The Long Beach State women’s basketball team lost its conference opener, 67-55, to Hawaii on Thursday night inside the Walter Pyramid.
The 49ers never led against Hawaii (8-7, 1-0), which went on an 11-2 run to start the game. junior guard Raven Benton knocked down two free throws with eight minutes and 46 seconds left in the fourth that sliced Hawaii’s lead to one point, which was the closest LBSU would get.
Hawaii’s senior Destiny King, knocked down a jump shot with 7:31 left in the game. The Long Beach native had a team-high 11 points.
Hawaii then closed the game out on a 20-9 run.
“[Hawaii] played with experience down the stretch,” LBSU head coach Jody Wynn said. “We had some looks, they were challenged at times. To miss as many layups as we did, that’s not going to win a lot of games.”
The Rainbow Warriors outrebounded LBSU 52-29 and scored 18 second chance points in the game.
“When you get extra possessions, good or bad, that’s what you want,” Hawaii head coach Laura Beeman said. “When you get extra possessions you take away possessions from them.”
The 49ers did not help their chances by making only 18 of their 53 attempts from the field.
“We got to shoot better, considering we’re getting outrebounded on the glass,” Wynn said. “We can’t control the ball going in every time but we can put it up better and finish.”
Coming into the game, the 49ers (11-4, 0-1) had coasted through 14 games against nonconference opponents, winning eleven of them. But against a Big West opponent, the 49ers had a tough time adjusting.
“It’s conference, even though the caliber of [Hawaii] and Long Beach may not be the same as South Carolina, it’s conference,” Laura Beeman said. “But the South Carolinas, Arizona States prepare you for Long Beach.”
Hawaii’s biggest came midway through the second quarter after a jumper made by Marissa Wimbley pushed the lead to 15. LBSU climbed back later in the quarter and trailed 29-24 after Benton banked in a three from the wing.
“It was an awakening for us,” Benton said. “We prepared really well and did not show it at all.”
The 49ers will play their first conference road game against Cal State Fullerton at 4 p.m. on Saturday.