A tale of two halves: The Beach falls to Pacific, 76-62

LBSU squanders seven-point halftime lead, loses fourth straight game

Contributing writer

Published: Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Updated: Thursday, January 8, 2009 20:01

Anthony Ibarra

Brett Timmons, Lynea Williams, Lauren Bagley (from left) and the rest of the Long Beach State bench watch the action in the second half.

More LBSU vs. Pacific photos by Anthony Ibarra:

Junior Courtney Jacob, middle, leans in for a runner against Pacific's Janae Young.

Freshman guard Adelle Walton (11) handles the ball Thursday afternoon. Walton added 10 points.

Senior Lynea Williams (5) drives toward the baseline.

Junior guard Lauren Sims contributed 13 points against the Pacific Tigers.

Junior guard Courtney Jacob (21) scored a team-high 14 points for Long Beach State.

Freshman Adelle Walton (11) gathers herself for a shot just outside the key.

Sophomore Melanie Lisnock sets her feet for a 3-point attempt.

Junior Lauren Sims (3) fires a 3-pointer over a Pacific defender.

Guard Courtney Jacob plows into a Pacific defender on the way to the basket.

Freshman guard Adelle Walton attacks the basket for a layup.

Energized by a record-breaking home crowd of 2,656, The Beach sprinted out on to an early lead only to watch the Pacific Tigers claw back in the second half Thursday afternoon.

The Tigers, behind the strong performances of forward Janae Young (23 points) and guard Amy VanHollebeke (15 points and seven assists), overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to defeat Long Beach State, 76-62, at the Walter Pyramid.

Pacific (8-6, 2-0 Big West Conference) showcased strong shooting and ball control in the second half to pull out the victory.

The 49ers (3-11, 0-3 Big West) had four starters in double-digits scoring, but failed to rally from behind late in the game. Junior guard Courtney Jacob paced the ‘Niners with 14 points, forward Whitney Fields added a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, junior Lauren Sims scored 13 and freshman Adelle Walton chipped in 10.

LBSU was out-rebounded on the offensive glass, 22-18, and 50-40 for the game. Combined with a 21.2 field goal percentage in the second half, including 0-of-7 from behind the arc, The Beach would remain winless in Big West play this season.

The attendance was a response to the NCAA's "Pack the House Challenge," an initiative to help increase and attendance at women's college basketball games throughout the country.

The 49ers will look to snap a four-game losing streak on Saturday against UC Davis at the Walter Pyramid. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m.

Sports editor Tracy McDannald contributed to this report.

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