The Long Beach State women’s basketball team will play in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament for the second time in three years against the University of San Diego on Thursday at Jenny Craig Pavilion.
The Beach (22-9, 9-7) earned a postseason berth after winning over 20 wins during the regular season for the first time since the 1999-00 season. The 49ers had their best overall record since the 1990-91 season (24-8.) Head coach Jody Wynn said the postseason berth is a testament to the all the work the team put in this season.
“I’m just extremely proud of our women [for] persevering through quite a bit of injury adversity down the stretch,” Wynn said. “To be able to play in the postseason is an honor. We’re just really happy to be still be playing and our girls have tremendous chemistry.”
The 49ers will face a tough road test playing on USD’s home court where the Toreros are a solid 13-2.
“[USD is] very good,” Wynn said. “They were the second best team in the WCC and they got experience. It’s definitely going to be a challenge. It’s always good to be able to play quality opponents. That’s why we schedule who we schedule in the preseason.”
USD (24-6, 14-4) finished the regular with the second best record in the West Coast Conference on their way to earning the No. 2 seed in the conference tourney. The Toreros lost in the WCC tournament semifinals to San Francisco 65-57 on March 9.
For LBSU, Thursday night will be the third time in school history that it earns an invite to the WNIT. Utah defeated the 49ers 56-49, two years ago inside the Walter Pyramid.
The 49ers will have their hands full with containing Torero’s leading scorer Malina Hood, who has nailed a total of 81 triples throughout the year while averaging 15 points per game.
Wynn joked that the 49ers can’t mistake Malina Hood for her twin sister, Maya Hood.
“We have to tighten things up [on defense] and be more aware if someone has a hot hand,” Wynn said. “[Hood] shoots a lot of them and shoots at a very high percentage (.384.) We can’t get confused on which one’s the shooter and which one is not. Maya does not shoot the three and Malina is a prolific three point shooter.”
As has been the case the last few weeks, LBSU will rely on its three seniors – Lauren Spargo, Alex Sanchez and Hallie Meneses – carry the load in a win-or-go home situation.
“Those three seniors, when they graduate they walk away really proud of the way they left our program,” Wynn said. “And they’re a huge part of this turnaround.”
Spargo became the 23rd member of LBSU’s 1,000-point scorers club when the 49ers lost at Cal State Northridge 77-61 on March 5.
“It’s exciting because it’s like a second-chance, a second life almost,” Spargo said. “I’m excited to get some redemption for myself because I didn’t end the season particularly the way I would have hoped.”
Wynn said Meneses’ contributions to LBSU, along with the rest of the team, has led to the program’s transition. The 49ers recorded one of their best turnaround seasons in school history, buoyed by a 15-game winning streak in the middle of the season
Tip-off between LBSU and USD is scheduled for 6 p.m.