Report by LBSU
In a tightly played game that saw seven tie scores and nine lead changes, it was Long Beach State that came out on top against Big West Conference-leading Cal Poly, as the 49ers defeated the Mustangs, 72-65, Thursday evening at the Walter Pyramid.
The Beach (10-13, 6-4 BWC) shot 46.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. LBSU also held a 37-32 advantage on the boards.
Senior Karina Figueroa led Long Beach State with a season-high tying 26 points, while adding eight rebounds and seven assists. Sophomore Tipesa Moorer chipped in 16 points and seven boards, while senior Ally Wade finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Both teams got off to a slow start as Cal Poly was the first to get on the board at the 17:44 mark. The 49ers then used a seven-point run to go up 9-4 after a Brett Timmons free throw, but the Mustangs came back and regained the lead at 10-9 with 11:13 to play.
After trading baskets over the next five minutes, senior Lauren Sims eventually put LBSU on top by five (21-16) with 5:39 remaining. Long Beach State pulled ahead late in the period as it outscored Cal Poly, 12-4, down the stretch. Junior Melanie Lisnock made a layup at the buzzer to cap a 6-0 spurt over the final 90 seconds to put The Beach up 31-22 at intermission.
The 49ers shot 48.0 percent from the field and outrebounded the Mustangs, 19-14, in the first half.
Coming out of the break, Figueroa and Wade hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give LBSU a 15-point lead. The 49ers stayed out front until the Mustangs started to chip away, using a 24-5 run to go up 48-46 with 9:07 on the clock.
The Beach stayed close, however, and eventually went back on top as a pair of 3-pointers from Figueroa gave LBSU a four-point advantage (58-54) with 5:36 to play. Cal Poly once again came back to tie the game up at 65-65 at the 1:32 mark.
After Figueroa made a jumper to put the 49ers up by two, she came through on the defensive end, stealing the ensuing inbounds pass before calling a timeout.
Figueroa was then fouled and made both free throws to give LBSU a four-point cushion with 27 seconds on the clock. Another steal by Lisnock put the game out of reach and Moorer hit three free throws down the stretch to secure the 72-65 victory.
Cal Poly (15-8, 8-3 BWC) shot 41.0 percent from the field and was led by Kristina Santiago, who finished with 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Becky Tratter added 14 points for the Mustangs.
The 49ers are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 13, when they welcome UC Santa Barbara to the Walter Pyramid for a 4 p.m. Big West Conference showdown. The game is Long Beach State’s Pink Zone Night, which is an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women’s basketball, on campuses and in communities. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the game.