Like most athletic conferences, the Big West contracts out the basketball scheduling chores and uses “travel partners” to determine who plays where and when. Last week, of course, the 49er faithful started Googling Hawaii and Northridge for the insights of import to their men’s and women’s hoop heroes and heroines.
As you know, there was no rainbow over either of the Hawaii contests, the men got stuffed like a BBQ-suckling pig and the women snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Saturday was better.
The men’s team had its characteristic slow start but another impressive second half performance (rallied from an 11-point deficit) occurred and the team stayed in first place with a taut 83-80 road win over CSUN in what one of the web wise guys calls “the closet.” The outcome helped the Monson lads improve to 14-9 (10-2 Big West) and keep UH and UOP in a two team race for second.
The offensive balance for LB was fine, four players scored in double-digits, Caffey (20 of his team-high 22 points in the second half) and Ennis (27th-consecutive double-digit game and his fourth double-double of the season) James got 21 points and 10 rebounds. Pappageorge and Jennings also figured in–Peter with his five three-pointers and Dan offering 11 points and seven rebounds.
The Niners are back home in the Walter Pyramid this Wednesday vs. CSUF in a televised test set for ESPNU at 8PM. The team closes the week when they host UC Riverside on Saturday at 4PM.
The same two rivals (CSUF and UCR) will face the Beach ladies who, like the gents, played comeback ball, this time surprisingly from the free throw line (18-of-24 free throws over the final seven minutes). That effort allowed Coach Jody and her crew a sigh-of-relief 70-63 win over the lady Matadors. The outcome moved the Beach mark to 12-11, 5-6 in the Big West. Devin Hudson led four players in double figures with 15 points, nine of which came from the foul line. Sophomore Alex Sanchez also finished with 13 points as she was a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Bianka Balthazar and Lauren Spargo rounded out the quartet with 11 points each.
Long Beach State will hit the road for three games, starting with a 7PM showdown against Cal State Fullerton Thursday night at Titan Gym and Saturday at 5PM in Riverside.
REFOLDING OUR NAPKIN—The notes start with baseball where the remodeled Dirtbags head into SEC country for a weekend with the smart guys from Vanderbilt. It is the usual Friday to Sunday format and no clues coming from Buck about a lineup. Hopefully by the home openers the next week (Tuesday, Wednesday with toughie Arizona and then the Friday to Sunday with Valpariso) some puffs of white smoke will come from the third base locker room.
College ball of course is a bit about the Benjamins (translated the man on the hundred dollar bill so I know that my pals at Cal Poly are pleased that a couple of their former players are in the green grass. Actually Mustang alums Matt Canepa & Pat Pezet got a six figure investment on ABC’s Shark Tank for an alternative to chewing tobacco. Their new product uses non-cancerous coffee instead of nicotine. It is called Grinds.
Switching up to the softer side, Kim Sowder’s ladies softball team played the first of a gazillion tournaments this weekend, beating Wright State, losing to nationally ranked Texas A & M and Bakersfield.
Helping returning ace Erin Jones-Wesley on the mound so far is Amanda Hansen out of San Diego where she was named the Division III Pitcher of the Year after leading University City to the 2011 CIF Division III championship and the Western League Pitcher of the Year plus first-team all-conference . EJW had some off season health issues and is throwing about four innings per outing. Next weekend the Beach dances over to Glitter Gulch for the UNLV tourney.
Speaking of glitter, the campus fund raising crew is still in need of your auction item to the Jewels of the Night event. Do you have access to an item or have an idea for a new item? If so, please call (562) 985-4550. (Any auction item will be included to raise money for scholarships at the event. Donors of items can receive ‘gift-in-kind’ credit for their donation to use for tax purposes.) The big event is Saturday, April 27 and has silent, almost live and live auctions to support more than 300 49er student-athletes at LBSU. Oh yes, there is plenty of good chow from over 30 Long Beach restaurants.
Speaking of good eats, the Niner tennis team enjoyed a couple of tasty treats this past weekend–a 5-2 win over previously unbeaten LSU backed up with a 6-1 shut down of UC Santa Barbara. The win keeps Long Beach State in first place in the conference where the 49ers have not dropped a conference match since March 5, 2011. Next up LBSU will travel to San Diego State for a 2PM match on Friday before returning home for an 11AM conference match with Hawaii on Saturday.
Last add score boarding—women’s water polo is off to its best start in years, with wins over Michigan, CSUN and SDSU, and men’s volleyball split two—losing to Pepperdine and beating USC.
CLOSING QUOTE: Fullerton coach Marcie Foster engineered the idea of special warm up shirts for the Titans saluting the late Monica Quan. “A really bright light was put out way to soon,” she said. “She was someone I counted on to tell the truth. I loved that about her.”
The back story was that LBSU was Mo’s preferred destination and she signed with LBSU out of Walnut high school and eventually played 43 career games for the 49ers. Her first start was in her freshman year and she finished the game with a career-high 14 points and 5 assists. Memorial services will be held after the man hunt is concluded.—DR. DAN