Senior Courtney Jacob powered the Long Beach State women’s basketball team to its first victory of the season Sunday as it concluded the Wakiki Beach Marriot Wahine Showdown in Honolulu.
Jacob, who scored 22 points in just her third game after returning from injury, shot a scorching 8-of-10 from the field to lead the 49ers (1-6) to a decisive 78-61 win over North Carolina Central at the Stan Sheriff Center.
Jacob’s all-around performance included seven rebounds and six assists and four 3-pointers. Janae Coffee added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Brandi Henton chipped in with 10 points.
LBSU also scored a season-high in points on a 32-of-66 (48.5 percent) clip from the field.
Jori Nwachukwu paced the Lady Eagles (1-4) with a double-double as she posted 19 points and 14 rebounds.
The Beach leaped out to a 7-1 lead to open up the game after a jumper from Coffee with 16:14 left in the period. The Lady Eagles then pulled within two, but the ‘Niners fired back by going on a 10-0 run capped by a jumper from Sendy Valles to take a 17-5 lead.
From there, LBSU continued to pile up the points and led by as many as 20 after a layup from Henton with 4:44 remaining in the first half. The 49ers owned a double-digit cushion for the rest of the period and held a 44-25 advantage at the break.
The Beach picked up where it left off in the second half and extended its lead to 28 points after a layup from Jazmyne Porter.
NCCU then cut the deficit in half by going on a 14-0 run with 2:59 left in the game after a pair of free throws from Tenika Neely. However, the ‘Niners stood their ground and held on for the 17-point victory.
LBSU returns to action next weekend as it travels to Houston, Texas, for the Gene Hackerman Invitational. The Beach begins the four-team tournament Friday against Prairie View A&M. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. (PT).
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