Nov. 30, 2004
Box Score
LONG BEACH, CA-- Long Beach State (2-0) pushed off to its best start in six years, bombing away with nine three-pointers enroute to a 80-69 win over visting San Diego (2-2) on Tuesday evening. The Beach shot an equally impressive 56 percent from beyond the arc, hitting nine-of-16 three-pointers, one away from the single-game record.
Crystal McCutcheon (Lancaster) led a quartet of 49ers in double figures with a career-tying 21 points and career tying seven assists. Freshman Jeannie Saunders (Long Beach/Wilson HS) added a career-best 17 points, which included four three-pointerss, while Petra Gläser (Amtsberg, Germany) had 16 points. Jayme Connors (Las Vegas) rounded out the scoring with 13 points and seven rebounds. LBSU shot 48 percent for the game, cooling off after a 60 percent first half with a 35 percent clip in the second.
San Diego, who shot 43 percent for the game, including 47 percent in the second half, was led by Amber Sprague's 14 points. Brandi Collato added 12 points and seven rebounds.
Amanda Rego's three-pointer brought the Toreros to within 58-48 with 10:34 left, the closest they had gotten to LBSU since the opening minutes. San Diego used a 10-1 run over the final 4:14 to push the final lead to 11 points.
The Beach stormed out to a 47-30 halftime lead led by a blistering 60 percent clip, which included six three-pointers. USD was held to just 39 percent shooting, rebounding after LBSU scored the first 12 points over the first 3:30 of play.
LBSU upped their lead to 19-5 with 14:01 left on a McCutcheon layup, as a blink of the eye gave the 49ers a 28-8 advantage on another McCutcheon layup, this time at 11:18.
San Diego used a 14-5 run over the next five minutes to close to within 33-22 on a three-pointer by Rego, but the 49ers countered with a 14-8 run to close the half.
The Toreros travel to UC Riverside this Friday for a 7:10 pm tipoff.
