Thursday, December 19
Long Beach, Calif.
1:00 PM

Long Beach State University

vs

Elon

Mykelle Richards
Photo by: John Fajardo

Beach Women’s Basketball Continues Non-Conference Action Against Elon In Thursday Matinee

12/18/2024 1:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball

LBSU and Elon face off in a Thursday afternoon showing at the Walter Pyramid

LONG BEACH STATE (5-4) vs. ELON (4-5)
Thursday, December 19 • 1:00 p.m. • Long Beach, Calif. • Walter Pyramid
TV:
 ESPN+
Talent: Jason Schwartz (pxp) & Devin Hudson (analyst)
Live Stats: BeachLiveStats.com
X: @LBSUWBB

Beach Women's Basketball Continues Non-Conference Action Against Elon In Thursday Matinee
The Long Beach State Women's Basketball Team hosts Elon in its last contest before the holiday break. The Beach and the Phoenix will face off at 1 p.m. on Thursday afternoon at the Walter Pyramid.

Catch All the Action
All Long Beach State home 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 brings a 5-4 overall record into the week. The Beach are 2-0 in Big West action.
• The Beach have won three of their last four contests with wins over Pepperdine (68-61), Cal State Fullerton (67-56), and Hawaii (67-56).
• LBSU is currently 3-1 when playing at home inside the Walter Pyramid.
• As a team, LBSU is shooting 37.4% from the field and averaging a league-leading 41.2 rebounds per game.
• LBSU Head Coach Amy Wright is back on the hardwood for her second season at the Beach. 
• The Beach welcomed back six letterwinners from a year ago, while adding eight talented newcomers to the mix.
Rachel Loobie is the team's leader in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game to rank fifth in the conference. The grad transfer from Wright State is solid all around as she adds 6.7 points per game, while leading the Beach in blocks with 14.
• Senior guard Savannah Tucker leads the Beach in scoring with 14.8 points per game as she comes in third in The Big West. The product out of Fresno, Calif., turned in a career-high 29-point performance at Sacramento State on November 17. She has recorded two 20-plus point performances this season and six in her career. In addition to her hot shooting, Tucker also contributes 2.9 rebounds per game, while leading the team with 30 assists and 13 steals. Tucker leads the conference with a 1.88 assist/turnover ratio, while ranking second in assists per game (3.33), and sixth in free throw percentage (.763).
• True freshman Mykelle Richards worked her way into the starting lineup and has been started the last six games. She posted a career-effort with 15 points, while shooting 70.0% from the field (7-10) to lead LBSU to a win over Pepperdine on Dec. 1. On the year, she owns a 49.1 field goal percentage to lead the Beach. Richards' 13 steals is tied for first with Tucker.
Jada Crawshaw is LBSU's second leading scorer with 11.5 points per game. She is coming off of a career-effort against No. 1 UCLA in which she led the Beach with 19 points to set a new career-high for herself. Crawshaw is an all around solid player as she adds 4.8 rebounds per game, while totaling seven assists, seven steals, and four blocks on the year.
• Senior guard Patricia Chung has been a consistent force for Long Beach State this season. She ranks in the Top 10 in The Big West in three different statistical categories as she is sixth with 4.78 defensive rebounds per game, and ninth in assists per game (2.56) as well as three-point field goal percentage (.375).
• True freshman JaQuoia Jones-Brown has found her groove with the Beach. She averages 5.3 rebounds per game and 5.8 points per game, to go along with nine assists, six steals, and three blocks.
• 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 Elon
• Elon comes to the Walter Pyramid with a 4-5 overall record.
• The Phoenix are looking to snap a three-game losing skid after dropping contests to Furman (61-57), East Carolina (60-43), and USC (88-30). 
• As a team, Elon is shooting 37.1% from the field, while averaging 58.9 points per game and 34.7 rebounds per game. 
• The Phoenix average 11.0 assists, 9.6 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.
• Elon has a pair of double digit scorers in Raven Preston (12.9 ppg) and Laila Anderson (10.1 ppg). 
• Preston also leads the team with 8.8 rebounds per game and 23 steals. 
• Maraja Pass has dished out a team-leading 32 assists thus far. Additionally, she chips in 4.1 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game, while totaling 11 steals and two blocks.
• Jayda Angel has been solid for the Phoenix this season, coming off the bench in all nine contests. She is averaging 9.8 points per game to go along with 3.4 rebounds per game, 10 steals, and seven assists. 

The Series: The Beach vs. The Phoenix
Long Beach State and UCLA will meet for the first time in program history.

Very Savvy
Senior guard Savannah Tucker had a career game on Sunday, Nov. 17 at Sacramento State. The product out of Fresno, Calif., didn't miss a beat as she sunk 9-of-15 field goals on her way to a career-best 29-point performance. Tucker was instrumental in leading Long Beach State to a thrilling 69-68 road victory against the Hornets. In addition to her potent offense, Tucker contributed on all sides of the ball racking up seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals in the game. She is now leading the Beach with 14.8 points per game and 3.33 assists per game, which are both good for third and second, respectively, in The Big West.

Cleaning Up The Glass
Rachel Loobie, a grad transfer forward from Wright State, is the Beach's leading rebounder with 6.7 boards per game which puts her in fifth in the conference. This season, Loobie has recorded two double-digit rebounding games as she pulled down a season-high 14 against Pepperdine (12/1/24) and 12 at Hawaii (12/7/24). In addition to leading the Beach in rebounding, Loobie also sets the standards in blocks with 14. Her 1.6 blocks per game is good for fourth in The Big West. 

Career Day
Sophomore forward Jada Crawshaw turned in a career performance on Saturday against top-ranked UCLA. She poured in a career-best 19 points, with 14 of her points coming in the second half and 10 of those points coming in the final 10 minutes of action. Crawshaw is Long Beach State's second leading scorer as she averages 11.5 points per game. 

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

Long Beach State Women's Basketball Partners With Team IMPACT To Sign Kayla Diaz
Long Beach State Women's Basketball is proud to partner with Team IMPACT as the Beach welcome 16-year-old cancer survivor Kayla to the 2024-25 roster. 

"Welcoming Kayla to our Beach Family is a once in a lifetime experience," said Long Beach State Head Women's Basketball Coach Amy Wright. "Kayla brings a great perspective on living life each and every day to the fullest. Her family is wonderful as she has a great sense of what it is to be a great teammate. We look forward to this season with her on our team!"

Hailing from San Pedro, Calif., Kayla, who describes herself as "ambitious and strong," has gone through treatment for cancer twice. She is a very creative and loving person who has been so resilient throughout her medical journey.

Beach Women's Basketball is excited to have Kayla join the squad this season. Kayla is an inspiration to the team and LBSU is looking forward to having her on the sidelines. Her perseverance and ability to overcome challenges will bring added motivation to the Beach to accomplish their goals.

"Spending time with Kayla has been so much fun," said LBSU freshman center Haley Wright. "Her laugh is so contagious. I've loved watching her creative mind at work during the pumpkin painting activity. Her enthusiasm to shoot around with me and take fun photos has been so cool to see. I really hope to be able to spend more time with my new teammate and learn more about her in the coming years. I'm so excited to have Kayla on this incredible journey with us."

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.

Up Next
Long Beach State closes out 2024 and the non-conference season on Monday, Dec. 30 against Bethesda. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

 

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