Beach Take On Cal Poly Thursday Night At The LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

Thursday, February 26

Long Beach, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Cal Poly

Tickets From $9 - $13

Beach Take On Cal Poly Thursday Night At The LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid

2/25/2026 2:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes -- Cal Poly

Four Big West games left as the Beach look to finish with momentum

By: Chelsea Pfohl, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- The Beach return home Thursday, February 26 to face Cal Poly in a 6 p.m. matchup that demands sharper efficiency on both ends of the floor. In January's meeting, Long Beach State held Cal Poly to 40.7 percent shooting but struggled to score consistently themselves, managing just 49 points. With Jones-Brown's 13-point, 11-rebound double-double in that contest as a foundation, the challenge becomes building secondary scoring and sustaining defensive pressure for a full 40 minutes.

RIGHT AWAY
• Four games remain in the regular season, and the focus is on closing with purpose at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Long Beach State enters at 3-23 overall and 2-14 in Big West play, averaging 55.5 points per game while allowing 73.6. Execution, rebounding margin and turnover control will define this final push.

• Everything offensively continues to run through JaQuoia Jones-Brown. She ranks third in the Big West in scoring at 17.1 points per game and ninth in rebounding at 7.0 per contest, while leading the conference in minutes at 37.1 per game. In a season defined by heavy usage, her efficiency at 41.2 percent from the field and 82.7 percent at the line keeps the offense functional late.

• Jones-Brown already has five double-doubles this season, underscoring her two-way impact as the Beach look to finish strong. Her ability to generate paint touches and get to the free throw line is central in tight games.

• Khylee Pepe provides complementary production at 8.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, and she is coming off a 24-point effort at CSUN. Her downhill pressure is critical for a team that averages 10.2 made free throws per game but needs more paint efficiency down the stretch.

• Kennan Ka anchors the backcourt decision-making with 2.6 assists per game, top 15 in the conference, and shoots 41.4 percent from the floor. With Long Beach State averaging 18.8 turnovers per game, tempo control and ball security remain points of emphasis in these final four.

• In the frontcourt, Rosie Akot averages 5.2 rebounds per game and ranks among the team leaders in blocks with 19 on the season. Brynna Pukis stretches the floor at 33.0 percent from three, giving needed spacing for Jones-Brown drives.

• The first meeting at Cal Poly on January 3 resulted in a 63-49 Mustang win. Long Beach State shot 29.8 percent from the field and just 14.3 percent in the opening quarter, falling behind 12-4 after one and chasing the rest of the afternoon.

• Jones-Brown recorded a double-double in that matchup with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Pukis added nine off the bench with three made threes. The Beach were outscored 34-10 in the paint and surrendered 17 free throws on 18 attempts, highlighting the defensive adjustments needed Thursday.

ABOUT THE BEACH
• In a Beach Reads feature from Long Beach State Athletics, JaQuoia Jones-Brown's authenticity and unfiltered approach are highlighted as central to her leadership and on-court impact this season, with her growth driven by self-confidence, a team-first mentality, and consistent production. Read more at www.longbeachstate.com.

• 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.

Kay Yow Servant Leader
Junior Kennan Ka was selected as a Kay Yow Servant Leader Award winner by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, recognizing 64 women's basketball student-athletes nationwide who exemplify the values of leadership, selflessness and service.

The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honors Coach Yow's legacy and the young people who carry the fight forward, inspiring others through their actions and leadership. It is presented
annually to student-athletes who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to making a positive impact in their communities – people with a servant's spirit and a commitment to selfless
leadership both on and off the court or athletic field. Award winners will receive a jersey patch to visibly recognize their accomplishments throughout the season.

The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award is very near and dear to my heart," said head coach Amy Wright. "Not only from losing so many friends, teammates, and colleagues to cancer, but also because all those women embodied exactly what it is to be associated with this award. Compassion, Selflessness & commitment are all characteristics that Kennan has displayed since I arrived at Long Beach State. She is a fierce competitor, which is exactly the primary quality it takes to be more and do more than just for yourself. Kennan exemplifies all these areas and more."

Ka is the second winner of the award from Long Beach State, as Lovely Sonnier was one of 14 recipients selected for recognition in the program's first year last year. She is joined by eight other recipients throughout the Big West.

Read more about Kennan's leadership journey and her path to being named Kay Yow Servant leader in a Beach Reads feature at www.longbeachstate.com.