Report by LBSU
The Long Beach State women’s basketball team saw an eight-point lead slip away late in the game as it fell to host San Diego State, 67-62, Friday evening at Viejas Arena.
LBSU dropped to 3-6 on the season, while the Aztecs improved to 5-4.
The 49ers had a better field goal percentage (43.1 – 40.4) and shot a blistering 46.7 percent from 3-point range, but lost the battle on the boards, 35-28.
Senior Ally Wade paced Long Beach State with 18 points and eight rebounds as she went 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Senior Lauren Sims finished with 17 points, while classmate Karina Figueroa and junior Melanie Lisnock chipped in 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The Beach raced out to a 12-6 advantage after a jumper by Figueroa, forcing SDSU to call a 30-second timeout. The Aztecs capitalized on the break in action as they responded with a 14-2 run to go up 20-14 at the 12-minute media timeout.
The 49ers then started to chip away and regained the lead on a Wade 3-pointer at the 5:33 mark. LBSU went up by as many as six, but Quenese Davis hit a pair of free throws with 16 seconds on the clock to cut LBSU’s lead to 31-29 at the break.
Both teams shot over 40 percent from the field in the first half and the 49ers outrebounded the Aztecs, 19-14, with a 7-3 edge on the offensive glass.
After San Diego State tied the game at 31-31 to open the second period, Long Beach State used a 9-2 run, capped by a Sims’ jumper, to go up by eight at 41-33 with 14:53 remaining.
The 49ers stayed out front until a pair of free throws gave the Aztecs a 56-54 lead with 4:05 to play. The Beach quickly responded as Lisnock hit a jumper on the ensuing possession. The two teams went back and forth from there with two more tie scores before San Diego State pulled away in the final seconds, making three of four free throws down the stretch.
Quenese Davis led the Aztecs with a game-high 22 points, while Jessica Bradley finished with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds).
Long Beach State returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 13, when it takes on the University of San Diego at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (PST).