Thursday, March 16
San Diego, Calif.
6 p.m.
Long Beach State University
at
San Diego
Photo by: John Fajardo
Long Beach State Women’s Hoops Set to Face San Diego in the WNIT First Round
3/15/2023 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Beach will face the Toreros on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego
LONG BEACH STATE (23-9) @ SAN DIEGO (17-13)
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Venue: Jenny Craig Pavilion
Live Stats: USDToreros.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
Long Beach State Women's Hoops Set to Face San Diego in the WNIT First Round
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team earned an at-large bid into the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) marking the sixth time in program history the Beach will make an appearance in the WNIT. LBSU will play San Diego on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m., at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at
@LBSUWBB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State has played two ranked teams this season so far in then-No. 18 Arizona in Tucson and then-No. 24 Baylor in Waco. The Beach suffered a pair of road losses to both the Wildcats and the Bears. Since then, Arizona has dropped to No. 24 in the AP Poll, while Baylor has dropped out of the rankings, but is receiving votes in the USA Today/WBCA Poll.
Earlier this season, LBSU opened the season against then-unranked Gonzaga and dropped an 80-54 decision on the road. However, since the season opener on November 10, the Bulldogs have moved into the national rankings coming in at No. 16 in the latest AP Poll.
In the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, Gonzaga is ranked third, while UC Irvine comes in at No. 23. Meanwhile, Long Beach State is receiving votes after going on a 15-game winning streak from January 12 - March 2, including a victory over the Anteaters on February 4. Also receiving votes is Big West Tournament Champion, Hawaii, which defeated the Beach in the conference tournament en route to punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 23-9 overall record into the WNIT.
• With a 17-3 Big West ledger, the Beach earned the No. 2 seed in The Big West Championships and advanced to the Semifinals for the first time under sixth-year Head Coach Jeff Cammon.
• LBSU will be making its sixth WNIT appearance in program history. Overall, the Beach are 2-5 in the WNIT.
• This is the second-straight season Long Beach State has advanced to the WNIT.
• Last season, Long Beach State faced Oregon State in the WNIT First Round and dropped a 70-59 decision in Corvallis, Ore.
• Long Beach State is looking for its first WNIT victory since 2000, when the Beach defeated New Mexico, 87-63, in the First Round, and Saint Mary's, 73-48, in the Second Round, before falling in the Third Round to Colorado State, 65-63.
• With 23 wins on the year, Long Beach State has reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2016-17 season. It also marked the first time in head coach Jeff Cammon's tenure that the Beach have recorded a 20-win season.
• The Beach went on a 15-game winning streak from January 12 - March 2. At the time, that streak was tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in Women's Basketball Division I this season.
• Long Beach State's 17 Big West victories are the most in program history since the 1988-89 season when the Beach went 18-0 in The Big West.
• Following the conclusion of The Big West Championships, Kianna Hamilton-Fisher was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game to go along with five steals and four assists.
• At the end of the regular season, redshirt senior guard Tori Harris was named Big West Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and to the All-Big West First Team. She became the first LBSU Big West Player of the Year since Crystal McCutcheon in 2006.
• LBSU Head Coach Jeff Cammon was named The Big West Coach of the Year, becoming the first Long Beach State coach to earn that award since Mary Hegarty in 2006.
• Junior guard Kristyna Jeskeova earned two of the three Big West Specialty Awards as she collected Best Defensive Player and Best Hustle Player. Additionally, she earned Honorable Mention status and a nod to the All-Defensive Team.
• Redshirt junior guard Ma'Qhi Berry was also named to the All-Defensive Team. Berry also garnered All-Big West Second Team accolades.
• Senior Malia Bambrick and junior Kianna Hamilton-Fisher rounded out the Beach All-Conference awards as they collected Honorable Mention status.
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 62.3 points per game for a scoring margin of +5.4 as their opponents are averaging 56.8 points per game.
• Offensively, the Beach are shooting 42.9 percent from the field, a mark that is second in The Big West.
• The Beach lead The Big West in free throw percentage (77.3), three-point field goal percent defense (28.7), steals per game (11.4), turnover margin (+6.2), and assist/turnover ratio (1.0).
• This season, LBSU is averaging 29.3 rebounds per game, while adding 13.8 assists per game, and 2.9 blocks per game.
• LBSU has three double-figure scorers on the squad in Tori Harris (13.3 ppg), Malia Bambrick (11.9 ppg), and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher (11.2 ppg).
• The trio also leads the Beach in field goal percentage as Hamilton-Fisher leads the way with a 45.0 percentage. Bambrick's 44.4 percentage and Harris' 43.0 percentage round out the top three on the squad.
• Redshirt senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry has been a key component to Long Beach State's success as she leads the way with 126 assists, 68 steals and 18 blocks. She also contributes 8.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Berry leads the Big West in assists per game (4.34), while ranking third in assist/turnover ratio (1.46), and second in steals per game (2.34).
• In the game at UC Santa Barbara on February 9, junior Kristyna Jeskeova, the team's leader in rebounding (6.7 rpg), steals (63) and blocks (20) suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Scouting San Diego
• San Diego heads into the WNIT with an overall record of 17-13 after having fallen to Pacific in the WCC Quarterfinals, 71-57.
• The Toreros were a No. 3 seed in the WCC Tournament after finishing the conference season with an 11-7 record.
• Following the conclusion of the regular season, San Diego's Ayanna Khalfani was named the West Coast Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, while also being named to the All-WCC Second Team.
• In addition to Khalfani's postseason honors, San Diego boasted three more Toreros to an All-WCC Team as Kiera Oakry was also an All-Second Team selection. Meanwhile, Kasey Neubert earned All-WCC Honorable Mention status, while Veronica Sheffey was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team.
• The Toreros are averaging 62.3 points per game on a 39.0 field goal percentage, while allowing 61.9 points per game for a scoring margin of +0.3.
• USD is averaging 37.0 rebounds per game, 12.5 assists per game, 13.7 turnovers per game, 8.1 steals per game, and 3.3 blocks per game on the year.
• The Toreros are led offensively by Oakry who is averaging 10.7 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game to go along with 50 assists, 38 steals, and two blocks.
• Neubert is the squad's leading rebounder with7.4 board per game. She also contributes 8.7 points per game as well as 34 assists, 27 stelas, and 17 blocks on the season.
• Myah Pace is the team's second leading scorer (9.6) as well as the Toreros' leader in assists (81) and steals (40). Additionally, she averages 4.4 rebounds per game.
• Amanda Olinger has put up a team-best 26 blocks this season, while also adding 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. This season, she has also totaled 35 assists and 20 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Toreros
Long Beach State and San Diego will met for the 18th time in program history. In a series that dates back to 1991, the Toreros hold the edge in the all-time series 10-7. In fact, USD has won the last seven meetings between the two teams as LBSU is looking for its first win over the Toreros since 2006 when the Beach emerged victorious, 53-37, on the road. The two teams have faced off once before in the WNIT as the Toreros defeated the Beach, 63-56 in the First Round on March 19, 2015 at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.
It's Been Grand
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball program has had a long and storied history. Since its inaugural season in 1962-63, the Beach have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six WNIT appearances, two Final Four showings, while boasting 27 1,000-point scorers, four All-Americans, (LaTaunya Pollard, Cindy Brown, Kristen Cummings, and Penny Toler) and two Olympians (Pollard and Brown). With their win over UC Riverside on February 15, Long Beach State earned its 1,000th program victory in the 58 years of the program's existence. The Beach are now 1005-621 overall for a .618 winning percentage.
A Grand Trio
Senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry became the 27th player in Long Beach State Women's Basketball history to record 1,000 career points. Berry sunk a pair of free throw at UC Irvine on February 4, the first marking the milestone, as she went on to finish with 12 points in LBSU's 52-50 win. Berry has now amassed 1,123 points in her career and has moved into 20th place in the all-time record book. Joining Berry in the 1,000 point club were teammates Courtney Murphy and Tori Harris who both reached the milestone at CSUN. Murphy, who played four years at Seattle U before transferring to Long Beach for her master's degree recorded her 1,000th career point in her Division I career with a triple in the first quarter at CSUN. Harris, who came to Long Beach State to earn her master's degree, after graduating from St. Bonaventure and playing two years at James Madison, scored her 1,000th career point in her Division I career in the second quarter at CSUN as she completed a three-point play to reach her milestone.
Hot Streak
Long Beach State went on a 15-game winning streak during Big West action. The last time LBSU women's basketball won 15 in a row was during the 2014-15 season when the squad went 22-10 and made an appearance in the WNIT. The longest winning streak ever in LBSU Women's Basketball history sits at a whopping 23, a record set by the 1988-89 team that went 30-5 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
20/20 Vision
With a win over UC Santa Barbara, the Long Beach State Women's Basketball team secured its 20th win of the season as LBSU closed out the regular season with a 22-8 overall record and is now 23-9. The 20-win season marks the first in head coach Jeff Cammon's tenure and the first for the program since the 2016-17 season in which they finished the year 23-11 overall, won the Big West Championship, and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. In program history, Long Beach State Women's Basketball has recorded 20 wins 18 times, while reaching the 30-win plateau twice.
Next Up
Should Long Beach State defeat San Diego and advance to the Second Round of the WNIT, the Beach will face the winner of the San Diego State-UC Irvine game at a to-be determined location.
Date: Thursday, March 16
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: San Diego, Calif.
Venue: Jenny Craig Pavilion
Live Stats: USDToreros.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
COMPLETE LBSU GAME NOTES (PDF)
Long Beach State Women's Hoops Set to Face San Diego in the WNIT First Round
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team earned an at-large bid into the Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) marking the sixth time in program history the Beach will make an appearance in the WNIT. LBSU will play San Diego on Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m., at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.
Staying Social
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on Twitter and Instagram at
@LBSUWBB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on Twitter. Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtag #GoBeach.
In the Rankings
Long Beach State has played two ranked teams this season so far in then-No. 18 Arizona in Tucson and then-No. 24 Baylor in Waco. The Beach suffered a pair of road losses to both the Wildcats and the Bears. Since then, Arizona has dropped to No. 24 in the AP Poll, while Baylor has dropped out of the rankings, but is receiving votes in the USA Today/WBCA Poll.
Earlier this season, LBSU opened the season against then-unranked Gonzaga and dropped an 80-54 decision on the road. However, since the season opener on November 10, the Bulldogs have moved into the national rankings coming in at No. 16 in the latest AP Poll.
In the Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll, Gonzaga is ranked third, while UC Irvine comes in at No. 23. Meanwhile, Long Beach State is receiving votes after going on a 15-game winning streak from January 12 - March 2, including a victory over the Anteaters on February 4. Also receiving votes is Big West Tournament Champion, Hawaii, which defeated the Beach in the conference tournament en route to punching its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 23-9 overall record into the WNIT.
• With a 17-3 Big West ledger, the Beach earned the No. 2 seed in The Big West Championships and advanced to the Semifinals for the first time under sixth-year Head Coach Jeff Cammon.
• LBSU will be making its sixth WNIT appearance in program history. Overall, the Beach are 2-5 in the WNIT.
• This is the second-straight season Long Beach State has advanced to the WNIT.
• Last season, Long Beach State faced Oregon State in the WNIT First Round and dropped a 70-59 decision in Corvallis, Ore.
• Long Beach State is looking for its first WNIT victory since 2000, when the Beach defeated New Mexico, 87-63, in the First Round, and Saint Mary's, 73-48, in the Second Round, before falling in the Third Round to Colorado State, 65-63.
• With 23 wins on the year, Long Beach State has reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2016-17 season. It also marked the first time in head coach Jeff Cammon's tenure that the Beach have recorded a 20-win season.
• The Beach went on a 15-game winning streak from January 12 - March 2. At the time, that streak was tied for the seventh-longest winning streak in Women's Basketball Division I this season.
• Long Beach State's 17 Big West victories are the most in program history since the 1988-89 season when the Beach went 18-0 in The Big West.
• Following the conclusion of The Big West Championships, Kianna Hamilton-Fisher was named to the All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.0 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game to go along with five steals and four assists.
• At the end of the regular season, redshirt senior guard Tori Harris was named Big West Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and to the All-Big West First Team. She became the first LBSU Big West Player of the Year since Crystal McCutcheon in 2006.
• LBSU Head Coach Jeff Cammon was named The Big West Coach of the Year, becoming the first Long Beach State coach to earn that award since Mary Hegarty in 2006.
• Junior guard Kristyna Jeskeova earned two of the three Big West Specialty Awards as she collected Best Defensive Player and Best Hustle Player. Additionally, she earned Honorable Mention status and a nod to the All-Defensive Team.
• Redshirt junior guard Ma'Qhi Berry was also named to the All-Defensive Team. Berry also garnered All-Big West Second Team accolades.
• Senior Malia Bambrick and junior Kianna Hamilton-Fisher rounded out the Beach All-Conference awards as they collected Honorable Mention status.
• As a team, Long Beach State is averaging 62.3 points per game for a scoring margin of +5.4 as their opponents are averaging 56.8 points per game.
• Offensively, the Beach are shooting 42.9 percent from the field, a mark that is second in The Big West.
• The Beach lead The Big West in free throw percentage (77.3), three-point field goal percent defense (28.7), steals per game (11.4), turnover margin (+6.2), and assist/turnover ratio (1.0).
• This season, LBSU is averaging 29.3 rebounds per game, while adding 13.8 assists per game, and 2.9 blocks per game.
• LBSU has three double-figure scorers on the squad in Tori Harris (13.3 ppg), Malia Bambrick (11.9 ppg), and Kianna Hamilton-Fisher (11.2 ppg).
• The trio also leads the Beach in field goal percentage as Hamilton-Fisher leads the way with a 45.0 percentage. Bambrick's 44.4 percentage and Harris' 43.0 percentage round out the top three on the squad.
• Redshirt senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry has been a key component to Long Beach State's success as she leads the way with 126 assists, 68 steals and 18 blocks. She also contributes 8.8 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game. Berry leads the Big West in assists per game (4.34), while ranking third in assist/turnover ratio (1.46), and second in steals per game (2.34).
• In the game at UC Santa Barbara on February 9, junior Kristyna Jeskeova, the team's leader in rebounding (6.7 rpg), steals (63) and blocks (20) suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Scouting San Diego
• San Diego heads into the WNIT with an overall record of 17-13 after having fallen to Pacific in the WCC Quarterfinals, 71-57.
• The Toreros were a No. 3 seed in the WCC Tournament after finishing the conference season with an 11-7 record.
• Following the conclusion of the regular season, San Diego's Ayanna Khalfani was named the West Coast Conference's Co-Defensive Player of the Year, while also being named to the All-WCC Second Team.
• In addition to Khalfani's postseason honors, San Diego boasted three more Toreros to an All-WCC Team as Kiera Oakry was also an All-Second Team selection. Meanwhile, Kasey Neubert earned All-WCC Honorable Mention status, while Veronica Sheffey was named to the WCC All-Freshman Team.
• The Toreros are averaging 62.3 points per game on a 39.0 field goal percentage, while allowing 61.9 points per game for a scoring margin of +0.3.
• USD is averaging 37.0 rebounds per game, 12.5 assists per game, 13.7 turnovers per game, 8.1 steals per game, and 3.3 blocks per game on the year.
• The Toreros are led offensively by Oakry who is averaging 10.7 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game to go along with 50 assists, 38 steals, and two blocks.
• Neubert is the squad's leading rebounder with7.4 board per game. She also contributes 8.7 points per game as well as 34 assists, 27 stelas, and 17 blocks on the season.
• Myah Pace is the team's second leading scorer (9.6) as well as the Toreros' leader in assists (81) and steals (40). Additionally, she averages 4.4 rebounds per game.
• Amanda Olinger has put up a team-best 26 blocks this season, while also adding 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. This season, she has also totaled 35 assists and 20 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Toreros
Long Beach State and San Diego will met for the 18th time in program history. In a series that dates back to 1991, the Toreros hold the edge in the all-time series 10-7. In fact, USD has won the last seven meetings between the two teams as LBSU is looking for its first win over the Toreros since 2006 when the Beach emerged victorious, 53-37, on the road. The two teams have faced off once before in the WNIT as the Toreros defeated the Beach, 63-56 in the First Round on March 19, 2015 at Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif.
It's Been Grand
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball program has had a long and storied history. Since its inaugural season in 1962-63, the Beach have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, six WNIT appearances, two Final Four showings, while boasting 27 1,000-point scorers, four All-Americans, (LaTaunya Pollard, Cindy Brown, Kristen Cummings, and Penny Toler) and two Olympians (Pollard and Brown). With their win over UC Riverside on February 15, Long Beach State earned its 1,000th program victory in the 58 years of the program's existence. The Beach are now 1005-621 overall for a .618 winning percentage.
A Grand Trio
Senior guard Ma'Qhi Berry became the 27th player in Long Beach State Women's Basketball history to record 1,000 career points. Berry sunk a pair of free throw at UC Irvine on February 4, the first marking the milestone, as she went on to finish with 12 points in LBSU's 52-50 win. Berry has now amassed 1,123 points in her career and has moved into 20th place in the all-time record book. Joining Berry in the 1,000 point club were teammates Courtney Murphy and Tori Harris who both reached the milestone at CSUN. Murphy, who played four years at Seattle U before transferring to Long Beach for her master's degree recorded her 1,000th career point in her Division I career with a triple in the first quarter at CSUN. Harris, who came to Long Beach State to earn her master's degree, after graduating from St. Bonaventure and playing two years at James Madison, scored her 1,000th career point in her Division I career in the second quarter at CSUN as she completed a three-point play to reach her milestone.
Hot Streak
Long Beach State went on a 15-game winning streak during Big West action. The last time LBSU women's basketball won 15 in a row was during the 2014-15 season when the squad went 22-10 and made an appearance in the WNIT. The longest winning streak ever in LBSU Women's Basketball history sits at a whopping 23, a record set by the 1988-89 team that went 30-5 and advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
20/20 Vision
With a win over UC Santa Barbara, the Long Beach State Women's Basketball team secured its 20th win of the season as LBSU closed out the regular season with a 22-8 overall record and is now 23-9. The 20-win season marks the first in head coach Jeff Cammon's tenure and the first for the program since the 2016-17 season in which they finished the year 23-11 overall, won the Big West Championship, and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. In program history, Long Beach State Women's Basketball has recorded 20 wins 18 times, while reaching the 30-win plateau twice.
Next Up
Should Long Beach State defeat San Diego and advance to the Second Round of the WNIT, the Beach will face the winner of the San Diego State-UC Irvine game at a to-be determined location.
Players Mentioned
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