Feb. 20, 2010
Box Score
Stockton, Calif. - Down by nine with under three minutes to play in the second half, the Pacific women's basketball team went on a 9-2 run to send Long Beach State University (LBSU) into the first of two overtimes Saturday afternoon before falling 87-77 at home in the Alex G. Spanos Center.
Pacific fell to 4-20 (2-10 Big West) with the loss, while the 49ers improved to 12-14 on the season, 8-5 in the Big West.
All starters for the Tigers finished in double-digits, led by freshman Erica McKenzie (Sparks, Nev.). She finished with a team-high 16 points and four rebounds, going 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Sophomore Christina Thompson (Sacramento, Calif.) came off the bench to finish with 15 points and freshman Jordan Rogers (Sparks, Nev.) netted a double-double with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
Pacific led for over 13 minutes in the first half before Ally Wade hit a three with 6:51 on the clock to give the LBSU the lead, 25-23. The Tigers responded with a 7-0 run to take the lead back up to five (30-25) for a third time on a layup by Thompson just under five minutes before the break. Wade then started an 8-0 run for the 49ers that gave them a 33-30 lead with 2:43 on the clock. Senior Jasmine Dana (Bakersfield, Calif.) pulled the Tigers within one (33-32) after hitting two free throws at the 2:33 mark to close scoring for the half.
Senior Emma Head (San Diego, Calif.) tied the contest up for a third time (33-33) after hitting the second of two free throws a minute and a half after the break. The Tigers managed to tie the game up two more times in the second half, but could not regain the lead, seeing LBSU go ahead by nine (61-52) on a jumper from Tipesa Moorer with 2:58 remaining in regulation.
McKenzie completed a three point play at the free throw line 20 seconds later to start Pacific's rally. A jumper by Dana pulled the Tigers to within four (61-57) with 1:57 on the clock. LBSU's Karina Figueroa hit her fourth basket of the night to push the lead back to six. Dana then missed a jumper on the opposite end, grabbed her own rebound and dished it out to an open McKenzie for the three that put Pacific back within three with 1:19 to play. After grabbing the rebound off a miss by Figueroa, Dana was fouled bringing the ball up the court and sent to the line to shoot two in the double bonus with 45 seconds remaining. A 68-percent free throw shooter coming into the competition, Dana made both free throws and put the Tigers down by one, 63-62.
Figueroa was called for an offensive foul with 21 seconds left to give Pacific one more offensive series in regulation. McKenzie missed a jumper with :09 to go and Head grabbed her sixth rebound of the night to keep the possession alive. She passed the ball out to Eliza Dy (Chino Hills, Calif.) on the baseline and Dy was fouled going up for the shot by Melanie Lisnock with two seconds on the clock. The sophomore made the second of two free throws to send the game into its first overtime with a score of 63-63.
Pacific took its final lead of the night (65-64) on a free throw by Head 15 seconds into overtime, but Figueroa took over for the 49ers. Despite being held scoreless throughout the first half, the reigning Big West Player of the Week scored all seven of LBSU's points in the first overtime to add to her nine second half points. A three by Dana with 27 seconds to go in the first overtime sent the teams into the deciding second extra period. The Tigers were outscored 17-7 in the final five minute span.
Dana finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. Dy and Head rounded out the remaining Tigers in double-digits with 13 and 10 respectively.
The 49ers were led by Figueroa who finished with a game-high 24 points. Moorer earned a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
The Tigers hit the road next week heading to UC Riverside on Feb. 25 before facing LBSU again next Saturday, on Feb. 27 down in Long Beach. Game time at Riverside is set for 7 p.m., and the start time for the Long Beach State rematch is set for 4 p.m.
