From Reports By Long Beach State Sports Information Department

The Long Beach State women’s basketball team jumped two spots in the Big West standings with a near wire-to-wire win over UC Irvine, 66-65, on Thursday evening at Bren Events Center. The 49ers relinquished the lead only once, and were able to hold off a late surge from the Anteaters.

With the win, The Beach improved to 8-18 on the season and 4-9 in Big West Conference play, 6th place.

LBSU finished the evening with an impressive 47.3 field goal percentage as three 49ers put up double figures, led by junior Whitney Fields who notched her seventh double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore LaTorya Barbee poured in 16 points, while senior Kaiti O’Brien rounded out the trio with 10.

Long Beach State jumped out to an early 8-0 advantage after a jumper by O’Brien at the 17:21 mark. The 49ers stayed in command until UCI took its first and only lead of the night with 43 seconds remaining in the first half, but Barbee came back down the court to drain a 3-pointer with 19 seconds on the clock to give The Beach a 34-32 lead at the break.

LBSU opened the second period on a 12-2 run, capped by a Barbee layup, to go up by a 46-34 margin at the 16:22 mark, but UCI slowly chipped away, giving the 49ers a scare in the final minutes. After a 3-pointer by Kirian Ishizaki, The Beach led by just two (64-62) with 1:38 to play. The Anteaters were unsuccessful on their next three possessions, however, and they fouled O’Brien after she picked up a defensive rebound with 12 seconds remaining. O’Brien would sink both free throws, giving LBSU the cushion it needed as Rebecca Maessen made a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Long Beach State returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 28, when it plays host to Cal State Fullerton. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.