Friday, March 15
Henderson, Nev.
2:30 p.m.
Long Beach State University
vs
(2) UC Irvine
Photo by: John Fajardo
Long Beach State Women’s Basketball Set To Face UC Irvine In Big West Semifinals
3/15/2024 7:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The Black and Blue Rivalry will be renewed on Friday in The Big West Semifinals as the Beach and Anteaters face off at 2:30 p.m.
(7) LONG BEACH STATE (15-17) vs. (2) UC IRVINE (21-8)
Date: Friday, March 15
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Henderson, Nev.
Venue: Dollar Loan Center
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Long Beach State Women's Basketball Set To Face UC Irvine In Big West Semifinals
The No. 7 seed Long Beach State Women's Basketball team advanced to The Big West Championship Semifinals where the Beach will face No. 2 seed UC Irvine on Friday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Catch All the Action
All Big West Championship 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 StatBroadcast.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.
The Big West Championships
Contested every year since 1984, the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Women's Basketball Championship will see eight squads converge on the court at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., to vie for the title. In June of 2023, The Big West Board of Directors approved an eight-team field for the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Women's Basketball Championship. The eight-team format will automatically advance the top two seeds into the semifinals.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 15-17 overall record into The Big West Semifinals.
• The Beach advanced after defeating No. 3 seed UC Riverside, 83-75, in an exciting overtime contest in the quarterfinals.
• LBSU 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.
• The Beach have won eight Big West contests this season with two of those wins coming against CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield. LBSU's other conference wins came against UC Riverside, UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Santa Barbara.
• Long Beach State's motto is to play "Fast, Furious, and Fun." So far, the Beach has showcased a fast offense as they average 67.8 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 (3.38). Additionally, the Beach 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.
• Long Beach State is led by Savannah Tucker's 12.5 points per game, while boasting a free throw percentage of 80.5 which is good for fourth in the conference.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 98. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.32 steals per game, which ranks her sixth in the nation. Additionally, she is the team's second-leading scorer with 10.8 points per game on a 46.1 field goal percentage to come in fourth in the conference. Lastly, Woodley's 2.07 offensive rebounds per game put her in the Top 10 in The Big West.
• Senior Casey Valenti-Paea had a career night on Dec. 16 against Pacific as she poured in a career-best 20 points. With her hot offensive output, Valenti-Paea is now averaging 9.3 points per game to rank third on the team. She adds 3.7 rebounds per game. Valenti-Paea had a career game in which she dished out a career-high 11 assists against UC Irvine on March 2. She now owns 74 assists to rank second on the squad.
• So far this season, junior Patricia Chung has recorded a trio 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. She had a career game against Cal State Bakersfield in which she poured in a career-best 24 points on Feb. 1. She is coming off of her first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) against UC Santa Barbara in The Big West Quarterfinals. On the year, she contributes 8.5 points per game and 33 steals, while leading the team in assists (79), and adding 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore forward Davai Matthews recorded her first-career double-double performance at Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 22 as she helped the Beach to a 69-67 road victory with 10 points and 10 boards. On the year, Matthews is averaging 4.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game to go along with 26 assists, 23 blocks, and 22 steals.
• True freshman Jada Crawshaw has been a key component to Long Beach State as she has come off the bench in all 31 games this season. She leads the team lead in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and sets the standard blocks per game (0.74) as her blocking average is good for ninth in The Big West. She also chips in 6.5 points per game, while adding 31 steals and 17 assists. She currently leads LBSU with two double-doubles on the year.
• 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.
Player Notes
• Lauren Cummings is a 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. On Dec. 28, in the Beach's conference opener, she collected her first career points of her collegiate career. She has played in 23 games so far and is averaging 0.8 rebounds per game and 0.3 points per game,
• Lovely Sonnier came to the Beach after playing two years at South Carolina State. The junior guard has played in 27 games, while making 15 starts for LBSU this season. On the year, she is averaging 4.9 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game, while also adding 25 assists, 23 steals, and 12 blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 12.5 points per game on a 38.8 field goal percentage. She also adds 110 boards, 36 assists, 29 steals, and eight blocks.
• Patricia Chung poured in a career-high 24 points against Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 1. After her monster game, Chung's scoring averaging went up to 8.5 points per game. She also adds 4.7 rebounds per game, to go along with a team-best 79 assists, while adding 33 steals.
• Cheyenne Givens is a graduate transfer who has been heating up offensively. She turned in a career-high tying 19-point performance against at CSUN on Dec. 30. Givens averages 9.0 points per game, while adding 2.2 rebounds per game, to go along with 30 steals, 47 assists, and five 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 to bring her points per game average up to 9.3. She also contributes 3.7 rebounds per game. She distributed a career-high 11 assists against UC Irvine to bring her season total to 74. She also adds 66 steals and nine blocks on the year.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Darwin, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since found her groove averaging 6.8 points per game and leading the team in rebounds per game (5.1) to go along with a team-leading 26 blocks, while adding 32 steals and 18 assists.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in six of Long Beach's games this season and is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game. However, she will be unavailable tonight due to an injury to her foot.
• Sydney Woodley has started in all 30 games in which she's played. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 103 swipes to average a conference-leading 3.38 steals per game. That mark is good for sixth in the nation. Additionally, Woodley is averaging 10.8 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, to go along with 61 assists and one block.
• 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 1.5 points per game and 0.9 rebounds per game, while totaling six assists, four steals, and two blocks in 28 games played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. She has played in 31 games thus far and has made 18 starts. On the year, Matthews is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game and 4.5 points per game, to go along with 23 blocks, 26 assists, and 22 steals.
Scouting UC Irvine
• UC Irvine comes into The Big West Championships with a 21-8 overall record. The Anteaters finished the regular season with a 15-4 record in league play to secure a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCI received a double bye into the semifinals.
• The Anteaters are riding a four-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine contests to close out the regular season.
• In The Big West preseason poll, UC Irvine was chosen to finish in second place. The Anteaters earned two first-place votes on their way to a total of 88 points in the poll.
• As a team, UCI is averaging 63.3 points per game, while allowing 55.5 for a scoring margin of +7.8.
• From the field, Irvine is shooting 39.8 percent to go along with 36.1rebounds per game. Additionally, the Anteaters average 12.2 assists, 14.7 turnovers, 10.6 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game this season.
• The Anteaters boast a pair of double-figure scorers in Big West Player of the Year Deja Lee (13.8 ppg) and Newcomer of the Year Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba (11.4 ppg).
• In addition to leading the team in scoring, Lee also leads UCI in steals with 74.
• Johnson Sidi Baba leads the Anteaters in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game, while Neavah Parkinson is right behind her with 6.6.
• Parkinson leads UCI with 25 blocks, while adding 8.4 points per game.
• The Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Diaba Konate, leads UC Irvine with 108 assists, to go along with 7.5 points per game and 62 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Anteaters
Long Beach State and UC Irvine will meet for the 84th time in program history and for the second time this season. Overall, the Beach leads the all-time series, 62-21. During the regular season, the Anteaters defeated the Beach twice. However, when playing each other at a neutral site, the series would be tied 2-2. When playing each other in The Big West Tournament, the series is also knotted at 2-2.
All- Big West
The Big West announced the Women's Basketball All-Conference awards on Tuesday afternoon and Long Beach State had three players take home four separate accolades. Junior guard Sydney Woodley was named to The Big West All-Defensive Team and earned Honorable Mention status, while freshman forward Jada Crawford garnered All-Freshman Team honors, and redshirt junior guard Casey Valenti-Paea joined Woodley with Honorable Mention accolades.
Heading into The Big West Championships, Woodley is the conference leader in steals (93) and steals per game (3.32). Nationally, Woodley ranks sixth in steals per game and 10th in total steals. She has been an integral part of the Long Beach State defense that boasts 11.1 steals per game to come in second in the league and 15th in the country. In addition to her solid defense, Woodley ranks fourth in The Big West in field goal percentage (46.4) and seventh in offensive rebounds (2.04). The product out of Menifee, Calif., is Long Beach State's second leading scorer as she averages 10.6 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game, and 52 assists.
This season, Woodley has recorded 15 double-digit scoring games, two of which were 20-plus point performances. She has led the Beach in scoring three times and led the team in rebounding on seven separate occasions. She has started in all 28 games in which she has played and recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards at CSUN on December 30.
Valenti-Paea joined Woodley as an Honorable Mention selection. The Melbourne, Australia native has been a solid component to the LBSU Women's Basketball team this season as she averages 9.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game, while totaling 70 assists, 65 steals, and nine blocks. She is third in the conference in three-point field goal percentage as she is shooting 38.3 percent from long distance. She also comes in sixth in The Big West in steals per game with 2.17 steals per set.
Rounding out the Long Beach State All-Conference selections was Crawshaw as she was named to the All-Freshman Team. In her rookie season, Crawford has been outstanding as she averages 6.3 points per game and leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. She also chips in 31 assists and a team-high 25 blocks. She currently ranks sixth in steals per game (2.17), ninth in blocks per game (0.83), and 14th in rebounding (5.10).
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. Most recently, the product out of Fresno, Calif., recorded her third 20-point contest of the season in a 69-67 win at Cal State Bakersfield.
Tucker has now recorded four 20-plus point showings 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 12.4 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 9.3 points per game on the year.
On Thursday, Feb. 1, Patricia Chung poured in a career-high 24 points against Cal State Bakersfield. The senior guard connected on 10-of-15 field goals and 4-of-6 from long distance. Chung recorded her second 20-plus point performance on Thursday, March 14 as she helped the Beach advance to Semifinals with an overtime.
On Saturday Feb. 17, Sydney Woodley joined the 20-plus point club as she set a new career-high for herself tallying 21 points in an 86-62 victory over CSUN. Woodley matched that career mark with 21 points against UC Irvine on March 2. She is now averaging 10.6 points per game to come in second on the team.
Double-Double Toil And Trouble
This season Long Beach State has seen four separate players record a double-double. Freshman Jada Crawshaw was the first to record that feat as she tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds in her first collegiate double-double against then-No. 6 USC on December 21. Crawshaw is the only LBSU Women's Basketball player with two double-doubles this year after notching a career-high 15 points and 12 rebounds on Feb. 1 against Bakersfield.
Junior Sydney Woodley recorded her first double-double in a Beach uniform against her former team, CSUN, on Dec. 31 when she finished with 12 points and 10 boards in Northridge.
Casey Valenti-Paea notched a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards at UC Riverside on Saturday, January 27.
Sophomore Davai Matthews joined that bunch as she notched her first-career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Feb. 22 as she led the Beach to a 69-67 road win.
Most recently, Patricia Chung notched a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the First Round of The Big West Basketball Championships.
Do You Need Some Assistance?
Junior guard Casey Valenti-Paea had a career-game against UC Irvine on March 2 as she dished out 11 assists to set a new career mark for herself. It also marked the first time in two years that an LBSU Women's Basketball player distributed double-figure assists in a single game. Valenti-Paea was just two helpers away from jumping into the Top 5 in the Long Beach State single-game record book.
Among The Nation's Best
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads The Big West in steals per game with 3.39, which ranks her sixth in the nation. Woodley tied her career-high with seven swipes against UC Riverside on January 27. With Woodley leading the way, Long Beach is second in the conference with 11.1 steals per game this season, which puts the Beach 15th in the nation.
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."
Next Up
Should No. 7 seed Long Beach State defeat No. 2 seed UC UC Irvine on Friday, the Beach will then advance to the Championship game on Saturday, March 16 at 2:30 p.m.
Date: Friday, March 15
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Henderson, Nev.
Venue: Dollar Loan Center
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast.com
Twitter: @LBSUWBB
Long Beach State Women's Basketball Set To Face UC Irvine In Big West Semifinals
The No. 7 seed Long Beach State Women's Basketball team advanced to The Big West Championship Semifinals where the Beach will face No. 2 seed UC Irvine on Friday, March 15 at 2:30 p.m.
Catch All the Action
All Big West Championship 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 StatBroadcast.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.
The Big West Championships
Contested every year since 1984, the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Women's Basketball Championship will see eight squads converge on the court at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nev., to vie for the title. In June of 2023, The Big West Board of Directors approved an eight-team field for the 2024 Hercules Tires Big West Women's Basketball Championship. The eight-team format will automatically advance the top two seeds into the semifinals.
About the Beach
• Long Beach State brings a 15-17 overall record into The Big West Semifinals.
• The Beach advanced after defeating No. 3 seed UC Riverside, 83-75, in an exciting overtime contest in the quarterfinals.
• LBSU 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.
• The Beach have won eight Big West contests this season with two of those wins coming against CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield. LBSU's other conference wins came against UC Riverside, UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Santa Barbara.
• Long Beach State's motto is to play "Fast, Furious, and Fun." So far, the Beach has showcased a fast offense as they average 67.8 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 (3.38). Additionally, the Beach 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.
• Long Beach State is led by Savannah Tucker's 12.5 points per game, while boasting a free throw percentage of 80.5 which is good for fourth in the conference.
• Junior guard Sydney Woodley leads the Beach in steals with 98. She is now averaging a Big West-leading 3.32 steals per game, which ranks her sixth in the nation. Additionally, she is the team's second-leading scorer with 10.8 points per game on a 46.1 field goal percentage to come in fourth in the conference. Lastly, Woodley's 2.07 offensive rebounds per game put her in the Top 10 in The Big West.
• Senior Casey Valenti-Paea had a career night on Dec. 16 against Pacific as she poured in a career-best 20 points. With her hot offensive output, Valenti-Paea is now averaging 9.3 points per game to rank third on the team. She adds 3.7 rebounds per game. Valenti-Paea had a career game in which she dished out a career-high 11 assists against UC Irvine on March 2. She now owns 74 assists to rank second on the squad.
• So far this season, junior Patricia Chung has recorded a trio 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. She had a career game against Cal State Bakersfield in which she poured in a career-best 24 points on Feb. 1. She is coming off of her first career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) against UC Santa Barbara in The Big West Quarterfinals. On the year, she contributes 8.5 points per game and 33 steals, while leading the team in assists (79), and adding 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Sophomore forward Davai Matthews recorded her first-career double-double performance at Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 22 as she helped the Beach to a 69-67 road victory with 10 points and 10 boards. On the year, Matthews is averaging 4.5 points per game and 4.6 rebounds per game to go along with 26 assists, 23 blocks, and 22 steals.
• True freshman Jada Crawshaw has been a key component to Long Beach State as she has come off the bench in all 31 games this season. She leads the team lead in rebounding (5.1 rpg) and sets the standard blocks per game (0.74) as her blocking average is good for ninth in The Big West. She also chips in 6.5 points per game, while adding 31 steals and 17 assists. She currently leads LBSU with two double-doubles on the year.
• 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.
Player Notes
• Lauren Cummings is a 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. On Dec. 28, in the Beach's conference opener, she collected her first career points of her collegiate career. She has played in 23 games so far and is averaging 0.8 rebounds per game and 0.3 points per game,
• Lovely Sonnier came to the Beach after playing two years at South Carolina State. The junior guard has played in 27 games, while making 15 starts for LBSU this season. On the year, she is averaging 4.9 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game, while also adding 25 assists, 23 steals, and 12 blocks.
• Junior guard Savannah Tucker is Long Beach State's leading scorer as she is averaging 12.5 points per game on a 38.8 field goal percentage. She also adds 110 boards, 36 assists, 29 steals, and eight blocks.
• Patricia Chung poured in a career-high 24 points against Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 1. After her monster game, Chung's scoring averaging went up to 8.5 points per game. She also adds 4.7 rebounds per game, to go along with a team-best 79 assists, while adding 33 steals.
• Cheyenne Givens is a graduate transfer who has been heating up offensively. She turned in a career-high tying 19-point performance against at CSUN on Dec. 30. Givens averages 9.0 points per game, while adding 2.2 rebounds per game, to go along with 30 steals, 47 assists, and five 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 to bring her points per game average up to 9.3. She also contributes 3.7 rebounds per game. She distributed a career-high 11 assists against UC Irvine to bring her season total to 74. She also adds 66 steals and nine blocks on the year.
• Jada Crawshaw, a freshman from Darwin, Australia, made her collegiate debut in the LBSU season opener against Biola on Nov. 8. She has since found her groove averaging 6.8 points per game and leading the team in rebounds per game (5.1) to go along with a team-leading 26 blocks, while adding 32 steals and 18 assists.
• Sophomore forward Abby Shoff has come off the bench in six of Long Beach's games this season and is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game. However, she will be unavailable tonight due to an injury to her foot.
• Sydney Woodley has started in all 30 games in which she's played. She is the Beach's leader in steals with 103 swipes to average a conference-leading 3.38 steals per game. That mark is good for sixth in the nation. Additionally, Woodley is averaging 10.8 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, to go along with 61 assists and one block.
• 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 1.5 points per game and 0.9 rebounds per game, while totaling six assists, four steals, and two blocks in 28 games played.
• Davai Matthews came back to Long Beach State after seeing limited action last year due to an injury. She has played in 31 games thus far and has made 18 starts. On the year, Matthews is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game and 4.5 points per game, to go along with 23 blocks, 26 assists, and 22 steals.
Scouting UC Irvine
• UC Irvine comes into The Big West Championships with a 21-8 overall record. The Anteaters finished the regular season with a 15-4 record in league play to secure a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCI received a double bye into the semifinals.
• The Anteaters are riding a four-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine contests to close out the regular season.
• In The Big West preseason poll, UC Irvine was chosen to finish in second place. The Anteaters earned two first-place votes on their way to a total of 88 points in the poll.
• As a team, UCI is averaging 63.3 points per game, while allowing 55.5 for a scoring margin of +7.8.
• From the field, Irvine is shooting 39.8 percent to go along with 36.1rebounds per game. Additionally, the Anteaters average 12.2 assists, 14.7 turnovers, 10.6 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game this season.
• The Anteaters boast a pair of double-figure scorers in Big West Player of the Year Deja Lee (13.8 ppg) and Newcomer of the Year Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba (11.4 ppg).
• In addition to leading the team in scoring, Lee also leads UCI in steals with 74.
• Johnson Sidi Baba leads the Anteaters in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game, while Neavah Parkinson is right behind her with 6.6.
• Parkinson leads UCI with 25 blocks, while adding 8.4 points per game.
• The Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Diaba Konate, leads UC Irvine with 108 assists, to go along with 7.5 points per game and 62 steals.
The Series: The Beach vs. The Anteaters
Long Beach State and UC Irvine will meet for the 84th time in program history and for the second time this season. Overall, the Beach leads the all-time series, 62-21. During the regular season, the Anteaters defeated the Beach twice. However, when playing each other at a neutral site, the series would be tied 2-2. When playing each other in The Big West Tournament, the series is also knotted at 2-2.
All- Big West
The Big West announced the Women's Basketball All-Conference awards on Tuesday afternoon and Long Beach State had three players take home four separate accolades. Junior guard Sydney Woodley was named to The Big West All-Defensive Team and earned Honorable Mention status, while freshman forward Jada Crawford garnered All-Freshman Team honors, and redshirt junior guard Casey Valenti-Paea joined Woodley with Honorable Mention accolades.
Heading into The Big West Championships, Woodley is the conference leader in steals (93) and steals per game (3.32). Nationally, Woodley ranks sixth in steals per game and 10th in total steals. She has been an integral part of the Long Beach State defense that boasts 11.1 steals per game to come in second in the league and 15th in the country. In addition to her solid defense, Woodley ranks fourth in The Big West in field goal percentage (46.4) and seventh in offensive rebounds (2.04). The product out of Menifee, Calif., is Long Beach State's second leading scorer as she averages 10.6 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds per game, and 52 assists.
This season, Woodley has recorded 15 double-digit scoring games, two of which were 20-plus point performances. She has led the Beach in scoring three times and led the team in rebounding on seven separate occasions. She has started in all 28 games in which she has played and recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards at CSUN on December 30.
Valenti-Paea joined Woodley as an Honorable Mention selection. The Melbourne, Australia native has been a solid component to the LBSU Women's Basketball team this season as she averages 9.3 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game, while totaling 70 assists, 65 steals, and nine blocks. She is third in the conference in three-point field goal percentage as she is shooting 38.3 percent from long distance. She also comes in sixth in The Big West in steals per game with 2.17 steals per set.
Rounding out the Long Beach State All-Conference selections was Crawshaw as she was named to the All-Freshman Team. In her rookie season, Crawford has been outstanding as she averages 6.3 points per game and leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game. She also chips in 31 assists and a team-high 25 blocks. She currently ranks sixth in steals per game (2.17), ninth in blocks per game (0.83), and 14th in rebounding (5.10).
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. Most recently, the product out of Fresno, Calif., recorded her third 20-point contest of the season in a 69-67 win at Cal State Bakersfield.
Tucker has now recorded four 20-plus point showings 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 12.4 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 9.3 points per game on the year.
On Thursday, Feb. 1, Patricia Chung poured in a career-high 24 points against Cal State Bakersfield. The senior guard connected on 10-of-15 field goals and 4-of-6 from long distance. Chung recorded her second 20-plus point performance on Thursday, March 14 as she helped the Beach advance to Semifinals with an overtime.
On Saturday Feb. 17, Sydney Woodley joined the 20-plus point club as she set a new career-high for herself tallying 21 points in an 86-62 victory over CSUN. Woodley matched that career mark with 21 points against UC Irvine on March 2. She is now averaging 10.6 points per game to come in second on the team.
Double-Double Toil And Trouble
This season Long Beach State has seen four separate players record a double-double. Freshman Jada Crawshaw was the first to record that feat as she tallied 12 points and 10 rebounds in her first collegiate double-double against then-No. 6 USC on December 21. Crawshaw is the only LBSU Women's Basketball player with two double-doubles this year after notching a career-high 15 points and 12 rebounds on Feb. 1 against Bakersfield.
Junior Sydney Woodley recorded her first double-double in a Beach uniform against her former team, CSUN, on Dec. 31 when she finished with 12 points and 10 boards in Northridge.
Casey Valenti-Paea notched a double-double of 11 points and 10 boards at UC Riverside on Saturday, January 27.
Sophomore Davai Matthews joined that bunch as she notched her first-career double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) at Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday, Feb. 22 as she led the Beach to a 69-67 road win.
Most recently, Patricia Chung notched a double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the First Round of The Big West Basketball Championships.
Do You Need Some Assistance?
Junior guard Casey Valenti-Paea had a career-game against UC Irvine on March 2 as she dished out 11 assists to set a new career mark for herself. It also marked the first time in two years that an LBSU Women's Basketball player distributed double-figure assists in a single game. Valenti-Paea was just two helpers away from jumping into the Top 5 in the Long Beach State single-game record book.
Among The Nation's Best
Junior guard Sydney Woodley has been on-point defensively as she leads The Big West in steals per game with 3.39, which ranks her sixth in the nation. Woodley tied her career-high with seven swipes against UC Riverside on January 27. With Woodley leading the way, Long Beach is second in the conference with 11.1 steals per game this season, which puts the Beach 15th in the nation.
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."
Next Up
Should No. 7 seed Long Beach State defeat No. 2 seed UC UC Irvine on Friday, the Beach will then advance to the Championship game on Saturday, March 16 at 2:30 p.m.
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