The Long Beach State women’s basketball team came up dry in its Northern California road swing after dropping two straight games against UC Davis and Pacific.
LBSU’s two game win streak was snapped by UCD on Thursday at the Pavilion after a 68-62 loss.
Sophomore Bianka Balthazar led the way for The Beach (11-10, 4-5 Big West Conference) with 16 points. Fellow sophomore Devin Hudson also dominated in the paint with 14 boards, giving LBSU a 45-37 advantage over UCD (9-11, 4-5 Big West) in rebounding despite the losing effort. Ella Clark also added seven rebounds.
Point guard Alex Sanchez contributed six assists, but the Aggies prevailed behind sophomore guard Sydney Fipps’ game-high 29 points.
In a tightly-contested game that saw 15 lead changes and 12 ties, the 49ers held a 35-34 lead at halftime thanks to efficient offense that enabled them to shoot 46.7 percent from the field.
The seesaw battle continued down the stretch, and the score was tied 60-60 with less than two minutes remaining, but the Aggies scraped their way to victory by holding the ‘Niners scoreless in the last 1:32. LBSU couldn’t repeat its shooting performance from the first half, as it shot just 27.3 percent the rest of the game.
LBSU then went to Stockton on Sunday to take on the Big West leader in Pacific at Alex G. Spanos Center. Although the 49ers trailed by just two points at 39-37 five minutes into the second half, the Tigers pulled away and led by as many as 17 points en route to their 69-53 win.
The ‘Niners held the edge in rebounding once again with a 50-39 advantage over Pacific (18-3, 8-1 Big West). Their 27 turnovers were costly though, as the Tigers only committed eight themselves.
Clark grabbed 11 rebounds while Hudson and junior transfer Jade Wilson added six boards apiece. For the Tigers, nearly half of their 39 rebounds were from sophomore Kendall Kenyon, who accumulated a game-high 19 boards.
Reserve guard Lauren Spargo led LBSU with 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting with two 3-pointers. Balthazar again scored in double digits with 12 points, and Sanchez dished out game-high seven assists.
For Pacific, three players scored in double digits. Kenyon led the team with 16 points to complete a double-double. Senior Kendall Rodriguez scored 13 points and junior Gena Johnson added 10 points for the home squad.
The Tigers led the game for most of the first half, but the 49ers managed to tie the score 21-21 at the 6:44 mark thanks to a three-point play by Balthazar. Pacific regained the lead though with a 9-2 run and eventually ended the half up 34-27.
The ‘Niners started the second half on a strong note, sparked by three straight field goals by Hudson, Spargo and Balthazar in the first three minutes. Balthazar went on to convert a pair of free throws at the 16:58 mark to tie the score 34-34.
Pacific went back ahead by three points with a jumper by Johnson and a free throw by Ashley Wakefield.
Sanchez’s 3-pointer on the ensuing possession tied the game again at 37-37 with 15:36 remaining, but a jumper by Kenyon gave Pacific the lead for good exactly five minutes into the half.
Following Kenyon’s basket, the Tigers went on a 30-15 run to put the ‘Niners away. They now boast a convincing 8-1 record in the Big West conference.
LBSU is now under .500 in the Big West for the second time this season. The 49ers will look for their fifth win in conference play on Thursday when they play at home versus Hawaii at 7 p.m.