By snoadmin
Searching for its first win of the season, the Long Beach State women’s basketball team will face University of San Diego on the road at 7 p.m. tonight and University of Nevada, Las Vegas at home Saturday.
The 49ers (0-7) have struggled to put points on the board and to keep their opponents off of it. The 49ers are averaging 48.6 points per game, while their opponents are averaging 70.2 points per game.
Last week on the road, LBSU tallied its sixth and seventh losses of the season, with a 66-43 loss to Utah and then an 85-41 defeat to the hands of South Dakota State, its biggest loss of the season.
With recent struggles come changes, and LBSU head coach Mary Hegarty plans to implement different game strategies, at least for the two upcoming matches.
“We have been bigger than every team we have faced this season. We are just going to have to adjust our [lack of] team speed,” Hegarty said. “Our emphasis in these two games is going to take advantage of our size and pound the ball inside.”
Picking up its first win of the season will be a difficult endeavor when LBSU meets a tough San Diego (6-1) squad on the road.
After winning its first six games of the season, the Toreros lost to Boise State 47-29 on the road Sunday. At home, San Diego is 6-0.
So far this season, San Diego has had success against Big West teams, winning all three games played thus far.
Then on Saturday, LBSU will host UNLV (2-4). The Lady Rebels lost its last game, falling to host Southern Utah 56-52. The game marked the first road game of the season for UNLV.
UNLV will be without Kisha Lee, a senior forward who started the first five games of the year, because she violated team rules.
For LBSU, Hegarty is garnering a roster with nine freshmen and five sophomores. The only returning starter is guard Karina Figueroa who leads the team with 10.3 points per game.
Of the freshmen, Lauren Sims has seen the most playing time, averaging 30.9 minutes per game and scoring 8.6 points per game.
Taking into account the loss of four starters including, Crystal McCutheon, the Big West Player of the Year in the 2005-06 season, Hegarty expected the squad to struggle – to a certain extent.
“In a struggle, I expected us to be 4-3 or 3-4 right now,” Hegarty said. “Never in a million years did I think we would be 0-7. Never.”
“When we recruit, we like to base our decisions on abilities. But, sometimes what you think are abilities are not and we have to find other strengths,” she said.
Hegarty has her work cut out, but the reigning Big West coach of the year is optimistic about her squad.
“They are a really great bunch of girls and they are really coachable,” Hegarty said about the squads’ ability to make positive strides. “I really expect to see a different team when conference play comes around.”
