Despite a late second half comeback by Cal State Fullerton, the Long Beach State women’s basketball team hung on to defeat the Titans 62-57 on Wednesday night inside the Walter Pyramid.
The 49ers (14-5, 3-2) led by 17 points at halftime, but were outscored 36-25 in the second half, allowing CSUF (2-16, 0-4) to come within three points of LBSU late in the game.
“Credit [CSUF], they kept playing,” 49er head coach Jody Wynn said. “We lost a little bit of our focus and they didn’t.”
LBSU started off the game on a 10-0 run and didn’t allow a Titan field goal until the 3:15 mark.
“We played beautiful basketball in the first quarter,” Wynn said. “It is probably the best basketball we have played this season.”
Sophomore guard Gigi Hascheff got a lucky bounce after throwing up a three pointer in the last seconds of the first quarter. Her bank triple capped off a huge first quarter which gave the 49ers a 22-6 lead.
The 49ers ended the half shooting an identical 43.8 percent from the field and from beyond the arc. However, in the second half LBSU only made 33.3 percent of its field goals. Junior guard Raven Benton said LBSU didn’t come back from the locker room with the same intensity.
“We came out not as focused in the second half,” Benton said. “Our turnovers led to their shots and they adjusted to our defense.”
LBSU turned the ball over on its first two possessions of the third quarter and CSUF’s junior forward Samantha Logan knocked down a triple that cut LBSU’s lead to 13.
In the next four minutes and 22 seconds, the Titans went on an 11-6 run that slashed the lead to eight. The Titans continued chipping away at LBSU’s lead at the start of the fourth quarter. CSUF guard Dani Craig drained a three, her first basket in an 11-point quarter.
“Dani Craig had a big game, she came up big for them, knocking down threes,” Wynn said.
The freshman out of Coralville, Iowa finished with a team-high 16 points, going six for nine from the field and four for seven from beyond the arc.
Craig sliced the 49ers lead to three after she drained another triple with 5:55 left in the game. CSUF kept the score close until Benton said she took more initiative with her shot, putting the 49ers on her back. She made 10 of the 49ers last 11 points, including two free throws in the last 30 seconds of the game to give them a 61-55 lead to close out the game.
Although the 49ers had a tough time completing their victory against CSUF, currently last in the Big West conference, Wynn said this is no time to panic.
“At least we won the game,” Wynn said. “We just need to value our possessions more and be smarter with the basketball.”
LBSU is off the rest of the week, but will travel up north to play UC Davis next Thursday at 7 p.m.