Beach Set For First Meeting With Hope International

Monday, December 29

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Hope International

12/28/2025 11:53:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes - Hope International

LBSU returns to action to face new non-conference opponent

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State returns to the Pyramid this week for a first-time matchup against Hope International, continuing non-conference play. The Beach enter the contest anchored by the all-around production of sophomore JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who continues to lead the team across multiple statistical categories.

RIGHT AWAY
• Long Beach State continues non-conference play this week with a first-ever meeting against Hope International, providing another opportunity to compete and build on habits developed through a demanding early-season schedule.

• Through 11 games, the Beach are averaging 49.0 points per game, shooting .327 from the field and .247 from three. On the defensive end, LBSU is producing 6.4 steals and 2.2 blocks per game, driven by ball pressure and consistent rim protection.

• Leading the way is sophomore phenom JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who paces the team in scoring (16.9 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and assists (2.1 apg) while averaging nearly 36 minutes per game, ranking 9th nationally in Division I. She has scored in double figures in 10 of 11 games and earned Big West Player of the Week honors following a 29-point performance vs. Sacramento State.

• Providing a strong interior presence, sophomore forward Judit Oliva Fernandez is averaging 6.6 points and 4.5 rebounds, while leading the team with 14 blocks and ranking among the Big West leaders at 1.3 blocks per game.

• Offering versatility in the frontcourt, Kennan Ka contributes 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, serving as a reliable secondary playmaker while shooting .357 from the field.
• On the perimeter, freshman Brynna Pukis has emerged as the Beach's primary three-point threat, leading the team with 14 made threes while accounting for over a quarter of LBSU's total makes from beyond the arc.

• Impacting the game on both ends, Khylee Pepe is averaging 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, while leading the Beach in steals (1.9 per game) and offensive rebounds (1.7 per game).

• Adding physicality on the glass, Freshman Rosie Akot is posting 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game and owns the team's top single-game rebounding effort this season with 13 boards at Oregon State.

ABOUT THE BEACH

• Judit Oliva Fernandez has had extensive experience playing Internationally for Spain in 3x3 tournaments, an experience that she detailed for the Long Beach State Beach Reads series found at www.longbeachstate.com.

• Other returning players for Long Beach State in addition to Jones-Brown, Richards, Oliva Fernandez and Ka include sophomore guard Christy Reynoso, forward Brelynn Brice and center Haley Wright. The trio combined for 32 games played during the 2024-25 campaign.

• Two redshirts also return for Long Beach State. Tairat Samuel-Afolabi is a redshirt freshman from Sweden, while Lauren Cummings returns after playing 26 games in 2023-24 before redshirting last season.

• Khylee Pepe gives Long Beach State some veteran experience, joining the program as a senior after spending four years at San Diego State, including one as a medical redshirt in 2024-25. Pepe played in all 35 games for the Aztecs in 2023-24 as a junior, averaging 4.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. In total, Pepe played in 95 games with San Diego State after entering the program as a high school recruit from Bishop Montgomery High School.

• Long Beach State brought in three high school recruits to join the team this season. Rosie Akot is a 6-2 forward whose intensity was noted by Wright, coming from Adelaide in Australia. Morgan Mack is a 5-10 guard from Lancaster, who finished her career as the top scorer in Hart HS history, while Brynna Pukis was a four-time first-team all-league selection at Glacier Peak High School in Washington.

• Long Beach State made two changes to the staff in the offseason. Jesse Clark joined the program as an assistant coach, coming to the Beach from the Academy of Art in San Francisco where he was the head coach for the last two seasons, capping over 25 years in coaching across multiple levels. The Beach added Ashley Arroyo as the team's Director of Basketball Operations, while Jashae Lee and Raru Archer return for their third seasons on staff with Amy Wright and Long Beach State.