The562’s coverage of Long Beach State athletics for the 2024-25 season is sponsored by Marilyn Bohl.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach State Basketball is sponsored by CSULB Distinguished Alumnus Nelson Farris.
Long Beach State women’s basketball started the 2024-25 campaign by finishing strong in the opener on Saturday afternoon at Walter Pyramid.
The Beach (1-0) overcame an early 10-point deficit and freshman Mykelle Richards’ put-back bucket with less than a minute to play proved to be the difference in an exciting 67-65 win over visiting William & Mary.
“It was a great win for us in terms of showing our grit, and I think we did a great job keeping our composure,” LBSU second-year coach Amy Wright said. “I’m getting to know my team. They like to fight, they love each other and they play for each other. It was really fun to watch it come down to the end. I’m really happy.”
Senior guard Lovely Sonnier led LBSU with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists plus a steal and a block on defense. Richards finished with 12 points and fellow freshman JaQuoia Brown chipped in 10 points, six rebounds and a block in her debut.
“It’s my first college game so for us to get a win felt amazing,” Brown said. “I had fun. As a team we just have to have fun. We’re so serious in practice, the coach is so serious, but sometimes we just have to loosen up.”
LBSU had a 49-46 rebounding advantage while six different players had five or more rebounds. That type of team effort on the boards is likely to be a theme of this season and this young squad.
“It’s kind of the way we recruited,” Wright said. “We wanted longer and more athletic players who can play all five positions. It’s a definite advantage. Even (Brown) is getting six rebounds because she’s just more athletic than a lot of players. That’s our goal, because it’s not necessarily how we’re teaching it but what they naturally bring in with their skill set.”
Brown was also key in guarding William & Mary star Bella Nascimento. The senior scored a game-high 21 points but was 9/29 from the field and 2/11 from 3-point range. She was also forced into five turnovers. The Tribe shot 32 percent from the field and only connected on seven of their 30 shots from behind the arc.
“They were going to get her touches no matter what so we had to disrupt that,” Wright said. “Obviously that was doubling her and putting long defenders on her.”
“We did a lot of switching because it’s what we worked on all week,” Brown said. “We stuck to what we know. When I was on the bench and saw what the other team was doing with her, when I went out there I told my teammates what I’d seen, and then we all came together and executed.”
William & Mary got off to a hot start with high-pressure defense and second chance points in the paint. The Tribe led 21-13 at the end of the first quarter.
Brown’s coast to coast layup and Sonnier’s And-1 finish got LBSU going offensively in the second quarter. Brown’s put back with 2:40 left in the half pulled the Beach even for the first time 31-31. William & Mary led 37-34 at halftime.
The Tribe led for almost all of the third quarter but it stayed a one or two possession game until LBSU went on a 7-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter. Sonnier’s step back 3-pointer from the top of the key gave the Beach its first lead.
LBSU’s largest lead was three points and the home team only led for 4:04 of the game.
The finish was chaotic with offensive fouls and turnovers piling up down the stretch. It was tied 65-65 with less than a minute left when Sonnier drove the lane for a layup that bounced out and ended up in the hands of Richards for the game-winning put back.
LBSU used smart fouls and team defense to turn back a pair of possible game-tying shots from William & Mary.
Wright said she wants her team to, “Take away the trust in each other and the trust in the program,” from this dramatic opener.
“I think it’s huge to come away with a win like that,” Wright added. “It just builds trust with each other, with the players and the coaching staff. We’re growing something good. At the end of the game I had three freshmen in (on defense). I’m putting them in situations where they have to learn. I tell the freshman, ‘We’re asking you to do a lot, but we recruited you for a reason.’”
LBSU visits Pacific on Friday, and the next home game is Dec. 1 against Pepperdine.
