There are a lot of new faces in the Long Beach women’s basketball program, including head coach Jeff Cammon. With seven freshmen joining the squad, Long Beach is looking for a return to the NCAA tournament after exiting the first round last season and develop its talent for the years to come. Here is a breakdown of the point guards who will run the offense at the Beach this season and for years to come.
#0 Ma’Qhi Berry (Freshman, 5’8’) : Berry hails from Irving, Texas, where she played at Ranchview High School. The incoming freshman averaged 15.2 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds while also adding 3.7 steals per game in her senior year. A two-time All-State honoree as a junior and senior and received three All-Region Selections in her tenure there, Berry is an athletic left-handed combo-guard who has an uptempo game. She uses her speed to break down defenses and attacks the rim with full body control. While the starting lineup has not been solidified, Berry will make her case for the job.
#2 Bria Rice (Redshirt Sophomore, 5’8”) : Rice transferred from Arizona where she struggled finding minutes. The quick-footed guard will be redshirting this year to work on her game, but hopes to make an impact for the 49ers once she’s back on the court. She only averaged about 6.5 minutes per game, which brought down her productivity and left her averaging just 0.9 points, 0.2 assists and 0.7 rebounds. Rice is a speedy guard who can push the pace while handling the ball well, and penetrate through traffic while distributing well in transition. She’s a pesky defender with a reliable perimeter shot that will help the team spread the floor.
#21 Shanaijah Davison (Freshmen, 5’8”) : The freshman from Woodland, California averaged 27.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists while adding 5.1 steals per game for Pioneer High School. Davison is a natural scorer, but has the ability to get her teammates involved when her shot is not falling. She uses her foot speed and ball handling to get by defenders, and crashes the boards in order to get the offense rolling as soon as she comes down with the ball. While she has proven to be a great scorer, her defensive presence is unparalleled. Davison will bring a lot of energy to the team, giving her the opportunity to land the starting job.