The fan support, the emotion, the intensity—everything was there for the Long Beach State women’s basketball team except the W, as they came up a few plays short against the Trojans, 83-77.  Karina Figueroa shone in front of a section full of her family and fans, posting another double-double with 26 points and ten assists.

Playing against a team that was faster, stronger, longer, and generally more athletic, the 49ers kept clawing their way back into a game it seemed like they should be losing.  USC outrebounded them on the offensive glass two-to-one, and out-everythinged them except in the hustle category.  Despite being down ten at halftime, and down twelve with just five minutes left, they kept scrapping during a furious late-game burst that saw them actually pull within three points, 80-77, after LaTorya Barbee’s and-one was good, as a suddenly raucous crowd of over 1,000 cheered them on.  The Trojans hit enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win, but even with a defensive effort that wasn’t complete, coach Jody Wynn (playing against her old team in USC) was happy with the win.

“We showed heart and toughness,” she said after the game.  “If you keep fighting like that, eventually you win those.”  She also said the heart and the fight started with Figueroa, whose effort bled into her teammates’ performance.

Figueroa finished with a good line, but it would be hard to overestimate her impact on her team—USC is a fast, up-tempo squad, and Figueroa set the same tempo for the 49ers, making sure they weren’t outrun.  Her 26 points led all scorers. “We played our hearts out,” she said.  “This team hasn’t finished like that in years.  We just have to play like that all game, and keep finishing.”  Then in a display of confidence she smiled and nodded, and said, “We’ll get it done.”

That statement highlights the way the whole team seemed to be feeling—they played a 6-1 team to their limit, and proved to themselves that with full effort, they can compete with teams over their head.  As Wynn said, “I’m not into moral victories—but I’ll take that one.”