Tuesday, December 19
Long Beach, Calif.
4:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
San Francisco
Photo by: John Fajardo
Beach Women’s Basketball Hosts San Francisco On Tuesday At The Walter Pyramid
12/18/2023 4:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Beach and the Dons will square off at 4 p.m. on Tuesday in a doubleheader with the men's basketball team
LONG BEACH STATE (4-4) vs. SAN FRANCISCO (3-7)
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 19
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Jason Schwartz & Devin Hudson
Radio: 22 West Radio
Radio Talent: Kaylee Gallagher & Elmira Darmanian
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com/Tickets
Beach Women's Basketball Hosts San Francisco On Tuesday At The Walter Pyramid
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team is in the midst of its longest homestand of the year a the Beach welcome the University of San Francisco to the Walter Pyramid for a Tuesday, Dec. 19 contest. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m., as it is the first game of a doubleheader with the LBSU Men's Basketball team.
Catch All the Action
All Long Beach State home games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $9.99 per month ($99.99 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 $14.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $24.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow live stats via 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.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 4-4 overall record into the contest against the University of San Francisco.
• LBSU is coming off of a 1-1 week in which they picked up a 77-76 victory over Colorado State, before dropping a 90-86 contest to Pacific at The Beach Classic.
• The Beach opened the 2023-24 campaign with an 82-62 victory over Biola marking the first of Head Coach Amy Wright's collegiate coaching career.
• Long Beach State has had a few key wins this season knocking off Nevada in convincing fashion, 79-52, before handing Colorado State their first loss of the year as the Beach earned their first-ever win over the Rams with an exciting 77-76 victory.
• Long Beach State's motto is to play "Fast, Furious, and Fun." So far, the Beach has showcased a fast offense as they average 73.6 points per game, while boasting a furious defense as junior guard Sydney Woodley leads The Big West in steals per game (3.0). Additionally, the Beach also brings a lot of fun both on and off the court as the team goes out into the stands after every home game for a "3-Minute Drill" in which they meet and mingle with the fans.
• LBSU has three double-figure scorers in Savannah Tucker (14.0 ppg), Cheyenne Givens (12.8 ppg), and Sydney Woodley (10.5 ppg). Tucker and Givens are ranked eighth and 10th in The Big West, respectively.
• Tucker is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 14.0 points per game on a 41.6 field goal percentage (37-89). Her 39.0 (16-41) three-point percentage, and 73.3 (22-30) free throw percentage are good for sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference. She also adds 4.3 rebounds per game, while chipping in 12 assists and nine steals.
• Givens is Long Beach State's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per game on a 51.4 field goal percentage (37-72) which ranks her in the Top 5 in The Big West. In addition, Givens is averaging 2.4 rebounds per game to go along with 13 assists, 12 steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 24, including a career-high tying seven swipes against Colorado State. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.0 steals per game, which ranks her 20th in the nation. Additionally, she contributes 10.5 points per game on a 46.7 (35-75) field goal percentage to come in sixth in the league.
• In just eight games played, junior Patricia Chung has recorded a pair of career-highs as she dished out eight assists in the season opener against Biola before picking up 10 rebounds against Colorado State. The Beach's leader in assists (24) is averaging 3.0 assists per game with a 0.9 assists/turnover ratio to rank ninth and eight, respectively, in The Big West. Additionally, Chung contributes 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Senior Casey Valenti Paea is coming off of a career night as she went off for a 20-point performance on Saturday against Pacific. With her hot offensive output, Valenti Paea is now averaging 8.6 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds per game, while totaling 17 assists and 12 steals.
• Joining Coach Wright on the bench this season is a brand new coaching staff comprised of Brian Rosario, Jashae Lee, and Raru Archer, while Brittany Klaman will be the squad's director of operations.
• The Beach have been picked to finish seventh in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with a total of 45 points. Hawaii, which garnered 95 points and six first-place votes was chosen as the league winner. Meanwhile UC Irvine (88 points, two first-place votes) and UC Davis (85 points, three first-place votes) were expected to finish second and third to round out the top three.
Player Notes
• Lauren Cummings is an incoming freshman guard who hails from Billings, Mont. The 6-foot Cummings made her collegiate debut in the season opener against Biola and recorded her first career rebound. Since then, she has seen limited action coming in off the bench in six games and playing in just over 14 minutes of action.
• Lovely Sonnier came to the Beach after playing two years at South Carolina State. The junior guard has started in all eight games for LBSU thus far. On the year, she is averaging 4.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, while also adding eight assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 14.0 points per game on a 45.6 field goal percentage (37-89). She also adds 34 boards, 12 assists, and nine steals.
• Patricia Chung is Long Beach State's leader in assists as the junior guard has dished out 24 on the year. Additionally, she is averaging 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Cheyenne Givens is a graduate transfer who has been heating up offensively. She is coming off of a career-high 19-point performance against Colorado State on Friday night. Givens is the team's second leading scorer as she averages 12.8 points per game, while adding 2.4 rebounds per game, to go along with 12 steals, 13 assists, and three blocks.
• Kennan Ka earned the start in the Long Beach State season opener against Biola and played in two minutes and 30 seconds before leaving the court due to a season-ending injury.
• After redshirting for the Beach a year ago, Casey Valenti Paea made her long awaited LBSU debut against Biola and earned her first start in Black and Gold against Nevada. She turned in a career-best performance with 20 points versus Pacific on Saturday night to bring her points per game average up to 8.6. She also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 17 assists and 12 steals.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Sydney, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since averaged 6.0 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, while also chipping in five blocks, five assists, and four steals.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in 6-of-8 of Long Beach's games this season and is leading the Beach in rebounding (4.8). However, she will be unavailable tonight due to an injury to her foot.
• Sydney Woodley has started in all eight games for Long Beach State. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 24 swipes after tying her career-high (7) against Colorado State on Friday night. Woodley had a solid performance against the Rams as she also set a new career-high in points (19). She is now averaging 10.5 points points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, to go along with 12 assists.
• Olivia Moore redshirted last season at Long Beach State and made her collegiate debut for the Beach in the season opener against Biola. On the year she is averaging 1.0 points per game and 0.6 rebounds per game, while totaling two assists, one steal, and one block in just over 35 minutes played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. In eight games thus far, she has become the team's leader in blocker with 10 on the year. Additionally, Matthews contributes 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 points per game.
Scouting San Francisco
• San Francisco brings a 3-7 overall record into the game against Long Beach State.
• The Dons are coming off of a 74-63 victory at Portland State on Saturday, which snapped a three-game losing skid.
• Against Big West competition this season, the Dons are 0-3, with losses coming at UC Santa Barbara,, 87-75, at Hawaii, 65-51, and against Cal State Fullerton, 54-48.
• As a team, the Dons are averaging 65.2 points per game, while allowing 69.2.
• From the field, San Francisco is shooting 38.0 percent to go along with 38.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Dons average 15.1 assists, 18.0 turnovers, 7.2 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game this season.
• The Dons have two double-figure scorers in Jasmine Gayles (14.7 ppg) and Debora Dos Santos (12.7 ppg).
• Dos Santos is also the team's leading rebounder with 9.7 boards per game. She also leads the Dons with 16 steals and 10 blocks.
• Luana Leite leads San Francisco with 33 assists, while adding 8.0 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. She also adds 13 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Dons
Long Beach State and San Francisco will meet for the 14th time in program history. In a series that dates back to 1980, the Beach leads the all-time series 7-6. However, the Dons have won the last three meetings including a 74-50 win in San Francisco, Calif., last season. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads the way with a 4-2 record. The Beach are looking for their first win over the Dons since 2014 when Long Beach earned a 70-58 victory over USF on December 7 inside the Walter Pyramid.
Fast, Furious, and Fun
When asked what to expect from the Beach this season, sophomore forward Abby Shoff responded, "Fast, furious, and fun! That's really what we are. We're very energized. You can tell we're having a lot of fun out there."
Coach Wright expanded saying, "(The fans) should expect games in the 80s and 90s. A lot of threes going up. A lot of quick buckets. Playing fast is us trying to score between 8-12 seconds on the shot clock. So, we want to get the ball up and take a really good shot. We want to share the basketball.
"Furious is defensively, we want to get after you," Wright continued. "We want to create havoc on that end. We've got to have a chip on our shoulder. Not necessarily playing mad, but playing hectic. Playing with intentionality of being disruptive.
"And finally, fun explains itself. This is a game. The players should be having fun. The coaches should be having fun. The fans should be having fun. If we're playing the game the right way, it's going to be fun."
Twenty Spots
Junior guard Savannah Tucker wasted no time dropping 20 points as she kicked off the 2023-24 season scoring a career-high 25 points against Biola. Just last week at No. 5 Texas, Tucker went off again for 22 points to lead all scorers. The performance marked the third 20-plus point showing of her career as she previously dropped 20 at UC Riverside on March 5, 2022 during her freshman campaign. Now as a junior, Tucker has started in every game thus far and is the Beach's leading scorer with 14.0 points per game.
Tucker isn't the only Long Beach State player dropping 20 points. Just last weekend against Pacific, senior guard Casey Valenti Paea went off as she recorded a career-best 20 points. Against the Tigers, Valenti Paea shot 57.1 (8-14) from the field and 60.0 (3-5) from long distance to lead the Beach. With her solid offensive showing, she is now averaging 8.6 points per game on the year.
Do You Need Some Assistance?
Junior guard Patricia Chung opened the 2023-24 campaign setting a new career-high as she dished out eight assists against Biola on November 8. She has since racked up 24 helpers to average 3.0 assists per game to rank ninth in The Big West. In addition, Chung also contributes 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, to go along with four steals.
Block Party
After playing in just two games last year, before her season was cut short due to injury, sophomore Davai Matthews has come back stronger than ever. The Detroit, Mich., native posted a career-high six blocks at Fresno State to bring her season total to nine. She is now fourth in The Big West with 1.3 blocks per game. Additionally, Matthews is chipping in 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 points per game on the year.
Getting Defensive
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads the Beach in steals (24), while her 3.0 steals per game average tops The Big Wests and ranks her 20th in the nation. Just last weekend, Woodley tied her career-high with seven swipes against Colorado State to lead Long Beach State to their first win over the Rams in program history, while handing CSU their first loss of year. With Woodley leading the way, Long Beach comes in third in the conference with 9.88 steals per game this season.
The Best In The (Big) West
Just over one month into the season and Long Beach State has already established itself as one of the top teams in The Big West. The Beach lead the conference in four statistical categories as the come in first in scoring offense (73.6), rebounding offense (40.0), offensive rebounds per game (12.5), and defensive rebounds per game (27.5).
The Aussie Connection
Despite their being an 8,150-mile distance between Long Beach, Calif., and Australia, there is an Aussie connection at the Beach. Last season, when junior guard Casey Valenti Paea joined the squad from Melbourne, Australia by way of the University at Buffalo, she was the only one on the roster from Down Under. However, this season two more Aussies have joined her on the team in freshman forward Jada Crawshaw and director of operations Brittany Klaman.
Crawshaw hails from Sydney where she prepped at Barker College. She also gained experience playing for the Sydney Comets and the Sydney Flames. A a naturally gifted player, Crawshaw went on to be selected to the All-Australia Team and earned a spot on the U19 Aus Gems squad where she competed at the Centre of Excellence on one of four junior national team camps.
Klaman is originally from Point Cook in Melbourne where she played at Williamstown High School before heading to the United States for her collegiate career. In college, Klaman played at Eastern Washington and California Baptist, before joining the Long Beach State staff.
Team Identity
LB Grit has been long associated with the Long Beach State Men's Volleyball program. However, when asked to describe her team's identity, Coach Wright was quick to say, "Gritty. Scrappy. Chippy." She went on to explain that her current team is filled with physical players who "get in there and tangle up, and talk their talk." Wright likes the hard-nosed, blue collar style of play her team has on the court. "Those three words explain the personality of this team. And you've got to be that way. If you're going to be running fast, shooting these shots, and guarding hard, you've got to play with a little chip on your shoulder."
Pack The Pyramid
Long Beach State Women's Basketball is looking to Pack the Pyramid this year and set new attendance records inside the 'Mid. This year's staff and players are excited for the new team look, new style of play, and all around brand new identity. Junior guard Savannah Tucker thinks the Beach fans "can expect to see us get up and down the court, have lots of energy, and just get out there and have fun. It's a fun game to play and it's going to be a fun game to watch."
Adding to that, sophomore forward Abby Shoff said, "I feel like we're gelling great. We have a true sisterhood. It's a real family-like atmosphere. I'm very grateful. I'm looking forward to creating new memories with this team. I think we'll have a great season!"
Wright wants fans to Pack the Pyramid all season long. "Come out and see us play. Give us a chance. I understand there's a lot going on in this area, but I promise you, you will be entertained. You will want to be a part of what we're building here at Long Beach State."
Next Up
Long Beach State will close the non-conference season with a game against No. 6 USC on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 19
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Jason Schwartz & Devin Hudson
Radio: 22 West Radio
Radio Talent: Kaylee Gallagher & Elmira Darmanian
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com/Tickets
Beach Women's Basketball Hosts San Francisco On Tuesday At The Walter Pyramid
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team is in the midst of its longest homestand of the year a the Beach welcome the University of San Francisco to the Walter Pyramid for a Tuesday, Dec. 19 contest. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m., as it is the first game of a doubleheader with the LBSU Men's Basketball team.
Catch All the Action
All Long Beach State home games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can sign up for ESPN+ for $9.99 per month ($99.99 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 $14.99 per month (Hulu with ads) or $24.99 per month (Hulu without ads). Fans can also follow live stats via 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.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 4-4 overall record into the contest against the University of San Francisco.
• LBSU is coming off of a 1-1 week in which they picked up a 77-76 victory over Colorado State, before dropping a 90-86 contest to Pacific at The Beach Classic.
• The Beach opened the 2023-24 campaign with an 82-62 victory over Biola marking the first of Head Coach Amy Wright's collegiate coaching career.
• Long Beach State has had a few key wins this season knocking off Nevada in convincing fashion, 79-52, before handing Colorado State their first loss of the year as the Beach earned their first-ever win over the Rams with an exciting 77-76 victory.
• Long Beach State's motto is to play "Fast, Furious, and Fun." So far, the Beach has showcased a fast offense as they average 73.6 points per game, while boasting a furious defense as junior guard Sydney Woodley leads The Big West in steals per game (3.0). Additionally, the Beach also brings a lot of fun both on and off the court as the team goes out into the stands after every home game for a "3-Minute Drill" in which they meet and mingle with the fans.
• LBSU has three double-figure scorers in Savannah Tucker (14.0 ppg), Cheyenne Givens (12.8 ppg), and Sydney Woodley (10.5 ppg). Tucker and Givens are ranked eighth and 10th in The Big West, respectively.
• Tucker is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 14.0 points per game on a 41.6 field goal percentage (37-89). Her 39.0 (16-41) three-point percentage, and 73.3 (22-30) free throw percentage are good for sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference. She also adds 4.3 rebounds per game, while chipping in 12 assists and nine steals.
• Givens is Long Beach State's second-leading scorer with 12.8 points per game on a 51.4 field goal percentage (37-72) which ranks her in the Top 5 in The Big West. In addition, Givens is averaging 2.4 rebounds per game to go along with 13 assists, 12 steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 24, including a career-high tying seven swipes against Colorado State. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.0 steals per game, which ranks her 20th in the nation. Additionally, she contributes 10.5 points per game on a 46.7 (35-75) field goal percentage to come in sixth in the league.
• In just eight games played, junior Patricia Chung has recorded a pair of career-highs as she dished out eight assists in the season opener against Biola before picking up 10 rebounds against Colorado State. The Beach's leader in assists (24) is averaging 3.0 assists per game with a 0.9 assists/turnover ratio to rank ninth and eight, respectively, in The Big West. Additionally, Chung contributes 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Senior Casey Valenti Paea is coming off of a career night as she went off for a 20-point performance on Saturday against Pacific. With her hot offensive output, Valenti Paea is now averaging 8.6 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds per game, while totaling 17 assists and 12 steals.
• Joining Coach Wright on the bench this season is a brand new coaching staff comprised of Brian Rosario, Jashae Lee, and Raru Archer, while Brittany Klaman will be the squad's director of operations.
• The Beach have been picked to finish seventh in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll with a total of 45 points. Hawaii, which garnered 95 points and six first-place votes was chosen as the league winner. Meanwhile UC Irvine (88 points, two first-place votes) and UC Davis (85 points, three first-place votes) were expected to finish second and third to round out the top three.
Player Notes
• Lauren Cummings is an incoming freshman guard who hails from Billings, Mont. The 6-foot Cummings made her collegiate debut in the season opener against Biola and recorded her first career rebound. Since then, she has seen limited action coming in off the bench in six games and playing in just over 14 minutes of action.
• Lovely Sonnier came to the Beach after playing two years at South Carolina State. The junior guard has started in all eight games for LBSU thus far. On the year, she is averaging 4.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, while also adding eight assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 14.0 points per game on a 45.6 field goal percentage (37-89). She also adds 34 boards, 12 assists, and nine steals.
• Patricia Chung is Long Beach State's leader in assists as the junior guard has dished out 24 on the year. Additionally, she is averaging 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.
• Cheyenne Givens is a graduate transfer who has been heating up offensively. She is coming off of a career-high 19-point performance against Colorado State on Friday night. Givens is the team's second leading scorer as she averages 12.8 points per game, while adding 2.4 rebounds per game, to go along with 12 steals, 13 assists, and three blocks.
• Kennan Ka earned the start in the Long Beach State season opener against Biola and played in two minutes and 30 seconds before leaving the court due to a season-ending injury.
• After redshirting for the Beach a year ago, Casey Valenti Paea made her long awaited LBSU debut against Biola and earned her first start in Black and Gold against Nevada. She turned in a career-best performance with 20 points versus Pacific on Saturday night to bring her points per game average up to 8.6. She also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 17 assists and 12 steals.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Sydney, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since averaged 6.0 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game, while also chipping in five blocks, five assists, and four steals.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in 6-of-8 of Long Beach's games this season and is leading the Beach in rebounding (4.8). However, she will be unavailable tonight due to an injury to her foot.
• Sydney Woodley has started in all eight games for Long Beach State. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 24 swipes after tying her career-high (7) against Colorado State on Friday night. Woodley had a solid performance against the Rams as she also set a new career-high in points (19). She is now averaging 10.5 points points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, to go along with 12 assists.
• Olivia Moore redshirted last season at Long Beach State and made her collegiate debut for the Beach in the season opener against Biola. On the year she is averaging 1.0 points per game and 0.6 rebounds per game, while totaling two assists, one steal, and one block in just over 35 minutes played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. In eight games thus far, she has become the team's leader in blocker with 10 on the year. Additionally, Matthews contributes 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 points per game.
Scouting San Francisco
• San Francisco brings a 3-7 overall record into the game against Long Beach State.
• The Dons are coming off of a 74-63 victory at Portland State on Saturday, which snapped a three-game losing skid.
• Against Big West competition this season, the Dons are 0-3, with losses coming at UC Santa Barbara,, 87-75, at Hawaii, 65-51, and against Cal State Fullerton, 54-48.
• As a team, the Dons are averaging 65.2 points per game, while allowing 69.2.
• From the field, San Francisco is shooting 38.0 percent to go along with 38.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Dons average 15.1 assists, 18.0 turnovers, 7.2 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game this season.
• The Dons have two double-figure scorers in Jasmine Gayles (14.7 ppg) and Debora Dos Santos (12.7 ppg).
• Dos Santos is also the team's leading rebounder with 9.7 boards per game. She also leads the Dons with 16 steals and 10 blocks.
• Luana Leite leads San Francisco with 33 assists, while adding 8.0 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. She also adds 13 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Dons
Long Beach State and San Francisco will meet for the 14th time in program history. In a series that dates back to 1980, the Beach leads the all-time series 7-6. However, the Dons have won the last three meetings including a 74-50 win in San Francisco, Calif., last season. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads the way with a 4-2 record. The Beach are looking for their first win over the Dons since 2014 when Long Beach earned a 70-58 victory over USF on December 7 inside the Walter Pyramid.
Fast, Furious, and Fun
When asked what to expect from the Beach this season, sophomore forward Abby Shoff responded, "Fast, furious, and fun! That's really what we are. We're very energized. You can tell we're having a lot of fun out there."
Coach Wright expanded saying, "(The fans) should expect games in the 80s and 90s. A lot of threes going up. A lot of quick buckets. Playing fast is us trying to score between 8-12 seconds on the shot clock. So, we want to get the ball up and take a really good shot. We want to share the basketball.
"Furious is defensively, we want to get after you," Wright continued. "We want to create havoc on that end. We've got to have a chip on our shoulder. Not necessarily playing mad, but playing hectic. Playing with intentionality of being disruptive.
"And finally, fun explains itself. This is a game. The players should be having fun. The coaches should be having fun. The fans should be having fun. If we're playing the game the right way, it's going to be fun."
Twenty Spots
Junior guard Savannah Tucker wasted no time dropping 20 points as she kicked off the 2023-24 season scoring a career-high 25 points against Biola. Just last week at No. 5 Texas, Tucker went off again for 22 points to lead all scorers. The performance marked the third 20-plus point showing of her career as she previously dropped 20 at UC Riverside on March 5, 2022 during her freshman campaign. Now as a junior, Tucker has started in every game thus far and is the Beach's leading scorer with 14.0 points per game.
Tucker isn't the only Long Beach State player dropping 20 points. Just last weekend against Pacific, senior guard Casey Valenti Paea went off as she recorded a career-best 20 points. Against the Tigers, Valenti Paea shot 57.1 (8-14) from the field and 60.0 (3-5) from long distance to lead the Beach. With her solid offensive showing, she is now averaging 8.6 points per game on the year.
Do You Need Some Assistance?
Junior guard Patricia Chung opened the 2023-24 campaign setting a new career-high as she dished out eight assists against Biola on November 8. She has since racked up 24 helpers to average 3.0 assists per game to rank ninth in The Big West. In addition, Chung also contributes 7.8 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game, to go along with four steals.
Block Party
After playing in just two games last year, before her season was cut short due to injury, sophomore Davai Matthews has come back stronger than ever. The Detroit, Mich., native posted a career-high six blocks at Fresno State to bring her season total to nine. She is now fourth in The Big West with 1.3 blocks per game. Additionally, Matthews is chipping in 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.5 points per game on the year.
Getting Defensive
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads the Beach in steals (24), while her 3.0 steals per game average tops The Big Wests and ranks her 20th in the nation. Just last weekend, Woodley tied her career-high with seven swipes against Colorado State to lead Long Beach State to their first win over the Rams in program history, while handing CSU their first loss of year. With Woodley leading the way, Long Beach comes in third in the conference with 9.88 steals per game this season.
The Best In The (Big) West
Just over one month into the season and Long Beach State has already established itself as one of the top teams in The Big West. The Beach lead the conference in four statistical categories as the come in first in scoring offense (73.6), rebounding offense (40.0), offensive rebounds per game (12.5), and defensive rebounds per game (27.5).
The Aussie Connection
Despite their being an 8,150-mile distance between Long Beach, Calif., and Australia, there is an Aussie connection at the Beach. Last season, when junior guard Casey Valenti Paea joined the squad from Melbourne, Australia by way of the University at Buffalo, she was the only one on the roster from Down Under. However, this season two more Aussies have joined her on the team in freshman forward Jada Crawshaw and director of operations Brittany Klaman.
Crawshaw hails from Sydney where she prepped at Barker College. She also gained experience playing for the Sydney Comets and the Sydney Flames. A a naturally gifted player, Crawshaw went on to be selected to the All-Australia Team and earned a spot on the U19 Aus Gems squad where she competed at the Centre of Excellence on one of four junior national team camps.
Klaman is originally from Point Cook in Melbourne where she played at Williamstown High School before heading to the United States for her collegiate career. In college, Klaman played at Eastern Washington and California Baptist, before joining the Long Beach State staff.
Team Identity
LB Grit has been long associated with the Long Beach State Men's Volleyball program. However, when asked to describe her team's identity, Coach Wright was quick to say, "Gritty. Scrappy. Chippy." She went on to explain that her current team is filled with physical players who "get in there and tangle up, and talk their talk." Wright likes the hard-nosed, blue collar style of play her team has on the court. "Those three words explain the personality of this team. And you've got to be that way. If you're going to be running fast, shooting these shots, and guarding hard, you've got to play with a little chip on your shoulder."
Pack The Pyramid
Long Beach State Women's Basketball is looking to Pack the Pyramid this year and set new attendance records inside the 'Mid. This year's staff and players are excited for the new team look, new style of play, and all around brand new identity. Junior guard Savannah Tucker thinks the Beach fans "can expect to see us get up and down the court, have lots of energy, and just get out there and have fun. It's a fun game to play and it's going to be a fun game to watch."
Adding to that, sophomore forward Abby Shoff said, "I feel like we're gelling great. We have a true sisterhood. It's a real family-like atmosphere. I'm very grateful. I'm looking forward to creating new memories with this team. I think we'll have a great season!"
Wright wants fans to Pack the Pyramid all season long. "Come out and see us play. Give us a chance. I understand there's a lot going on in this area, but I promise you, you will be entertained. You will want to be a part of what we're building here at Long Beach State."
Next Up
Long Beach State will close the non-conference season with a game against No. 6 USC on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 2 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid. The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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