downed UCI, 56-46, at the Bren Events Center to improve the Beach's all-time record to 59-16.
Last Time Out
Long Beach State rallied to take a two-point lead with 38 seconds remaining, but a foul with five ticks left on the clock put UC Riverside at the line and the Highlanders completed the three-point play putting an end to LBSU's run as the Beach fell, 58-57, in an exciting contest at the SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.
Sophomore Justina King led the Beach (11-13, 6-5 Big West) as she tied her season-high with 23 points while adding three rebounds, one steal, and one assist. The Highlanders (8-16, 4-6 Big West), meanwhile, received an 18-point showing from Jannon Otto.
In addition to King's double-figure scoring performance, Long Beach State's Shanaijah Davison added 15 points of her own, while Cydnee Kinslow (7 rebounds) and Lauren Green (6 rebounds) led the squad on boards. Kinslow and Green also contributed to the team's only two blocks of the game.
Ma'Qhi Berry turned in another solid defensive effort with five steals, five assists, three rebounds, and six points.
The Beach were hampered by cold-shooting in the first quarter as they were limited to just 16.7 percent shooting from the field as UCR used a 15-0 run to take a commanding 16-4 lead heading into the second quarter.
Despite the early deficit, the Beach turned in a gritty performance as they chipped away and made it a one-point game (18-17) on a jumper from Davison in the second quarter with 3:50 remaining in the first half. However, the Highlanders closed the second period on an 11-2 run to take a 30-19 lead over LBSU into halftime.
Long Beach State came out firing in the second half and shot 44.4 percent in the third quarter as the Beach outscored the Highlanders 22-14 in the frame. LBSU closed the gap as the Beach trailed by just three points (44-41) heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Beach once again outscored the Highlanders in the fourth quarter (16-14) and took a 57-55 lead with just 38 seconds remaining after King made both her free throws. With the game looking to go in the Beach's favor, UCR's Marina Ewodo was fouled on her layup with just 5.5 seconds left in regulation. She completed the three-point play to put the Highlanders up by one (58-57). Long Beach State had possession and was unable to make the final shot as the Beach fell to the Highlanders in heartbreaking fashion.
In addition to Otto's 18-point performance, she also contributed eight rebounds for the Highlanders, while Skyler Lewis posted 13 points and eight boards. Ewodo just missed a double-double with nine points and as many boards for UCR.
Offensive Output
The Beach are averaging nearly 60 points per game and are led offensively by Shanaijah Davison (13.7 ppg), Justina King (13.3 ppg), and Ma'Qhi Berry (8.8 ppg). The trio have each scored at least 200 points this season and have contributed to 60 percent of Long Beach State's points this year. Additionally, each player has registered 20-plus points in at least two games this season and have posted double-figures in at least 10 contests thus far. King has led the Beach in scoring eight times, including tying her season-high with 23 points at UC Riverside last weekend, while Davison has been the top scorer on six occasions, and Berry has set the standard three times.
Defensively Strong
Defense has been the name of the game for Long Beach State this season. The defensively sound team leads the Big West Conference in steals with 262 for an average of 10.9 per game. The Beach have forced their opponents into more than 500 turnovers (21.3 per game) and boast a conference-leading 6.8 assist/turnover ratio. Leading the Beach defense with 57 steals is redshirt sophomore Ma'Qhi Berry. Her average of 2.4 steals per game is tops in the Big West as she leads a quartet of LBSU players who rank in the top 15 in the league in steals per game. Coming in behind Berry are Justina King (1.8 steals per game), Shanaijah Davison (1.5 steals per game), and Cydnee Kinslow (1.3 steals per game). Adding to the defensive effort for the Beach is sophomore forward Lauren Green who has posted a team-best 13 blocks this season to rank in the top 15 in the Big West.
Home Sweet Home
The Beach are currently riding a six-game home winning streak as Long Beach State has not lost a game inside the Walter Pyramid since Dec. 14, 2019 when the Beach dropped an 81-45 decision to then-No. 3 Oregon. Since then, LBSU has picked up victories over Air Force (74-68 OT), Cal Poly (72-69), CSUN (60-52), Hawaii (62-55), UC Riverside (73-67 2OT), and UC Santa Barbara (59-53). On the year, Long Beach State is 7-3 when playing at home.
A Grand Time
Junior guard Shanaijah Davison became the 26th LBSU women's basketball player to record 1,000 points in her career. Davison reached the milestone when she recorded 19 points in a 72-69 victory over Cal Poly to open Big West Conference action. She has now amassed 1,150 points in her career to rank 17th all-time, passing LBSU great Penny Moore. Davison is now just 13 points shy of moving into the top 15 at Long Beach State.
Rewriting the Record Book
If moving into 20th all-time in career-points wasn't enough, junior guard Shanaijah Davison is also on the verge of breaking into the top 10 in 3-point field goals made. Davison has sunk 106 threes in her LBSU career which is just five shy of cracking the top 10 all-time at Long Beach State.
Cleaning up the Glass
The Beach are averaging 30.8 rebounds per game this season and are paced by senior forward Cydnee Kinslow's 5.7 boards per game. Kinslow has record double-figure rebounds in four games this season and has led the Beach in boards 12 times.
King is Queen
Justina King has continued to lead Long Beach State throughout her sophomore season. The 5-foot-8 guard out of Scarborough, Canada has been a consistent player on the court all season as she is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game, while leading the squad with 76 assists for an average of 3.2 assists per set which ranks in the top 10 in the Big West. King also adds 2.0 rebounds per game and 43 steals while shooting 38.9 percent from the field. She is a 75-percent free throw shooter and, despite being an underclassman, has stepped into a leadership role on the court.
Berry Good
Redshirt sophomore Ma'Qhi Berry has been an asset to the Beach all season. The product out of Irving, Texas has contributed well on both sides of the ball as she averages 8.8 points per game for the offense, while also leading the team in steals with 57. Her 2.4 steals per game are tops in the Big West and in the top 50 in the nation. Additionally, Berry contributes 3.9 rebounds per game, 61 assists and five blocks.
Green Machines
Long Beach State's Lauren Green and Aaryon Green are not related, but both give the Beach solid play when on the court. Lauren Green is a sophomore forward from Tucson, Ariz., while Aaryon Green is a redshirt senior out of Rialto, Calif. Lauren has started in 17-of-24 games so far and leads the team with 13 blocks, while adding 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.8 points per game, and 29 steals. Meanwhile, Aaryon has also earned 17 starts and has registered 3.5 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, 26 steals, 11 assists, and seven blocks.
Hardy Makes it Look Easy
Sophomore Jasmine Hardy has really stepped things up as of late as the 6-foot-1 versatile Hardy led the Beach in both scoring and rebounding at Cal Poly. The Santa Clarita, Calif., native is currently averaging 7.8 points per game to go along with 2.8 rebounds per game, while adding 26 steals, 14 assists, and eight blocks. She has played in all 24 of the Beach's games this season and has earned 12 starts, while averaging 24.3 minutes per game.
Up Next
Long Beach State has a pair of road games next week as the Beach will take on CSUN in Northridge, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., before heading up the central coast to play at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, March 29 at 4 p.m.
Long Beach State vs. UC Santa Barbara
Date: Thursday, Feb. 20
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Arena: Walter Pyramid
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Listen: 22WestMedia.com
Talent: Nick Rice
Watch: Beach Vision
Twitter: @BeachWBB
Complete LBSU Notes (PDF)
Women's Basketball Takes on UC Irvine in Black & Blue Rivalry
The Long Beach State women's basketball team welcomes Big West Conference foe UC Irvine to the Walter Pyramid for the Black & Blue Rivalry game on Thursday, Feb. 20. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
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 last week with a pair of defensive battles against UC Santa Barbara and UC Riverside. The Beach came away with a 59-53 win over the Gauchos, before dropping a 58-57 contest at UCR.
• LBSU is 11-13 on the year and 6-5 in Big West action. The Beach are currently in third place in the conference standings sitting behind UC Davis (9-2) and Hawaii (8-3).
• The Beach are averaging 58.7 points per game and are shooting 37.5 percent from the field.
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 30.8 rebounds per game to go along with 10.8 assists per game, 10.9 steals per game, and 2.0 blocks per game.
• LBSU leads the Big West in steals with 262 to average 10.9 per game. The Beach are also tops in the conference in turnover margin (+6.8).
• Guards Shanaijah Davison and Justina King lead the Beach in scoring with 13.7 points per game and 13.3 points per game, respectively.
• Davison ranks 17th all time at Long Beach State with 1,150 career points and is just 13 points shy of breaking into the top 15 at the Beach.
• Cydnee Kinslow is the team's leading rebounder with 5.7 boards per game. She has racked up four double-figure rebounding games so far and has led the squad in boards on 12 occasions this season and 22 in her LBSU career.
• Ma'Qhi Berry leads the Beach with 57 steals to average 2.4 per game which is tops in the Big West. She leads a quartet of LBSU players who rank in the top 15 in the league.
• King is the Beach's leader in assists with 79 to average 3.2 assists per game to rank in the top 10 in the Big West.
• Lauren Green is the team's leader in blocks as the sophomore forward has put up 13 on the year so far, while Kinslow and Jasmine Hardy right behind her with nine and eight, respectively.
• 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 Irvine
UC Irvine comes into the game against Long Beach State with an 8-17 overall record and a 4-7 Big West Conference mark to rank eighth in the league standings.
The Anteaters went 1-1 last week with an 82-75 victory over Cal State Fullerton, before dropping a 65-53 contest at UC Davis.
Lauren Saiki is the team's leading scorer with 12.0 points per game. She also leads the squad with 162 assists and 42 steals, while contributing 2.8 rebounds per game and six blocks.
Sophia Locandro's 5.0 rebounds per game are tops on the squad, while she leads the team with 26 blocks and is second with 9.9 points per game.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Anteaters
Long Beach State and UC Irvine will face off for the 76th time in program history and for the second time this season. On January 25, Long Beach State downed UCI, 56-46, at the Bren Events Center to improve the Beach's all-time record to 59-16.
Last Time Out
Long Beach State rallied to take a two-point lead with 38 seconds remaining, but a foul with five ticks left on the clock put UC Riverside at the line and the Highlanders completed the three-point play putting an end to LBSU's run as the Beach fell, 58-57, in an exciting contest at the SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.
Sophomore Justina King led the Beach (11-13, 6-5 Big West) as she tied her season-high with 23 points while adding three rebounds, one steal, and one assist. The Highlanders (8-16, 4-6 Big West), meanwhile, received an 18-point showing from Jannon Otto.
In addition to King's double-figure scoring performance, Long Beach State's Shanaijah Davison added 15 points of her own, while Cydnee Kinslow (7 rebounds) and Lauren Green (6 rebounds) led the squad on boards. Kinslow and Green also contributed to the team's only two blocks of the game.
Ma'Qhi Berry turned in another solid defensive effort with five steals, five assists, three rebounds, and six points.
The Beach were hampered by cold-shooting in the first quarter as they were limited to just 16.7 percent shooting from the field as UCR used a 15-0 run to take a commanding 16-4 lead heading into the second quarter.
Despite the early deficit, the Beach turned in a gritty performance as they chipped away and made it a one-point game (18-17) on a jumper from Davison in the second quarter with 3:50 remaining in the first half. However, the Highlanders closed the second period on an 11-2 run to take a 30-19 lead over LBSU into halftime.
Long Beach State came out firing in the second half and shot 44.4 percent in the third quarter as the Beach outscored the Highlanders 22-14 in the frame. LBSU closed the gap as the Beach trailed by just three points (44-41) heading into the final 10 minutes of action.
The Beach once again outscored the Highlanders in the fourth quarter (16-14) and took a 57-55 lead with just 38 seconds remaining after King made both her free throws. With the game looking to go in the Beach's favor, UCR's Marina Ewodo was fouled on her layup with just 5.5 seconds left in regulation. She completed the three-point play to put the Highlanders up by one (58-57). Long Beach State had possession and was unable to make the final shot as the Beach fell to the Highlanders in heartbreaking fashion.
In addition to Otto's 18-point performance, she also contributed eight rebounds for the Highlanders, while Skyler Lewis posted 13 points and eight boards. Ewodo just missed a double-double with nine points and as many boards for UCR.
Offensive Output
The Beach are averaging nearly 60 points per game and are led offensively by Shanaijah Davison (13.7 ppg), Justina King (13.3 ppg), and Ma'Qhi Berry (8.8 ppg). The trio have each scored at least 200 points this season and have contributed to 60 percent of Long Beach State's points this year. Additionally, each player has registered 20-plus points in at least two games this season and have posted double-figures in at least 10 contests thus far. King has led the Beach in scoring eight times, including tying her season-high with 23 points at UC Riverside last weekend, while Davison has been the top scorer on six occasions, and Berry has set the standard three times.
Defensively Strong
Defense has been the name of the game for Long Beach State this season. The defensively sound team leads the Big West Conference in steals with 262 for an average of 10.9 per game. The Beach have forced their opponents into more than 500 turnovers (21.3 per game) and boast a conference-leading 6.8 assist/turnover ratio. Leading the Beach defense with 57 steals is redshirt sophomore Ma'Qhi Berry. Her average of 2.4 steals per game is tops in the Big West as she leads a quartet of LBSU players who rank in the top 15 in the league in steals per game. Coming in behind Berry are Justina King (1.8 steals per game), Shanaijah Davison (1.5 steals per game), and Cydnee Kinslow (1.3 steals per game). Adding to the defensive effort for the Beach is sophomore forward Lauren Green who has posted a team-best 13 blocks this season to rank in the top 15 in the Big West.
Home Sweet Home
The Beach are currently riding a six-game home winning streak as Long Beach State has not lost a game inside the Walter Pyramid since Dec. 14, 2019 when the Beach dropped an 81-45 decision to then-No. 3 Oregon. Since then, LBSU has picked up victories over Air Force (74-68 OT), Cal Poly (72-69), CSUN (60-52), Hawaii (62-55), UC Riverside (73-67 2OT), and UC Santa Barbara (59-53). On the year, Long Beach State is 7-3 when playing at home.
A Grand Time
Junior guard Shanaijah Davison became the 26th LBSU women's basketball player to record 1,000 points in her career. Davison reached the milestone when she recorded 19 points in a 72-69 victory over Cal Poly to open Big West Conference action. She has now amassed 1,150 points in her career to rank 17th all-time, passing LBSU great Penny Moore. Davison is now just 13 points shy of moving into the top 15 at Long Beach State.
Rewriting the Record Book
If moving into 20th all-time in career-points wasn't enough, junior guard Shanaijah Davison is also on the verge of breaking into the top 10 in 3-point field goals made. Davison has sunk 106 threes in her LBSU career which is just five shy of cracking the top 10 all-time at Long Beach State.
Cleaning up the Glass
The Beach are averaging 30.8 rebounds per game this season and are paced by senior forward Cydnee Kinslow's 5.7 boards per game. Kinslow has record double-figure rebounds in four games this season and has led the Beach in boards 12 times.
King is Queen
Justina King has continued to lead Long Beach State throughout her sophomore season. The 5-foot-8 guard out of Scarborough, Canada has been a consistent player on the court all season as she is second on the team in scoring with 13.3 points per game, while leading the squad with 76 assists for an average of 3.2 assists per set which ranks in the top 10 in the Big West. King also adds 2.0 rebounds per game and 43 steals while shooting 38.9 percent from the field. She is a 75-percent free throw shooter and, despite being an underclassman, has stepped into a leadership role on the court.
Berry Good
Redshirt sophomore Ma'Qhi Berry has been an asset to the Beach all season. The product out of Irving, Texas has contributed well on both sides of the ball as she averages 8.8 points per game for the offense, while also leading the team in steals with 57. Her 2.4 steals per game are tops in the Big West and in the top 50 in the nation. Additionally, Berry contributes 3.9 rebounds per game, 61 assists and five blocks.
Green Machines
Long Beach State's Lauren Green and Aaryon Green are not related, but both give the Beach solid play when on the court. Lauren Green is a sophomore forward from Tucson, Ariz., while Aaryon Green is a redshirt senior out of Rialto, Calif. Lauren has started in 17-of-24 games so far and leads the team with 13 blocks, while adding 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.8 points per game, and 29 steals. Meanwhile, Aaryon has also earned 17 starts and has registered 3.5 points per game, 3.2 rebounds per game, 26 steals, 11 assists, and seven blocks.
Hardy Makes it Look Easy
Sophomore Jasmine Hardy has really stepped things up as of late as the 6-foot-1 versatile Hardy led the Beach in both scoring and rebounding at Cal Poly. The Santa Clarita, Calif., native is currently averaging 7.8 points per game to go along with 2.8 rebounds per game, while adding 26 steals, 14 assists, and eight blocks. She has played in all 24 of the Beach's games this season and has earned 12 starts, while averaging 24.3 minutes per game.
Up Next
Long Beach State has a pair of road games next week as the Beach will take on CSUN in Northridge, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m., before heading up the central coast to play at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, March 29 at 4 p.m.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball'24 '25 Women's Basketball Home Schedule Reveal
Thursday, August 29
Get To Know: 24-25 Women's Basketball Newest Members
Wednesday, August 14
Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs UC Irvine
Sunday, March 03
Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs Hawaii
Sunday, February 25
