Thursday, December 28
Long Beach, Calif.
7:00 PM
Long Beach State University
vs
Cal State Fullerton
Photo by: John Fajardo
Beach Women’s Basketball Opens Big West Action Thursday Against Cal State Fullerton
12/27/2023 12:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Beach and the Titans tip-off on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid in The Big West opener
LONG BEACH STATE (5-5, 0-0 Big West) vs. CAL STATE FULLERTON (4-6, 0-0 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Jason Schwartz & Devin Hudson
Radio: 22 West Radio
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com/Tickets
Beach Women's Basketball Opens Big West Action Thursday Against Cal State Fullerton
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team kicks off Big West action on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m., when the Beach welcomes Cal State Fullerton to the Walter Pyramid.
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 5-5 overall record into Big West action. The Beach are currently tied for third place in the league standings.
• LBSU is coming off of a hard-fought 81-79 loss to No. 6 USC last Thursday. Despite out-shooting (42.2% - 33.3%)and out-rebounding (49-39) the Trojans, the Beach came up short in their final contest of the non-conference season.
• 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 74.7 points per game to lead the conference, while boasting a furious defense as junior guard Sydney Woodley leads The Big West in steals per game (3.1). 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 (14.6 ppg), Cheyenne Givens (11.0 ppg), and Sydney Woodley (10.9 ppg). Tucker is ranked seventh in The Big West.
• Tucker is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 14.6 points per game on a 39.4 (43-109) field goal percentage. Her 39.3 (22-56) three-point percentage and 80.9 (38-47) free throw percentage are good for third and fourth, respectively, in the conference. She also ranks seventh in the league with 2.2 made three-pointers per game.
• Givens is Long Beach State's second-leading scorer with 11.0 points per game on a 50.0 (41-82) field goal percentage which ranks her in the Top 5 in The Big West. In addition, Givens is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 17 assists, 15 steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 31, including a career-high tying seven swipes against Colorado State. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.1 steals per game, which ranks her 14th in the nation. Additionally, she contributes 10.9 points per game on a 48.4 (44-91) field goal percentage to come in sixth in the league.
• So far this season, 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 on Dec. 15. The Beach's leader in assists (29) is averaging 2.9 assists per game to rank seventh in The Big West. Additionally, Chung contributes 8.3 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game.
• Senior Casey Valenti Paea is coming off of a career night as she poured in a career-best 20 points Dec.16 against Pacific. With her hot offensive output, Valenti Paea is now averaging 8.5 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds per game, while totaling 20 assists and 15 steals.
• True freshman Jada Crawshaw has been a key component to Long Beach State as she has come off the bench in all 10 games this season and is leading the squad in rebounding (5.4 rpg). She also chips in 7.2 points per game, while adding seven blocks, seven steals, and five assists.
• 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 seven 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 10 games for LBSU thus far. On the year, she is averaging 5.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, while also adding nine assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 14.6 points per game on a 39.4 (43-109) field goal percentage. She also adds 46 boards, 14 assists, and 11 steals.
• Patricia Chung is Long Beach State's leader in assists as the junior guard has dished out 29 on the year. Additionally, she is averaging 8.3 points per game and 4.9 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 Dec. 15. Givens is the team's second leading scorer as she averages 11.0 points per game, while adding 2.5 rebounds per game, to go along with 15 steals, 17 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 Dec. 16 night to bring her points per game average up to 8.5. She also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 20 assists, 15 steals, and one block.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Sydney, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since found her groove averaging 7.2 points per game and a team-leading 5.4 rebounds per game. She also has chipped in seven blocks, seven steals, and five assists on the year.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in 6-of-10 of Long Beach's games this season and is second on 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 10 games for Long Beach State this season. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 31 swipes after tying her career-high (7) against Colorado State on Dec. 15. Woodley had a solid performance against the Rams as she also set a new career-high in points (19). She is now averaging 10.9 points points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 18 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 0.8 points per game and 0.7rebounds per game, while totaling two assists, one steal, and one block in just over 40 minutes played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. In 10 games thus far, she has become the team's leader in blocker with 10 on the year. She is coming off of a career-performance against San Francisco on Dec. 19 in which she led the team with eight rebounds and five assists, while adding 10 points - all of which set new career-highs for the 6-foot-3 forward out of Detroit, Mich.
Scouting Cal State Fullerton
• Cal State Fullerton opens conference action on the road at Long Beach State as the Titans bring a 4-6 overall record into the Walter Pyramid.
• The Titans are looking to snap a three-game losing skid in which they dropped games at California Baptist (73-68), at USC (93-44), and against Santa Clara (76-57) to close out the non-conference season.
• As a team, the Titans are averaging 59.2 points per game, while allowing 66.7 for a scoring margin of -7.5.
• From the field, Cal State Fullerton is shooting 38.9 (214-550) percent to go along with 33.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Titans average 13.2 assists, 16.6 turnovers, 7.8 steals, and 3.2 blocks per game this season.
• The Titans have two double-figure scorers led by Gabi Vidmar (12.5 ppg) and Hope Hassmann (11.9 ppg).
• Vidmar is also the team leader in steals (19), while chipping in 43 rebounds, 26 assists and five blocks.
• Hassmann, meanwhile, leads Fullerton with 29 assists to go along with 29 rebounds, and eight steals.
• Ashlee Lewis is third on the squad with 9.9 points per game, while also leading the Titans with 8.3 rebounds per game and 15 blocks on the year. Lewis also contributes nine assists and seven steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Titans
Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton will meet for the 126th time in program history. In a series that dates back to the 1965-66 season, the Beach leads the all-time series 82-43 and have won the last six meetings against the Titans. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads the way with a 45-13 record. The Titans are looking for their first win over the Beach since 2020 when Cal State Fullerton earned a 69-65 victory over LBSU on January 11 at Titan Gym.
The Beach In Big West Openers
Long Beach State owns a 25-13 record in Big West openers and are riding a five-game winning streak in conference-opening games. When opening The Big West against Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State holds a record of 3-0. In Big West home openers, LBSU is 24-11. The Beach has only opened the conference season at home against Cal State Fullerton once before. Back in 1996, the Beach took down the Titans in a 102-94 overtime victory in Long Beach, Calif.
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."
20/20 Vision
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. 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 14.6 points per game.
Tucker isn't the only Long Beach State player dropping 20 points. On December 16 against Pacific, senior guard Casey Valenti Paea 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 8.5 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 29 helpers to average 2.9 assists per game to rank seventh in The Big West. In addition, Chung also contributes 8.3 points per game and 4.9 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. Her season total is now a team-leading 10 as she ranks sixth in The Big West with 1.0 blocks per game. Additionally, Matthews is chipping in 4.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 points per game on the year.
Getting Defensive
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads the Beach in steals (31), while her 3.1 steals per game average tops The Big Wests and ranks her 14th in the nation. On Dec. 15, 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 9.7 steals per game this season.
The Best In The (Big) West
As we head into the conference season, 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 (74.7), rebounding offense (40.5), offensive rebounds per game (12.6), and defensive rebounds per game (27.9).
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 continues Big West action on the road as the Beach take on CSUN on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. at Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge, Calif. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Date: Thursday, Dec. 28
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Long Beach, Calif.
Venue: Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
TV Talent: Jason Schwartz & Devin Hudson
Radio: 22 West Radio
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Tickets: LongBeachState.com/Tickets
Beach Women's Basketball Opens Big West Action Thursday Against Cal State Fullerton
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team kicks off Big West action on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m., when the Beach welcomes Cal State Fullerton to the Walter Pyramid.
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 5-5 overall record into Big West action. The Beach are currently tied for third place in the league standings.
• LBSU is coming off of a hard-fought 81-79 loss to No. 6 USC last Thursday. Despite out-shooting (42.2% - 33.3%)and out-rebounding (49-39) the Trojans, the Beach came up short in their final contest of the non-conference season.
• 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 74.7 points per game to lead the conference, while boasting a furious defense as junior guard Sydney Woodley leads The Big West in steals per game (3.1). 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 (14.6 ppg), Cheyenne Givens (11.0 ppg), and Sydney Woodley (10.9 ppg). Tucker is ranked seventh in The Big West.
• Tucker is the Beach's leading scorer as she averages 14.6 points per game on a 39.4 (43-109) field goal percentage. Her 39.3 (22-56) three-point percentage and 80.9 (38-47) free throw percentage are good for third and fourth, respectively, in the conference. She also ranks seventh in the league with 2.2 made three-pointers per game.
• Givens is Long Beach State's second-leading scorer with 11.0 points per game on a 50.0 (41-82) field goal percentage which ranks her in the Top 5 in The Big West. In addition, Givens is averaging 2.5 rebounds per game to go along with 17 assists, 15 steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 31, including a career-high tying seven swipes against Colorado State. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.1 steals per game, which ranks her 14th in the nation. Additionally, she contributes 10.9 points per game on a 48.4 (44-91) field goal percentage to come in sixth in the league.
• So far this season, 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 on Dec. 15. The Beach's leader in assists (29) is averaging 2.9 assists per game to rank seventh in The Big West. Additionally, Chung contributes 8.3 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game.
• Senior Casey Valenti Paea is coming off of a career night as she poured in a career-best 20 points Dec.16 against Pacific. With her hot offensive output, Valenti Paea is now averaging 8.5 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds per game, while totaling 20 assists and 15 steals.
• True freshman Jada Crawshaw has been a key component to Long Beach State as she has come off the bench in all 10 games this season and is leading the squad in rebounding (5.4 rpg). She also chips in 7.2 points per game, while adding seven blocks, seven steals, and five assists.
• 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 seven 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 10 games for LBSU thus far. On the year, she is averaging 5.5 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, while also adding nine assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 14.6 points per game on a 39.4 (43-109) field goal percentage. She also adds 46 boards, 14 assists, and 11 steals.
• Patricia Chung is Long Beach State's leader in assists as the junior guard has dished out 29 on the year. Additionally, she is averaging 8.3 points per game and 4.9 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 Dec. 15. Givens is the team's second leading scorer as she averages 11.0 points per game, while adding 2.5 rebounds per game, to go along with 15 steals, 17 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 Dec. 16 night to bring her points per game average up to 8.5. She also contributes 3.1 rebounds per game, to go along with 20 assists, 15 steals, and one block.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Sydney, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since found her groove averaging 7.2 points per game and a team-leading 5.4 rebounds per game. She also has chipped in seven blocks, seven steals, and five assists on the year.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in 6-of-10 of Long Beach's games this season and is second on 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 10 games for Long Beach State this season. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 31 swipes after tying her career-high (7) against Colorado State on Dec. 15. Woodley had a solid performance against the Rams as she also set a new career-high in points (19). She is now averaging 10.9 points points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game, to go along with 18 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 0.8 points per game and 0.7rebounds per game, while totaling two assists, one steal, and one block in just over 40 minutes played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. In 10 games thus far, she has become the team's leader in blocker with 10 on the year. She is coming off of a career-performance against San Francisco on Dec. 19 in which she led the team with eight rebounds and five assists, while adding 10 points - all of which set new career-highs for the 6-foot-3 forward out of Detroit, Mich.
Scouting Cal State Fullerton
• Cal State Fullerton opens conference action on the road at Long Beach State as the Titans bring a 4-6 overall record into the Walter Pyramid.
• The Titans are looking to snap a three-game losing skid in which they dropped games at California Baptist (73-68), at USC (93-44), and against Santa Clara (76-57) to close out the non-conference season.
• As a team, the Titans are averaging 59.2 points per game, while allowing 66.7 for a scoring margin of -7.5.
• From the field, Cal State Fullerton is shooting 38.9 (214-550) percent to go along with 33.7 rebounds per game. Additionally, the Titans average 13.2 assists, 16.6 turnovers, 7.8 steals, and 3.2 blocks per game this season.
• The Titans have two double-figure scorers led by Gabi Vidmar (12.5 ppg) and Hope Hassmann (11.9 ppg).
• Vidmar is also the team leader in steals (19), while chipping in 43 rebounds, 26 assists and five blocks.
• Hassmann, meanwhile, leads Fullerton with 29 assists to go along with 29 rebounds, and eight steals.
• Ashlee Lewis is third on the squad with 9.9 points per game, while also leading the Titans with 8.3 rebounds per game and 15 blocks on the year. Lewis also contributes nine assists and seven steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Titans
Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton will meet for the 126th time in program history. In a series that dates back to the 1965-66 season, the Beach leads the all-time series 82-43 and have won the last six meetings against the Titans. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU leads the way with a 45-13 record. The Titans are looking for their first win over the Beach since 2020 when Cal State Fullerton earned a 69-65 victory over LBSU on January 11 at Titan Gym.
The Beach In Big West Openers
Long Beach State owns a 25-13 record in Big West openers and are riding a five-game winning streak in conference-opening games. When opening The Big West against Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State holds a record of 3-0. In Big West home openers, LBSU is 24-11. The Beach has only opened the conference season at home against Cal State Fullerton once before. Back in 1996, the Beach took down the Titans in a 102-94 overtime victory in Long Beach, Calif.
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."
20/20 Vision
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. 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 14.6 points per game.
Tucker isn't the only Long Beach State player dropping 20 points. On December 16 against Pacific, senior guard Casey Valenti Paea 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 8.5 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 29 helpers to average 2.9 assists per game to rank seventh in The Big West. In addition, Chung also contributes 8.3 points per game and 4.9 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. Her season total is now a team-leading 10 as she ranks sixth in The Big West with 1.0 blocks per game. Additionally, Matthews is chipping in 4.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 points per game on the year.
Getting Defensive
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads the Beach in steals (31), while her 3.1 steals per game average tops The Big Wests and ranks her 14th in the nation. On Dec. 15, 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 9.7 steals per game this season.
The Best In The (Big) West
As we head into the conference season, 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 (74.7), rebounding offense (40.5), offensive rebounds per game (12.6), and defensive rebounds per game (27.9).
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 continues Big West action on the road as the Beach take on CSUN on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. at Premier America Credit Union Arena in Northridge, Calif. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
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