There is a big difference between a youthful team, and a young team. As of right now, the Long Beach State women’s basketball squad is playing with a youthful pep in their step.
Do-it-all freshman Alex Sanchez is the leader of the 49ers youth movement, and her performance in the ‘Niners 63-51 win over UC Irvine helped supplant her role as a team leader.
Sanchez scored a game–high 18 points on an efficient 8 of 10 shooting, including 2 of 2 from 3-point range. Sanchez, however, was quick to give her teammates credit for finding her in the right spots.
“My teammates found me very well.” She said, “I’m not the tallest or shortest [player on the floor], but I use my body well.”
LBSU head coach Jody Wynn said that it’s a luxury having Sanchez on the floor due to her versatility.
“Alex [Sanchez] is very smart.” She said, “she understands the game inside and out, and she’s a sponge, she absorbs every little bit of coaching.”
Wynn added: “Yeah, she’s a redshirt freshman, but her knowledge and her experience of being in big games, [makes her] ready to compete at this level right away.”
Sanchez wasn’t alone in the 12-point victory in which the ‘Niners [7-8, 2-0 Big West] never trailed. Senior Tipesa Moorer pitched in 12 points on 5 of 9 shooting while pulling down four rebounds. Junior Mary Ochiltree had 11 points of her own on 3 of 6 shooting, including 4 of 4 from the free throw line. Ochiltree also had a game–high eight rebounds.
After the game, coach Wynn praised the way Ochiltree competes both in practice, and in games.
“Mary [Ochiltree] is ultra competitive.” She said, “She wants to win every sprint [and] every drill.”
She added: “We knew that in time her game would settle down, and obviously she’s playing some excellent basketball for us.”
The 49ers opened the game with with a 13-4 run and never looked back. The Beach used a combination of man-to-man, and pressure defenses to stifle the Anteaters [4-10, 0-2 Big West] offense in the first half.
The ‘Niners held UCI to just 31.3 percent shooting [10-32] in the opening period. The Beach also forced the ‘Eaters into 13 first half turnovers, which led to 15 points.
LBSU shot a mediocre 36.7 percent in the first half [11-30], but their success from behind the arc [4-8] and from the free throw line [7-10] helped them grab a 33-23 at the break.
The Beach opened the second half with four straight points to extend their lead to 14, the largest of the game. UCI got no closer than eight points for the remainder of the contest.
Coach Wynn has noticed that her team is able to hold leads much better now than earlier in the season.
“In the past we’ve let teams back in [the game].” She said, “I think for the most part we were able to sustain our energy and discipline defensively.”
The ‘Niners shot the ball much better in the second period, 52 percent [13-25], which helped them close out the Anteaters to propel them to their second straight Big West Conference victory.
LBSU will return to the floor on Saturday, Jan. 7 against Cal State Northridge. The contest is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.
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