10:00pm | The Long Beach State women’s basketball team built a 28-point lead in the first half and never looked back as it snapped a three-game losing streak with a 65-49 victory over Cal State Northridge in Big West Conference action Thursday evening at the Walter Pyramid.
The 49ers (8-12, 4-3 BWC) posted a 34.8 field goal percentage and outrebounded the Matadors, 43-41.
Senior Ally Wade paced The Beach with a game-high 21 points on an 8-for-11 performance from the field, while also pulling down seven rebounds. Senior Lauren Sims chipped in 15 points and classmate Karina Figueroa finished with 10 points and seven assists. Junior Ashley Bookman had a team-best eight rebounds.
LBSU raced out to an 8-2 advantage following a 3-pointer by Sims at the 17:49 mark. The 49ers remained in control for the remainder of the half, using a 22-6 run, capped by a three from Wade, to go up 30-10.
Long Beach State led by as many as 28 with 1:48 to play and eventually took a 43-16 lead into the break.
The Beach held CSUN to the lowest point total by an opponent in a half, while the 49ers’ 43 points were also the most they have scored in an opening period this season. The Beach shot 42.1 percent from the field and held the Matadors to 26.9 percent. LBSU also owned a 24-18 advantage on the boards.
Cal State Northridge (3-14, 1-6 BWC) opened the second half with an 8-0 spurt to cut the 49er lead to 43-24 at the 14:14 mark. After a Long Beach State timeout, Wade ended a nearly seven-minute scoring drought for The Beach with a layup. That sparked a 16-9 run, which ended with a Tipesa Moorer jumper, to put the 49ers back up by 26 with 7:14 remaining.
Despite outscoring LBSU, 16-5, over the final seven minutes, the Matadors were unable to climb back from the huge deficit as The Beach came away with the 65-49 victory.
Jasmine Erving led CSUN with 16 points, while Bridgette Conejo chipped in 15. Katrina Thompson added a game-high 10 rebounds.
Long Beach State is back in action next week when it heads to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Feb. 4, for a 7 p.m. Big West showdown.
Report From LBSU