Long Beach State University
0-7,0-1Big West
UC Santa Barbara
7-1,1-0Big West
Late Run Not Enough As Beach Drop Conference Opener To UCSB
12/4/2025 8:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Long Beach State cuts a 17 point deficit to 10 before Gauchos regroup to close out a 67-52 result.
LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State showed stretches of strong defensive pressure and balanced scoring Thursday night, but UC Santa Barbara's perimeter shooting created separation the Beach could not overcome in a 67-52 loss to open Big West play at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
The game opened with both teams trading baskets, including an early offensive rebound putback that helped Long Beach State settle in and match UCSB's pace. Five different Beach players scored in a back and forth first frame, and LBSU held a 10 to 8 advantage on the glass. UCSB, however, stayed even by converting five three pointers on 62.5 percent shooting from deep, sending the teams into the first break tied at 20.
Long Beach briefly grabbed momentum at the start of the second period when Khylee Pepe finished a driving layup to put the Beach ahead 22 to 20. UCSB responded with a 9-0 run sparked by another three pointer, then followed with a larger push that included five makes on its last seven shots of the half. The stretch grew into a 15 to 0 run that put the Gauchos ahead by 12. UCSB shot 53.3 percent in the period and 4 for 5 from three to take a 41 to 30 lead into halftime.
Long Beach State worked to chip away throughout the third quarter, including bursts from JaQuoia Jones-Brown and Christy Reynoso. After UCSB extended the margin to 50 to 32, the Beach answered with a 5-0 run capped by a Reynoso three that cut the deficit to 15 and forced a UCSB timeout. Reynoso later hit another three to end a multi minute drought, but the Gauchos closed the frame with a late triple to maintain a 60-43 advantage.
The Beach mounted their strongest push early in the fourth. Reynoso delivered her third three of the night, and back-to-back baskets from Rosie Akot including a fast break finish off a defensive turnover pulled LBSU within 10 and caused UCSB to take a timeout. The Gauchos responded with a three and a layup to push the margin back to 15. Long Beach then went cold, missing five straight attempts in a five-minute stretch before finally breaking a seven-minute drought with a late basket. UCSB closed out the remaining possessions to secure the win.
Jones-Brown led Long Beach State with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Reynoso added nine points from three-point range. Akot contributed eight off the bench and noted that her confidence continues to grow on the offensive side.
"I feel like offensively I am working on not getting in my head and not getting frustrated when I turn the ball over. That is something I have had to adjust to since I have been here," Akot said. "After playing Oregon State I felt like I set a standard for myself to play more freely and allow myself to just do me."
LBSU outscored UCSB 28-18 in the paint and nearly matched the Gauchos on the boards at 38-36, but UCSB finished 14 for 28 from three-point range compared to the Beach at 6 for 24.
The Beach now turn their attention to Saturday, when they travel south to face UC San Diego in a 1 p.m. matchup that marks their next test in Big West play.
