Thursday, December 29
La Jolla, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
at
UC San Diego
Photo by: John Fajardo
Women’s Hoops Opens Big West Action on the Road
12/28/2022 9:30:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Beach take on UCSD on Thursday night, UCR on Saturday afternoon
LONG BEACH STATE (5-5, 0-0) @ UC SAN DIEGO (3-7, 0-0)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 29
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: La Jolla, Calif.
Venue: LionTree Arena
Live Stats: UCSDTritons.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
LONG BEACH STATE (5-5, 0-0) @ UC RIVERSIDE (2-8, 0-0)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Venue: SRC Arena
Live Stats: GoHighlanders.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
Women's Hoops Opens Big West Action on the Road
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball is ready to kick off Big West action on Thursday, Dec. 29 at UC San Diego at 7 p.m. From there, the Beach will travel to Riverside, Calif., to face UC Riverside on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.
Catch All the Action
Both Long Beach State games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $5.99 per month ($59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNPluss.com, or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of the Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for $13.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $19.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow stats updates for all home contests on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at
@LBSUWBB. 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.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State has played two ranked teams this season so far in then-No. 18 Arizona in Tucson and then-No. 24 Baylor in Waco. The Beach suffered a pair of road losses to both the Wildcats and the Bears. Earlier this season, LBSU opened the season against then-unranked Gonzaga and dropped an 80-54 decision on the road. However, since the season opener on November 10, the Bulldogs have moved into the national rankings coming in at No. 19 in the latest AP Poll. In the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, Gonzaga ranks No. 1, while Big West opponents UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine are receiving votes.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State closed out the non-conference portion of the season with a 5-5 overall record.
• The Beach head into Big West action after having lost their last two non-conference contests to Southern Miss (56-50) and at No. 24 Baylor (73-52).
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 61.7 points per game for a scoring margin of -0.2 as their opponents are averaging 61.9 points per game.
• Offensively, the Beach are shooting 42.3 percent from the field, a mark that ranks them second in the Big West.
• This season, LBSU has struggled in rebounding, averaging 28.8 per game. However, the Beach make up for that with 13.8 assists per game, 12.2 steals, per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• The Beach have been chosen to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with a total of 73 points. Long Beach was chosen to finish behind preseason favorite Hawaii, which earned 99 points and nine first-place votes, as well as UC Santa Barbara, which came in second with 84 points and two first place votes.
• LBSU boasts three double-figure scorers in Malia Bambrick (12.7 ppg), Tori Harris (11.8 ppg), and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher (11.1 ppg).
• The trio of Harris, Bambrick, and Hamilton-Fisher also rank in the Top 10 in the Big West in shooting. Harris leads the way with a 47.3 field goal percentage to rank second in the league, while Bambrick's 44.9 field goal percentage is good for fourth. Hamilton-Fisher rounds out the group with a field goal percentage of 40.7 percent.
• Junior Kristyna Jeskeova is the team's leader in rebounding as she has accumulated 62 to average 6.9 per game, which ranks her fourth in the Big West. The product out of the Czech Repubilic also adds 7.0 points per game, while totaling 25 steals, nine assists, and nine blocks. Her nine blocks lead the team as she ranks seventh in the Big West with 0.9 blocks per game.
• Redshirt senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry has been a key component to Long Beach State's success as she leads the way with 48 assists, 26 steals and seven blocks. She also contributes 6.0 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Scouting UC San Diego
• UC San Diego went 3-7 in the non-conference season with wins over Portland (85-76), Stetson (53-48), and Seattle (61-56).
• The Tritons are coming off of a 61-56 win over Seattle, which snapped a four-game losing streak for UCSD.
• UC San Diego is averaging 61.4, while shooting 38.4 percent from the field. Their opponents, meanwhile, are averaging 70.2 points per game.
• After a tough non-conference schedule, UCSD comes into Big West play being led by Sydney Brown who is averaging 14.1 points per game.
• In addition to being the Tritons' leading scorer, Brown also leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game, while adding 15 assists, 10 steals, and five blocks.
• Izzy Forsyth is the team's second leading scorer with 9.0 points per game to go along with 3.8 boards per game.
• Emily Cangelosi has started in all 10 games this season and she is averaging 8.1 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also adds 13 assists and seven steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Tritons
Long Beach State and UC San Diego will meet for just the fifth time in program history. The Beach leads the all-time series, 4-0 as the Tritons are looking for their first-ever win over LBSU. The team first faced off in 2021 when the Beach defeated the Tritons, 54-50, in La Jolla, Calif. In their most recently meeting, in February of 2022, Long Beach edged UCSD, 60-59, in La Jolla, Calif. In the four games they've played, three have been played in La Jolla.
Scouting UC Riverside
• UC Riverside brings a 2-8 overall record into Big West action as the Highlanders start the conference season at CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, Dec. 29 before coming home to host the Beach on New Year's Eve.
• The Highlanders' two wins thus far came at the hands of Cal State LA (58-52 2OT), and LIU (49-47). Since then, they have dropped their last three games.
• As a team, UCR is averaging 49.4 points per game, while allowing 64.7 points per game for a scoring margin of -15.3.
• The Highlanders are shooting 33.0 percent from the field, while averaging 28.6 rebounds per game, 8.6 assists per game, 8.3 steals per game, and 2.4 blocks per game.
• Individually, Riverside is led by Jordan Webster who is averaging 9.2 points per game to go along with 3.9 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in steals with 19, while adding nine assists and one block.
• The Highlanders' leading rebounder is Matehya Bryant who averages 6.8 boards per game. She is also the team's second leading scorer with 8.1 points per game, while also contributing 14 steals, six assists, and six blocks.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Highlanders
Long Beach State and UC Riverside will face off for the 50th time in program history. The Highlanders lead the all-time series 25-24, including their last meeting on March 5, 2022 in Riverside, Calif., to close out the regular season last year as UCR defeated LBSU, 66-61. Despite losing in their last contest, Long Beach and Riverside split the series in 2022 as the Beach won the game in January that was played at the Walter Pyramid by a score of 56-46. When playing each other in Riverside, the Highlanders lead the series 13-10.
Czech Her Out
Junior guard Kristyna Jeskeova has been a force on all sides of the ball this season for Long Beach State. The Czech Republic native is the team's leading rebounder (6.9 rpg) as she's recorded double-figure rebounding games three times this season. She has also led the Beach in scoring twice, including a career-high 21-point performance against Southern Miss. On the year, Jeskeova is averaging 7.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game, while also adding a team-high nine blocks.
Berry Good
Ma'Qhi Berry is a redshirt senior guard in her fifth year at Long Beach State and is currently leading the team in assists (48) and steals (26). She has been an integral part of the LBSU starting five averaging 6.0 points per game, while adding 3.4 rebounds per game. She has led the Beach in assists in nine games this season.
Bam!
Malia Bambrick has been on a roll since making her Long Beach State debut earlier this season. The senior guard who transferred to LBSU from Pepperdine is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 12.7 points per game. Her 44.9 field goal percentage is good for second on the team and fourth in The Big West.
VicTORIous
Tori Harris came to the Beach from St. Bonaventure and has made an immediate impact on the Long Beach State offense. The senior guard is currently second on the squad with 11.8 points per game, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field to lead the team and rank second in the conference.
Ki Component
Redshirt junior guard Kianna Hamilton-Fisher turned in a career-performance against Tulsa at the USF Thanksgiving Classic. The Woodland Hills, Calif., native poured in a career-high 25 points as she led the Beach to a 64-45 victory over the Golden Hurricane. Hamilton-Fisher was hot from the start as she connected on 12-of-19 field goals, with one coming from behind the arc to lead the LBSU offensive attack. With her 25-point showing, Hamilton-Fisher becomes just the sixth player in the Jeff Cammon era to record a 25-point game at the Beach. On the year, Hamilton-Fisher is averaging 11.1 points per game to rank third on the team. She also adds 2.1 rebounds per game, as well as 21 assists, 19 steals, and five blocks.
Perfection
Sophomore guard Savannah Tucker was perfect from the field last against La Sierra as the Fresno, Calif., native connected on 7-of-7 field goals for a perfect 100.0-percent shooting percentage. By not missing a field goal, Tucker became the first Long Beach State player since Jewelyn Sawyer went 5-for-5 in a 68-60 win at Pacific in 2015. Tucker would finish the game against the Golden Eagles with a total of 16 points as two of her field goals came from behind the arc.
Next Up
Long Beach State will return to the Walter Pyramid to host CSUN in the Beach's Big West home opener on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 29
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: La Jolla, Calif.
Venue: LionTree Arena
Live Stats: UCSDTritons.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
LONG BEACH STATE (5-5, 0-0) @ UC RIVERSIDE (2-8, 0-0)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 31
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Venue: SRC Arena
Live Stats: GoHighlanders.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
Women's Hoops Opens Big West Action on the Road
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball is ready to kick off Big West action on Thursday, Dec. 29 at UC San Diego at 7 p.m. From there, the Beach will travel to Riverside, Calif., to face UC Riverside on Saturday, Dec. 31 at 2 p.m.
Catch All the Action
Both Long Beach State games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $5.99 per month ($59.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNPluss.com, or on the ESPN App. It is also available as part of the Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu for $13.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $19.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow stats updates for all home contests on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at
@LBSUWBB. 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.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State has played two ranked teams this season so far in then-No. 18 Arizona in Tucson and then-No. 24 Baylor in Waco. The Beach suffered a pair of road losses to both the Wildcats and the Bears. Earlier this season, LBSU opened the season against then-unranked Gonzaga and dropped an 80-54 decision on the road. However, since the season opener on November 10, the Bulldogs have moved into the national rankings coming in at No. 19 in the latest AP Poll. In the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, Gonzaga ranks No. 1, while Big West opponents UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine are receiving votes.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State closed out the non-conference portion of the season with a 5-5 overall record.
• The Beach head into Big West action after having lost their last two non-conference contests to Southern Miss (56-50) and at No. 24 Baylor (73-52).
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 61.7 points per game for a scoring margin of -0.2 as their opponents are averaging 61.9 points per game.
• Offensively, the Beach are shooting 42.3 percent from the field, a mark that ranks them second in the Big West.
• This season, LBSU has struggled in rebounding, averaging 28.8 per game. However, the Beach make up for that with 13.8 assists per game, 12.2 steals, per game, and 3.0 blocks per game.
• The Beach have been chosen to finish third in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with a total of 73 points. Long Beach was chosen to finish behind preseason favorite Hawaii, which earned 99 points and nine first-place votes, as well as UC Santa Barbara, which came in second with 84 points and two first place votes.
• LBSU boasts three double-figure scorers in Malia Bambrick (12.7 ppg), Tori Harris (11.8 ppg), and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher (11.1 ppg).
• The trio of Harris, Bambrick, and Hamilton-Fisher also rank in the Top 10 in the Big West in shooting. Harris leads the way with a 47.3 field goal percentage to rank second in the league, while Bambrick's 44.9 field goal percentage is good for fourth. Hamilton-Fisher rounds out the group with a field goal percentage of 40.7 percent.
• Junior Kristyna Jeskeova is the team's leader in rebounding as she has accumulated 62 to average 6.9 per game, which ranks her fourth in the Big West. The product out of the Czech Repubilic also adds 7.0 points per game, while totaling 25 steals, nine assists, and nine blocks. Her nine blocks lead the team as she ranks seventh in the Big West with 0.9 blocks per game.
• Redshirt senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry has been a key component to Long Beach State's success as she leads the way with 48 assists, 26 steals and seven blocks. She also contributes 6.0 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game.
Scouting UC San Diego
• UC San Diego went 3-7 in the non-conference season with wins over Portland (85-76), Stetson (53-48), and Seattle (61-56).
• The Tritons are coming off of a 61-56 win over Seattle, which snapped a four-game losing streak for UCSD.
• UC San Diego is averaging 61.4, while shooting 38.4 percent from the field. Their opponents, meanwhile, are averaging 70.2 points per game.
• After a tough non-conference schedule, UCSD comes into Big West play being led by Sydney Brown who is averaging 14.1 points per game.
• In addition to being the Tritons' leading scorer, Brown also leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game, while adding 15 assists, 10 steals, and five blocks.
• Izzy Forsyth is the team's second leading scorer with 9.0 points per game to go along with 3.8 boards per game.
• Emily Cangelosi has started in all 10 games this season and she is averaging 8.1 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also adds 13 assists and seven steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Tritons
Long Beach State and UC San Diego will meet for just the fifth time in program history. The Beach leads the all-time series, 4-0 as the Tritons are looking for their first-ever win over LBSU. The team first faced off in 2021 when the Beach defeated the Tritons, 54-50, in La Jolla, Calif. In their most recently meeting, in February of 2022, Long Beach edged UCSD, 60-59, in La Jolla, Calif. In the four games they've played, three have been played in La Jolla.
Scouting UC Riverside
• UC Riverside brings a 2-8 overall record into Big West action as the Highlanders start the conference season at CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, Dec. 29 before coming home to host the Beach on New Year's Eve.
• The Highlanders' two wins thus far came at the hands of Cal State LA (58-52 2OT), and LIU (49-47). Since then, they have dropped their last three games.
• As a team, UCR is averaging 49.4 points per game, while allowing 64.7 points per game for a scoring margin of -15.3.
• The Highlanders are shooting 33.0 percent from the field, while averaging 28.6 rebounds per game, 8.6 assists per game, 8.3 steals per game, and 2.4 blocks per game.
• Individually, Riverside is led by Jordan Webster who is averaging 9.2 points per game to go along with 3.9 rebounds per game. She also leads the team in steals with 19, while adding nine assists and one block.
• The Highlanders' leading rebounder is Matehya Bryant who averages 6.8 boards per game. She is also the team's second leading scorer with 8.1 points per game, while also contributing 14 steals, six assists, and six blocks.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Highlanders
Long Beach State and UC Riverside will face off for the 50th time in program history. The Highlanders lead the all-time series 25-24, including their last meeting on March 5, 2022 in Riverside, Calif., to close out the regular season last year as UCR defeated LBSU, 66-61. Despite losing in their last contest, Long Beach and Riverside split the series in 2022 as the Beach won the game in January that was played at the Walter Pyramid by a score of 56-46. When playing each other in Riverside, the Highlanders lead the series 13-10.
Czech Her Out
Junior guard Kristyna Jeskeova has been a force on all sides of the ball this season for Long Beach State. The Czech Republic native is the team's leading rebounder (6.9 rpg) as she's recorded double-figure rebounding games three times this season. She has also led the Beach in scoring twice, including a career-high 21-point performance against Southern Miss. On the year, Jeskeova is averaging 7.0 points per game and 6.9 rebounds per game, while also adding a team-high nine blocks.
Berry Good
Ma'Qhi Berry is a redshirt senior guard in her fifth year at Long Beach State and is currently leading the team in assists (48) and steals (26). She has been an integral part of the LBSU starting five averaging 6.0 points per game, while adding 3.4 rebounds per game. She has led the Beach in assists in nine games this season.
Bam!
Malia Bambrick has been on a roll since making her Long Beach State debut earlier this season. The senior guard who transferred to LBSU from Pepperdine is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 12.7 points per game. Her 44.9 field goal percentage is good for second on the team and fourth in The Big West.
VicTORIous
Tori Harris came to the Beach from St. Bonaventure and has made an immediate impact on the Long Beach State offense. The senior guard is currently second on the squad with 11.8 points per game, while shooting 47.3 percent from the field to lead the team and rank second in the conference.
Ki Component
Redshirt junior guard Kianna Hamilton-Fisher turned in a career-performance against Tulsa at the USF Thanksgiving Classic. The Woodland Hills, Calif., native poured in a career-high 25 points as she led the Beach to a 64-45 victory over the Golden Hurricane. Hamilton-Fisher was hot from the start as she connected on 12-of-19 field goals, with one coming from behind the arc to lead the LBSU offensive attack. With her 25-point showing, Hamilton-Fisher becomes just the sixth player in the Jeff Cammon era to record a 25-point game at the Beach. On the year, Hamilton-Fisher is averaging 11.1 points per game to rank third on the team. She also adds 2.1 rebounds per game, as well as 21 assists, 19 steals, and five blocks.
Perfection
Sophomore guard Savannah Tucker was perfect from the field last against La Sierra as the Fresno, Calif., native connected on 7-of-7 field goals for a perfect 100.0-percent shooting percentage. By not missing a field goal, Tucker became the first Long Beach State player since Jewelyn Sawyer went 5-for-5 in a 68-60 win at Pacific in 2015. Tucker would finish the game against the Golden Eagles with a total of 16 points as two of her field goals came from behind the arc.
Next Up
Long Beach State will return to the Walter Pyramid to host CSUN in the Beach's Big West home opener on Thursday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Players Mentioned
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