IRVINE – Last year’s Cinderella run wasn’t meant to be repeated after all.
The Long Beach State women’s basketball team struggled down the stretch and suffered a season-ending 54-48 loss to Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday in the opening round of the Big West tournament at Bren Events Center.
Expectations were high for the fifth-seeded 49ers after last year’s surprising run in the conference tournament. The Beach upset the top two teams and advanced to the tournament final as a seventh seed in 2012, but it wasn’t able to recreate the same magic this year.
Sophomore center Devin Hudson had the best game of her career with 17 points and 24 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to salvage a disappointing performance from the rest of the 49ers. Hudson’s 24 rebounds set a Big West Tournament record, as she dominated the post with 11 offensive and 13 defensive boards in the loss.
Sophomore guard Lauren Spargo added 11 points off the bench to take the burden off Hudson, but the rest of the ‘Niners combined for just 20 points altogether.
“We took too many quick threes and missed them,” LBSU head coach Jody Wynn said after her team only managed to hit four of 25 shots from beyond the arc. “Our lead evaporated really quickly because of those quick threes. I’m also disappointed with our defensive effort in the second half.”
The first half was a low-scoring affair, as LBSU’s 26.9 percent field goal percentage actually looked decent in comparison to CSUF’s abysmal 15.6 percent shooting from the field.
The game started slowly with both teams exchanging the lead with occasional buckets. The 49ers appeared to have taken control of the contest beginning at the 8:16 mark when the game was tied 9-9, as Mary Ochiltree’s corner three sparked an 8-0 run for the next four minutes.
However, the Titans then answered with a 4-0 run with a pair of baskets from Chante Miles and Mya Olivier to end the half down only 16-13.
The Titans’ mini-run helped them get off to a positive start in the second half, as they took the lead about 30 seconds in with an Annie Park jumper and a pair of free throws by Lauren Bushong. They then put together a 7-2 run capped by Park’s 3-pointer at the 17:14 mark and took a 22-18 lead.
The ‘Niners then responded under pressure with a run of their own to regain the lead. Spargo’s baseline jumper and a pair of layups by Hudson tied the game 24-24 with five minutes in.
The Beach took the lead shortly thereafter with Ella Clark’s right-handed hook shot and appeared to be taking command of the game. With the score at 26-24, the 49ers went on a 9-3 run with 10 minutes remaining in the game and extended their lead to 35-27.
Unfortunately for the ‘Niners, the Titans had one more run left in them. CSUF managed to put on an offensive outburst while holding LBSU scoreless for the next six minutes.
The Titans’ stellar defensive effort sparked a stunning 17-3 run and gave them a convincing 46-38 lead with just 1:45 remaining in the game.
Hudson’s layup with 41 seconds left helped the ‘Niners cut the deficit to as little as three points at 48-45, but the Titans went 6-of-6 from the free throw line to close the game out.
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Wynn said she is remaining positive about her young team, which will return all but one player next year.
“One thing I can say is that young ladies like Devin [Hudson] make me want to work for them every single day,” Wynn said. “I’m disappointed for Mary [Ochiltree], who’s one of the most competitive players I’ve seen around, but I’m also fortunate not to lose any other players besides her.”
The women’s Big West tournament will continue without The Beach tomorrow at Bren Events Center. CSUF will face Hawaii at 6 p.m., and the winner of the Cal State Northridge-UC Davis game will take on UC Santa Barbara at 8:30 p.m.