Long Beach State Women’s Basketball Hosts Cal State LA In Exhibition Contest

Wednesday, November 6

Long Beach, Calif.

6:00 PM

Long Beach State University

Cal State LA

Long Beach State Women’s Basketball Hosts Cal State LA In Exhibition Contest

11/5/2024 2:53:00 PM | Women's Basketball

LBSU WBB Game Notes vs. Cal State LA

The Beach and the Golden Eagles will tip-off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at the Walter Pyramid

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

LONG BEACH STATE (0-0) vs. CAL STATE LA (0-0)
Wednesday, November 6 • 6:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
TV: ESPN+
Talent: Jason Schwartz & Devin Hudson
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB

Long Beach State Women's Basketball Hosts Cal State LA In Exhibition Contest
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball team will play host to Cal State LA in an exhibition contest on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the Walter Pyramid. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

Catch All the Action
All home Long Beach State games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Jason Schwartz and Devin Hudson on the call. 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 Head Coach Amy Wright returns to the hardwood for her second season at the Beach after leading her squad to a Big West Semifinal appearance last season.
• In 2023-24, the Beach finished the season with a 15-18 overall record and an 8-12 conference mark.
• This season, Wright brings back her entire staff of Bian Rosario, Jashae Lee, Raru Archer, and director of operations Brittany Klaman.
• In addition to the entire coaching staff returning, Long Beach State is welcoming back six letterwinners from a year ago, while adding eight talented newcomers to the mix.
• Returning to the court for the Beach are senior starters Savannah Tucker and Patricia Chung.
• Tucker was the team's leading scorer last season with 12.4 points per game, while shooting 38.3% from the field.Tucker also added 3.4 rebounds per game, while totaling 39 assists, 30 steals, and eight blocks.
• Last season, Chung led the Beach with 84 assists on the year, while also contributing 8.8 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game.
• Senior guard Lovely Sonnier will be back for her second season in Black and Gold after chipping in 4.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season. She also added 29 assists, 23 steals, and 15 blocks to contribute on all sides of the ball.
• Making her long awaited return is redshirt sophomore forward Kennan Ka. Ka saw 2:30 of action in the season opener last year before suffering from a season-ending injury.
• Highlighting the newcomers is graduate transfer Rachel Loobie who came to the Beach from Wright State. Last year with the Raiders, Loobie averaged 8.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game, while contributing 45 assists, 39 blocks, and 29 steals.
• In the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll, Long Beach State was picked to finish fourth in the standings. The Beach garnered 63 points to come in behind preseason favorite Hawaii (96 points, 6 first-place votes), second place UC Irvine (95 points, 5 first-place votes), and UC Davis (81 points).

Scouting Cal State LA
• Cal State LA is coming off of a 2023-24 season in which the Golden Eagles went 17-13 overall and 13-9 in CCAA action.
• This year, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish first in the CCAA after having reached the conference tournament semifinals and advanced to the NCAA postseason for the second-straight year in 2023-34.
• Cal State LA is returning three starters from a year ago in Lily Buggs, Gabrielle Rones, and Amaya Fuentes.
• Buggs was the team's leading scorer and rebounder last year as she averaged 13.2 points per game 7.8 rebounds per game. She is a three-time All-CCAA First Team selection and was named CCAA Freshman of the Year in 2022.
• Rones, an All-CCAA Honorable Mention selection, started in 28-of-30 contests for the Golden Eagles last season and averaged 8.5 points per game.
• Fuentes returns after starting in 29-of-30 games a year ago, while averaging 5.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
• Overall, the Golden Eagles are returning eight letterwinners, while adding as many newcomers.
• Cal State LA has already seen action in a pair of exhibition games this season. In their first contest, the Golden Eagles dropped a 82-53 contest to Arizona, before falling to Stanford, 91-70.
• The Golden Eagles are led by Head Coach Torino Johnson who is in his sixth season at the helm.

The Series: The Beach vs. The Golden Eagles
Long Beach State and Cal State LA will meet for the 27th time in program history and for the first time since 1981. In a match-up that began in 1963-64, the Beach leads the all-time series, 25-1. In their last meeting, LBSU defeated Cal State LA, 118-62, in Long Beach, Calif. Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles are looking for their first win over Long Beach State since Feb. 23, 1971 when the Golden Eagles edged the Beach, 33-32. When playing each other in Long Beach, Calif., LBSU is undefeated against CSULA with a 12-0 record.

Kay Yow Servant Leader
The Kay Yow Cancer Fund announced the launch of the Kay Yow Servant Leader Award on Monday and Long Beach State's Lovely Sonnier was selected as one of 14 women's basketball student-athletes from across the country. The new award honors student-athletes who exemplify the values of leadership, selflessness, and service in the fight against all cancers affecting women.

The award honors Coach Yow's legacy and the young people who carry it forward. It is presented annually to "student-athletes of great character who put the needs of others before their own, who uplift others, and who do it with humility and grace. Award winners demonstrate extraordinary dedication to making a positive impact on their teams and in their communities. They are people with a servant's spirit and a commitment to selfless leadership."

Sonnier earned the award after spending much of her free time doing volunteer work at Miller Children's Hospital, Liaison for Long Beach State for The Big West "Tough Like Tammy" campaign, Los Altos Parks and Rec, and Jefferson Elementary School.

"We are thrilled to introduce the Kay Yow Servant Leader Award as part of our ongoing mission to honor Coach Yow's legacy," said Jenny Palmateer, CEO of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. "This award highlights the kind of leadership that inspires hope, bring people together, and makes the world a better place. Just as Coach Yow did, we hope this recognition will inspire others to lead with compassion and purpose."

The recipients of the award were recognized by a special patch they will wear on their jerseys. Sonnier joins an impressive list of women's basketball student-athletes.

2024-25 Servant Leader Award Winners
Addison Martin, Illinois State
Allie Campbell, Penn State
Ashlyn Sheridan, Anderson University
Briauna Thompson, UNC-Asheville
Flau'jae Johnson, LSU
JoJo Lacey, Rutgers
Kennedi Jackson, Boston College
Lovely Sonnier, Long Beach State
Madison Hayes, NC State
Makayla Timpson, Florida State
Payton Dunbar, Virginia
Rayah Marshall, USC
Rylee Langerman, Oklahoma State
Samantha Osorio, Moravian University

The Wright Stuff
Women's Basketball Head Coach Amy Wright was invited to participate in the exclusive NCAA Women's Basketball Champion Forum this past week in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Sponsored by the NCAA, the invitation-only event is hosted by Jon Oliver of JKO Solutions. Over the course of a week at the home of the NCAA, the forum prepares aspiring Division I assistant coaches to make the leap one seat over and take over leadership of a program as a head coach.

Wright, a participant as an assistant in 2021, was asked to return and lead the "Chalk Talk" for the five participants nationally chosen to take part in the forum.

"It was an honor and a privilege to return to Indiana for this exclusive programs," said Wright. "Jon Oliver and DeeDee Merrit do an outstanding job of putting coaches in the 'hot seat' to prepare them for real life professional situations. This is a week that the participants will truly grow from."

The panel Wright was on this year featured other Division I head coaches, search firms, message articulation consultants and the NCAA Women' Basketball Rules Committee chair.

CSC Academic All-District
The 2023-24 Academic All-District Men's and Women's Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognized the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom and Long Beach State's Patricia Chung was selected.

Chung was recognized for earning a 3.91 grade point average as a psychology major. On the court, she started in all 33 games and led the Beach in assists with 84. Chung was a key component to the Beach's success as she averaged 8.8 points per game and 4.7 rebounds per game, while adding 34 steals.

The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions – NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

Up Next
Long Beach State will officially open the 2024-25 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 9 against William & Mary. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.