The Long Beach State women’s basketball 2016-2017 schedule was released Tuesday, and the the 49ers will be tested by major conference teams early and often.
Long Beach State will play in two tournaments: The ASU Classic in Tempe, Arizona at the beginning of December and the Play4Kay Shootout in Las Vegas.
In the ASU Classic, the Beach will play against Florida in the first round. The Gators went to the NCAA Tournament in 2016, only to lose in the first round. If the 49ers win, they will play against either Arizona State or Boston University in the final.
As for the Play4Kay Shootout, the 49ers will be in a pool of eight teams. The tournament includes five teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament including Oklahoma State, New Mexico State and South Florida, and three teams that competed at the Women’s National Invitational Tournament. One of the teams includes Oregon State, who made it to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
The 49ers begin division play on Jan. 5 against Hawai’i, the defending Big West Tournament champions, for the second straight season at the Walter Pyramid. The Rainbow Wahine beat the 49ers twice last season.
Afterward, LBSU will play back-to-back games against Big West opponents UC Davis, who finished second in the Big West Tournament and Cal Poly, who was eliminated in the Big West Tournament by Long Beach State.
Other key matchups include UC Riverside on Jan. 28 and Feb. 23. Both games are crucial, since the Highlanders finished with a 16-0 record in the Big West Conference and swept LBSU last season.
The 49ers will end the season on the road against the Rainbow Wahine in Honolulu, Hawai’i. This matchup will be significant because it could end up deciding the victor for the Big West Conference and seeding in the Big West Tournament.