The Long Beach State women’s basketball team never trailed in their 76-56 victory over Western Michigan in the first round of the Beach Classic Sunday afternoon.
The 49ers (5-7) 20-point win was a direct result of their hot shooting on the day. The ‘Niners shot a stellar 50.8 percent from the field, while holding the Broncos (2-7) to just 32.7 percent shooting.
The win also marked LBSU’s second consecutive victory and improved their record to 4-0 at the Walter Pyramid.
Freshman Lauren Spargo’s career-high 18 points led the attack for The Beach, who scored a season high 76 points. Spargo also pulled down seven rebounds in the contest.
Junior Mary Ochiltree also had a career best in scoring with 17 points for the game. Senior Tipesa Moorer and freshman Alex Sanchez were also effective for the 49ers, both of them chipping in 13 points.
The ‘Niners broke the game open early–jumping out to a 9-0 advantage within the first three minutes of the contest. The Broncos pulled within six, but a 11-5 Beach run put the ‘Niners up 23-10 halfway through the first period.
The 49ers connected on 53.3 percent of their shots in the first half, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Ochiltree connected on 6 of eight shooting–good for 13 first half points helped the ‘Niners take a 39-26 lead at the break.
The 49ers opened the second half with a 19-5 run, which gave them a 58-31 lead and all but sealed the victory. The Beach were able to hold the lead at no less than 18 for the remainder of the game.
Maria Iaquaniello led the Broncos with 22 points on 8 of 12 from the field, while Jazmine Windham finished with 13 points on 3 of 8 shooting, including 7 of 8 from the free throw line.
The ‘Niners will face Wichita State for the Beach Classic championship on Monday night at 5 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
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