Wednesday, March 9
Henderson, Nev.
8:30 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
UC Davis
Photo by: John Fajardo
No. 3 Seed Long Beach State Gears up to Take on No. 6 Seed UC Davis in the Quarterfinals at the Big West Tournament
3/8/2022 9:09:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Beach and the Aggies will tip-off on Wednesday, March 9 at 8:30 p.m. at The Dollar Loan Center
GAME #27: (3) LONG BEACH STATE vs. (6) UC DAVIS
Date: Wednesday, March 9
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Henderson, Nev.
Venue: The Dollar Loan Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @Beachwbb
The Big West Basketball Championships
Tuesday, March 8 - First Round
Game 1: (9) CSU Bakersfield vs. (8) CSUN - 12 p.m.
Game 2: (10) Cal Poly vs. (7) Cal State Fullerton - 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. (1) Hawaii - 12 p.m.
Game 6: (5) UC Santa Barbara vs. (4) UC Riverside - 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 2 Winner vs. (2) UC Irvine - 6 p.m.
Game 8: (6) UC Davis vs. (3) Long Beach State - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - Semifinals
Game 13: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 - 12 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 - 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12 - Finals
Game 17: Championship Game - 5 p.m.
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
No. 3 Seed Long Beach State Gears up to Take on No. 6 Seed UC Davis in the Semifinals at the Big West Tournament
After finishing the regular season with a 19-7 overall record and a 12-6 mark in the Big West Conference, Long Beach State heads into the Big West Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Beach will face No. 6 seed UC Davis in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 9 at 8:30 p.m. at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.
Catch All The Action
All Big West Conference Women's Basketball 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, ESPNplus.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 on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying 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 closed out the regular season with a 19-7 overall record making the most wins in the Jeff Cammon era.
• The Beach posted a 12-6 Big West Conference record as they head into the Big West Tournament as the No. 3 seed.
• LBSU was chosen to finish fourth in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll and second in the league's preseason media poll.Â
• The Beach leads the Big West Conference in four statistical categories this season. Long Beach State sets the standard in scoring defense (56.85), steals per game (11.92), turnover margin (+8.04), and assist/turnover ratio (1.04).
• Nationally, Long Beach State ranks in the top 25 in fewest turnovers (355),steals per game (11.9), turnover margin (8.04), and turnovers forced (21.69).
• Individually, senior forward Maddi Utti leads the Big West in steals per game with 3.16, which is good for sixth in the nation.
• Junior guard Justina King has also been phenomenal this season as she leads the Big West in assists per game (4.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.52).
• LBSU has three players averaging double figures in Maddi Utti (13.8 ppg), Justina King (11.6 ppg), and Jasmine Hardy (10.6 ppg)
• Utti is also the team's rebounding leader with 8.8 boards per game, while leading the squad with 79 steals and 24 blocks.
• King distributed a career-high 10 assists at Cal State Fullerton on February 8, and now leads the squad in assists with 117.
• The trio of Utti, King, and Hardy earned Big West All-Conference honors as Utti took home Best Defensive Player, All-First Team accolades, and All-Defensive Team honors, while King was named to the Second Team, and Hardy collected an Honorable Mention selection.
• 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.
Player Notes
• Maddi Utti is Long Beach State's leading scorer with 13.8 points per game. She also leads the squad with 8.8 rebounds per game, 79 steals, and 24 blocks. She has recorded five 20-point performances, led the Beach in scoring 14 times, registered nine double-digit rebounding games, and has notched seven double-doubles. She has also been named Big West Conference Player of the Week on three separate occasions.
• Justina King is the Beach's second leading scorer with 11.6 points per game on the season. She also leads the team with 117 assists for an average of 4.50 to lead the Big West. King now ranks 12th all time at Long Beach State with 1,281 career points.
• Jasmine Hardy had a career-game against Seattle as she poured in a career-best 29 points on 11-of-14 made field goals and 7-of-9 made threes. She became just the fourth player in the Jeff Cammon era to reach at least 25 points in a game. In the penultimate week of the regular season, Hardy tallied 20 points in the Beach's overtime loss to CSUN as she recorded her third 20-plus point performance of the season and fourth of her career. She is now averaging 10.6 points per game to rank third on the team.Â
• Ma'Qhi Berry has been a force on the court this season contributing on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she averages 8.0 points per game with 70 assists, to go along with 2.7 rebounds per game. On the defensive end, Berry owns 10 blocks, while adding 34 steals. At CSU Bakersfield, Berry poured in a season-high 18 points as she connected on 6-of-9 field goals.
• Kianna Hamilton-Fisher has been an integral part of the Beach offense this season. This season, Hamilton-Fisher is averaging 7.3 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds per game, 42 steals, 38 assists, and nine blocks.Â
• Lauren Green has earned the start in 17-of-25 games this season and has played an important role on the court. Although her numbers aren't overpowering (2.2 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game and 14 steals), Green is a play maker. She makes things happen for the Beach both offensively and defensively and is a key component to the squad's success.
• Freshman Savannah Tucker has also played an important role for the Beach and has worked her way into the starting five twice this season. She is coming off of a career-performance in which she led the Beach with a career-high 20 points at UC Riverside. On the year, she is contributing 3.5 points per game, 1.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 10 steals, four assists, and four blocks on the year.
• Patricia Chung is another cog in the Long Beach State wheel of success as the freshman guard is averaging 2.2 points per game and 0.7 rebounds per game. The scrappy Chung has helped contribute to the Beach's solid defensive efforts with a pair of steals and her stout defending. Most recently, Chung led the Beach in scoring against UC Irvine as she came off the bench and registered a season-high 11 points in just 14 minutes of action.
• Kristyna Jeskeova is another key factor to the Beach's deep bench. At UC Santa Barbara, the sophomore forward tied her career-high with 12 points to go along with five rebounds. Jeskeova is now averaging 1.8 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game.
• Thea Mikkelsen came to the Beach all the way from Roskilde, Denmark and in her collegiate debut tallied 10 points against Biola. Since her 10-point showing in the season opener, Mikkelsen has averaged 1.6 points per game, 0.6 rebounds per game, while adding four assists, and two steals in 69 minutes of action.
• Emily Sullivan has also been on the court in 18 games this season for a total of 85 minutes in which she has contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.
• Brandy Huffhines made her collegiate debut for the Beach in the season opener against Biola. She has since seen action against Seattle and Air Force. In three games, she has seen 21 minutes of action and is averaging 0.7 points per game and one steal.
• Redshirting for Long Beach State this season are freshmen Shelby Ray and Teodora Popovic.
Scouting UC Davis
• UC Davis concluded the regular season with a 14-12 overall record.
• The Aggies finished the conference season with an 8-8 record to earn a No. 6 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• As a team, the Aggies are averaging 61.7 points per game, while shooting 41.2-percent from the field.
• Defensively, Davis averages 5.7 steals per game and 3.3 blocks per game.
• UC Davis has two double-figure scorers in Cierra Hall (15.3 ppg) and Evanne Turner (12.0 ppg).
• In addition to leading the team in scoring, Hall also leads the squad in rebounding (8.3 rpg), assists (97), and steals (34).
• Turner, meanwhile, adds 3.4 rebounds per game to go along with 50 assists, and 28 steals.
• Holding down the defense is Sage Stobbart who leads the Aggies with 52 blocks, while also contributing 7.9 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 31 assists, and 19 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Aggies
Long Beach State and UC Davis will meet for the 42nd time in program history and the Aggies leads the all-time series 21-20. Earlier this season, LBSU and UCD split the series as the Aggies defeated the Beach, 68-58, on Jan. 29 at the Walter Pyramid, before Long Beach downed Davis, 65-60, at The Pavilion on March 3.Â
All-Conference Honors
The Big West Conference announced the 2021-22 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team and Specialty Awards on Monday evening and Long Beach State had three players honored.
Senior forward Maddi Utti was named Best Defensive Player, Big West Conference All-First Team, and to the All-Defensive Team. Junior guard Justina King was named to the Big West All-Conference Second Team, while junior guard Jasmine Hardy earned Honorable Mention status.
Utti earned the honors after leading the Beach in almost every statistical category. She is tops on the squad in points per game (14.0), rebounds per game (8.7), steals (77), and blocks (24). Utti ranks in the Top 10 in the Big West in each of those categories and leads the conference in steals per game (3.16), defensive rebounds per game (7.08), and minutes played per game (36.79). Her steals per game average ranks her sixth in the nation.
The Seaside, Ore., native has been an integral part of Long Beach's success this season as she has led the Beach in scoring 13 times, while leading the team in rebounding 23 times. She concluded the regular season with five 20-point performances and 18 double-digit point showings.Â
King was named to the Big West Second Team after leading the Beach and the Big West in assists per game with 4.50, while also leading the way in assist/turnover ratio (1.52). The product out of Scarborough, Canada is the Beach's second leading scorer with 11.8 points per game, while also adding 2.4 rebounds per game to go along with 57 steals, and four blocks. She has led LBSU in scoring on seven occasions, while also leading the squad in assists 15 times.
Hardy earned Honorable Mention status after a solid season in which she is averaging 10.4 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Santa Clarita, Calif., native has accumulated 32 steals, 22 assists, and 10 blocks this season. She has made 44 three-point field goals to average 1.69 per game, which ranks her in the Top 10 in the Big West.Â
Cammon Gets Contract Extension
Long Beach State Women's Basketball Head Coach Jeff Cammon has signed a contract extension through the 2027 season, LBSU Executive Director of Athletics Andy Fee announced on Thursday.
"We are excited that Coach Cammon will continue to lead our women's basketball program," said Fee. "Coach Cammon is one of the most respected coaches in the game and his integrity and knowledge of the game are second to none. He does an outstanding job with our team on the court, while at the same time fostering excellence in the classroom and in the community. We are extremely fortunate to have him leading our program into the future."
Cammon is currently in his fifth season at the helm of the LBSU Women's Basketball program and owns a 19-7 overall record and an 12-6 Big West Conference ledger as the Beach heads into the Big West Conference Tournament.
The Beach started this season with an impressive 7-0 record en route to the program's best start under Cammon. Additionally, LBSU tied its best start since the 1985-86 season and are poised to head into the Big West Tournament as a Top 3 seed.
"I'm very blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to continue to lead our women's basketball program here at Long Beach State," said Cammon. "I'm proud of the culture that we've built from the ground up. I'm also proud of the growth our young ladies have made both on and off the court."
In his five seasons leading the Beach, Cammon's squads have continually improved, finishing with more victories, and earning a higher seed in each Big West Conference Tournament year after year.Â
In his first season, Cammon took a young squad that had 10 underclassmen and persevered through a tough start to ultimately win five of the team's final six games, showcasing the dedication and commitment to improvement which is a key part of the culture of the program.
Â
Under Cammon's tutelage, the Beach have garnered seven All-Big West Conference honorees, four Big West All-Freshman Team selections, 12 Academic All-Big West players, and the 2019 Big West Freshman of the Year in Justina King. King has continued to produce for Long Beach State as she became the 26th player in program history to reach the 1,000-career point milestone. She now has accumulated 1,260 career points to rank 12th all-time at the Beach.
Â
"I love Long Beach State" said Cammon. "There's no better place and no better people. I am grateful for the love and support (University President) Jane (Close Conoley) and (Executive Director of Athletics) Andy (Fee) have shown us. I truly appreciate their leadership. Though we have made progress, we know there's still a lot of work to be done. We look forward to the process!"
Defensively Strong
Long Beach State is a well-established defensive team that has led the Big West in steals multiple times over the last several seasons. This year the Beach are averaging a conference-leading 11.92 steals per game, which ranks them ninth in the nation. Long Beach State has forced their opponents into 21.69 turnovers per game, which is good for 12th in the country. Long Beach State is also third in the NCAA in turnover margin (+8.04). Individually, Maddi Utti leads the way for the Beach with a conference-leading 3.16 steals per game average, which ranks her sixth in the country.Â
King of the Court
Justina King has been solid, not just all season, but throughout her Long Beach State career. The junior guard from Scarborough, Canada has made her way into the LBSU Record Books with 1,281 career points to move up to 12th place all-time. If that weren't enough, she just cracked the top 10 in three-pointers made with 117, and free throws made with 296. Additionally, King leads the Beach with 117 assists to average a conference-leading 4.50 assists per set. Most recently, she was named to the All-Big West Second Team.
Hardy Makes it Look Easy
Junior Jasmine Hardy has recorded three 20-point games this season to bring her season average to 10.6 points per game. This year, Hardy has registered 12 double digit scoring games, and has led Long Beach State in scoring three times. With her career-high 29-point performance, she became just the fourth player in the Jeff Cammon era to score 25 or more points in a game. Hardy concluded the regular season with a Big West All-Conference Honorable Mention selectionÂ
Mad(di) Skills
Senior forward Maddi Utti has been outstanding for the Beach all season as she has been named Big West Player of the Week three times. On the year, she is averaging 13.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game. Her rebounding average is good for tops on the team and second in the Big West. She also leads the Beach with 79 steals and 24 blocks. After pouring in a season-high 25 points and 12 rebounds against Hawaii, Utti has now recorded five 20-point performances. This season she owns 18 double-digit showings, nine double-figure rebounding games, and seven double-doubles. Utti has led the Beach in scoring 13 times this season and has led the squad in rebounding 23 times.
Berry Good
Ma'Qhi Berry has been an integral part for the Beach as she has consistently contributed on both sides of the ball in her Long Beach State career. At CSU Bakersfield, Berry poured in a season-high 18 points as she connected on 6-of-9 field goals, was 1-for-1 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. With another outstanding showing, Berry is now averaging 8.0 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game this season.
Ki Component
Kianna Hamilton-Fisher has been a key component for the Beach as she has come off the bench and made an impact in each game thus far. Hamilton-Fisher is currently averaging 7.3 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 42 steals, 38 assists, and nine blocks.
Can I Get Some Assistance?
Justina King had a monster game at Cal State Fullerton as she distributed a career-high 10 assists against the Titans. She became the first Long Beach State Women's Basketball player since 2014 to record double-digit assists. King is now averaging 4.50 assists per game which leads the Big West Conference.
Next Up
With a win over UC Davis, Long Beach State would advance to the Semifinals in the Big West Tournament and play the winner of the No. 2 UC Irvine-No. 7 Cal State Fullerton/No. 10 Cal Poly game on Friday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
Â
Date: Wednesday, March 9
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: Henderson, Nev.
Venue: The Dollar Loan Center
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
TV: ESPN+
Twitter: @Beachwbb
The Big West Basketball Championships
Tuesday, March 8 - First Round
Game 1: (9) CSU Bakersfield vs. (8) CSUN - 12 p.m.
Game 2: (10) Cal Poly vs. (7) Cal State Fullerton - 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 9 - Quarterfinals
Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs. (1) Hawaii - 12 p.m.
Game 6: (5) UC Santa Barbara vs. (4) UC Riverside - 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: Game 2 Winner vs. (2) UC Irvine - 6 p.m.
Game 8: (6) UC Davis vs. (3) Long Beach State - 8:30 p.m.
Friday, March 11 - Semifinals
Game 13: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6 - 12 p.m.
Game 14: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 - 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12 - Finals
Game 17: Championship Game - 5 p.m.
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
No. 3 Seed Long Beach State Gears up to Take on No. 6 Seed UC Davis in the Semifinals at the Big West Tournament
After finishing the regular season with a 19-7 overall record and a 12-6 mark in the Big West Conference, Long Beach State heads into the Big West Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Beach will face No. 6 seed UC Davis in the Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 9 at 8:30 p.m. at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev.
Catch All The Action
All Big West Conference Women's Basketball 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, ESPNplus.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 on BeachLiveStats.com.
Staying 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 closed out the regular season with a 19-7 overall record making the most wins in the Jeff Cammon era.
• The Beach posted a 12-6 Big West Conference record as they head into the Big West Tournament as the No. 3 seed.
• LBSU was chosen to finish fourth in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll and second in the league's preseason media poll.Â
• The Beach leads the Big West Conference in four statistical categories this season. Long Beach State sets the standard in scoring defense (56.85), steals per game (11.92), turnover margin (+8.04), and assist/turnover ratio (1.04).
• Nationally, Long Beach State ranks in the top 25 in fewest turnovers (355),steals per game (11.9), turnover margin (8.04), and turnovers forced (21.69).
• Individually, senior forward Maddi Utti leads the Big West in steals per game with 3.16, which is good for sixth in the nation.
• Junior guard Justina King has also been phenomenal this season as she leads the Big West in assists per game (4.50) and assist/turnover ratio (1.52).
• LBSU has three players averaging double figures in Maddi Utti (13.8 ppg), Justina King (11.6 ppg), and Jasmine Hardy (10.6 ppg)
• Utti is also the team's rebounding leader with 8.8 boards per game, while leading the squad with 79 steals and 24 blocks.
• King distributed a career-high 10 assists at Cal State Fullerton on February 8, and now leads the squad in assists with 117.
• The trio of Utti, King, and Hardy earned Big West All-Conference honors as Utti took home Best Defensive Player, All-First Team accolades, and All-Defensive Team honors, while King was named to the Second Team, and Hardy collected an Honorable Mention selection.
• 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.
Player Notes
• Maddi Utti is Long Beach State's leading scorer with 13.8 points per game. She also leads the squad with 8.8 rebounds per game, 79 steals, and 24 blocks. She has recorded five 20-point performances, led the Beach in scoring 14 times, registered nine double-digit rebounding games, and has notched seven double-doubles. She has also been named Big West Conference Player of the Week on three separate occasions.
• Justina King is the Beach's second leading scorer with 11.6 points per game on the season. She also leads the team with 117 assists for an average of 4.50 to lead the Big West. King now ranks 12th all time at Long Beach State with 1,281 career points.
• Jasmine Hardy had a career-game against Seattle as she poured in a career-best 29 points on 11-of-14 made field goals and 7-of-9 made threes. She became just the fourth player in the Jeff Cammon era to reach at least 25 points in a game. In the penultimate week of the regular season, Hardy tallied 20 points in the Beach's overtime loss to CSUN as she recorded her third 20-plus point performance of the season and fourth of her career. She is now averaging 10.6 points per game to rank third on the team.Â
• Ma'Qhi Berry has been a force on the court this season contributing on both sides of the ball. Offensively, she averages 8.0 points per game with 70 assists, to go along with 2.7 rebounds per game. On the defensive end, Berry owns 10 blocks, while adding 34 steals. At CSU Bakersfield, Berry poured in a season-high 18 points as she connected on 6-of-9 field goals.
• Kianna Hamilton-Fisher has been an integral part of the Beach offense this season. This season, Hamilton-Fisher is averaging 7.3 points per game to go along with 2.5 rebounds per game, 42 steals, 38 assists, and nine blocks.Â
• Lauren Green has earned the start in 17-of-25 games this season and has played an important role on the court. Although her numbers aren't overpowering (2.2 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game and 14 steals), Green is a play maker. She makes things happen for the Beach both offensively and defensively and is a key component to the squad's success.
• Freshman Savannah Tucker has also played an important role for the Beach and has worked her way into the starting five twice this season. She is coming off of a career-performance in which she led the Beach with a career-high 20 points at UC Riverside. On the year, she is contributing 3.5 points per game, 1.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 10 steals, four assists, and four blocks on the year.
• Patricia Chung is another cog in the Long Beach State wheel of success as the freshman guard is averaging 2.2 points per game and 0.7 rebounds per game. The scrappy Chung has helped contribute to the Beach's solid defensive efforts with a pair of steals and her stout defending. Most recently, Chung led the Beach in scoring against UC Irvine as she came off the bench and registered a season-high 11 points in just 14 minutes of action.
• Kristyna Jeskeova is another key factor to the Beach's deep bench. At UC Santa Barbara, the sophomore forward tied her career-high with 12 points to go along with five rebounds. Jeskeova is now averaging 1.8 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game.
• Thea Mikkelsen came to the Beach all the way from Roskilde, Denmark and in her collegiate debut tallied 10 points against Biola. Since her 10-point showing in the season opener, Mikkelsen has averaged 1.6 points per game, 0.6 rebounds per game, while adding four assists, and two steals in 69 minutes of action.
• Emily Sullivan has also been on the court in 18 games this season for a total of 85 minutes in which she has contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.
• Brandy Huffhines made her collegiate debut for the Beach in the season opener against Biola. She has since seen action against Seattle and Air Force. In three games, she has seen 21 minutes of action and is averaging 0.7 points per game and one steal.
• Redshirting for Long Beach State this season are freshmen Shelby Ray and Teodora Popovic.
Scouting UC Davis
• UC Davis concluded the regular season with a 14-12 overall record.
• The Aggies finished the conference season with an 8-8 record to earn a No. 6 seed in the Big West Conference Tournament.
• As a team, the Aggies are averaging 61.7 points per game, while shooting 41.2-percent from the field.
• Defensively, Davis averages 5.7 steals per game and 3.3 blocks per game.
• UC Davis has two double-figure scorers in Cierra Hall (15.3 ppg) and Evanne Turner (12.0 ppg).
• In addition to leading the team in scoring, Hall also leads the squad in rebounding (8.3 rpg), assists (97), and steals (34).
• Turner, meanwhile, adds 3.4 rebounds per game to go along with 50 assists, and 28 steals.
• Holding down the defense is Sage Stobbart who leads the Aggies with 52 blocks, while also contributing 7.9 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game, 31 assists, and 19 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Aggies
Long Beach State and UC Davis will meet for the 42nd time in program history and the Aggies leads the all-time series 21-20. Earlier this season, LBSU and UCD split the series as the Aggies defeated the Beach, 68-58, on Jan. 29 at the Walter Pyramid, before Long Beach downed Davis, 65-60, at The Pavilion on March 3.Â
All-Conference Honors
The Big West Conference announced the 2021-22 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team and Specialty Awards on Monday evening and Long Beach State had three players honored.
Senior forward Maddi Utti was named Best Defensive Player, Big West Conference All-First Team, and to the All-Defensive Team. Junior guard Justina King was named to the Big West All-Conference Second Team, while junior guard Jasmine Hardy earned Honorable Mention status.
Utti earned the honors after leading the Beach in almost every statistical category. She is tops on the squad in points per game (14.0), rebounds per game (8.7), steals (77), and blocks (24). Utti ranks in the Top 10 in the Big West in each of those categories and leads the conference in steals per game (3.16), defensive rebounds per game (7.08), and minutes played per game (36.79). Her steals per game average ranks her sixth in the nation.
The Seaside, Ore., native has been an integral part of Long Beach's success this season as she has led the Beach in scoring 13 times, while leading the team in rebounding 23 times. She concluded the regular season with five 20-point performances and 18 double-digit point showings.Â
King was named to the Big West Second Team after leading the Beach and the Big West in assists per game with 4.50, while also leading the way in assist/turnover ratio (1.52). The product out of Scarborough, Canada is the Beach's second leading scorer with 11.8 points per game, while also adding 2.4 rebounds per game to go along with 57 steals, and four blocks. She has led LBSU in scoring on seven occasions, while also leading the squad in assists 15 times.
Hardy earned Honorable Mention status after a solid season in which she is averaging 10.4 points per game and 3.1 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Santa Clarita, Calif., native has accumulated 32 steals, 22 assists, and 10 blocks this season. She has made 44 three-point field goals to average 1.69 per game, which ranks her in the Top 10 in the Big West.Â
Cammon Gets Contract Extension
Long Beach State Women's Basketball Head Coach Jeff Cammon has signed a contract extension through the 2027 season, LBSU Executive Director of Athletics Andy Fee announced on Thursday.
"We are excited that Coach Cammon will continue to lead our women's basketball program," said Fee. "Coach Cammon is one of the most respected coaches in the game and his integrity and knowledge of the game are second to none. He does an outstanding job with our team on the court, while at the same time fostering excellence in the classroom and in the community. We are extremely fortunate to have him leading our program into the future."
Cammon is currently in his fifth season at the helm of the LBSU Women's Basketball program and owns a 19-7 overall record and an 12-6 Big West Conference ledger as the Beach heads into the Big West Conference Tournament.
The Beach started this season with an impressive 7-0 record en route to the program's best start under Cammon. Additionally, LBSU tied its best start since the 1985-86 season and are poised to head into the Big West Tournament as a Top 3 seed.
"I'm very blessed and humbled to have the opportunity to continue to lead our women's basketball program here at Long Beach State," said Cammon. "I'm proud of the culture that we've built from the ground up. I'm also proud of the growth our young ladies have made both on and off the court."
In his five seasons leading the Beach, Cammon's squads have continually improved, finishing with more victories, and earning a higher seed in each Big West Conference Tournament year after year.Â
In his first season, Cammon took a young squad that had 10 underclassmen and persevered through a tough start to ultimately win five of the team's final six games, showcasing the dedication and commitment to improvement which is a key part of the culture of the program.
Â
Under Cammon's tutelage, the Beach have garnered seven All-Big West Conference honorees, four Big West All-Freshman Team selections, 12 Academic All-Big West players, and the 2019 Big West Freshman of the Year in Justina King. King has continued to produce for Long Beach State as she became the 26th player in program history to reach the 1,000-career point milestone. She now has accumulated 1,260 career points to rank 12th all-time at the Beach.
Â
"I love Long Beach State" said Cammon. "There's no better place and no better people. I am grateful for the love and support (University President) Jane (Close Conoley) and (Executive Director of Athletics) Andy (Fee) have shown us. I truly appreciate their leadership. Though we have made progress, we know there's still a lot of work to be done. We look forward to the process!"
Defensively Strong
Long Beach State is a well-established defensive team that has led the Big West in steals multiple times over the last several seasons. This year the Beach are averaging a conference-leading 11.92 steals per game, which ranks them ninth in the nation. Long Beach State has forced their opponents into 21.69 turnovers per game, which is good for 12th in the country. Long Beach State is also third in the NCAA in turnover margin (+8.04). Individually, Maddi Utti leads the way for the Beach with a conference-leading 3.16 steals per game average, which ranks her sixth in the country.Â
King of the Court
Justina King has been solid, not just all season, but throughout her Long Beach State career. The junior guard from Scarborough, Canada has made her way into the LBSU Record Books with 1,281 career points to move up to 12th place all-time. If that weren't enough, she just cracked the top 10 in three-pointers made with 117, and free throws made with 296. Additionally, King leads the Beach with 117 assists to average a conference-leading 4.50 assists per set. Most recently, she was named to the All-Big West Second Team.
Hardy Makes it Look Easy
Junior Jasmine Hardy has recorded three 20-point games this season to bring her season average to 10.6 points per game. This year, Hardy has registered 12 double digit scoring games, and has led Long Beach State in scoring three times. With her career-high 29-point performance, she became just the fourth player in the Jeff Cammon era to score 25 or more points in a game. Hardy concluded the regular season with a Big West All-Conference Honorable Mention selectionÂ
Mad(di) Skills
Senior forward Maddi Utti has been outstanding for the Beach all season as she has been named Big West Player of the Week three times. On the year, she is averaging 13.8 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per game. Her rebounding average is good for tops on the team and second in the Big West. She also leads the Beach with 79 steals and 24 blocks. After pouring in a season-high 25 points and 12 rebounds against Hawaii, Utti has now recorded five 20-point performances. This season she owns 18 double-digit showings, nine double-figure rebounding games, and seven double-doubles. Utti has led the Beach in scoring 13 times this season and has led the squad in rebounding 23 times.
Berry Good
Ma'Qhi Berry has been an integral part for the Beach as she has consistently contributed on both sides of the ball in her Long Beach State career. At CSU Bakersfield, Berry poured in a season-high 18 points as she connected on 6-of-9 field goals, was 1-for-1 from beyond the arc, and 5-for-6 from the free throw line. With another outstanding showing, Berry is now averaging 8.0 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game this season.
Ki Component
Kianna Hamilton-Fisher has been a key component for the Beach as she has come off the bench and made an impact in each game thus far. Hamilton-Fisher is currently averaging 7.3 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 42 steals, 38 assists, and nine blocks.
Can I Get Some Assistance?
Justina King had a monster game at Cal State Fullerton as she distributed a career-high 10 assists against the Titans. She became the first Long Beach State Women's Basketball player since 2014 to record double-digit assists. King is now averaging 4.50 assists per game which leads the Big West Conference.
Next Up
With a win over UC Davis, Long Beach State would advance to the Semifinals in the Big West Tournament and play the winner of the No. 2 UC Irvine-No. 7 Cal State Fullerton/No. 10 Cal Poly game on Friday, March 11 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
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/ Women's Basketball'24 '25 Women's Basketball Home Schedule Reveal
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Women's Basketball Post Game Press Conference vs Hawaii
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