49ers
defeat UCR, Gosschalk leads team
By Gina Ponce
On-line Forty-Niner
Senior
Jinga Gosschalk led the Long Beach State
women’s basketball team with 20 points into
victory against University California Riverside
Saturday 75-70.
The Beach improved to 10-10 overall, 7-2
in the Big West while the Highlanders dropped
to 5-16, 2-8. UCR is having a tough season
after finishing second in the Big West conference
last year. With only two players 100 percent
healthy and four starting underclassmen,
the team is shooting 37 percent against
other teams in the Big West.
The first half of the game between the 49ers
and the Highlanders started off with a UCR
advantage after they kept Long Beach from
scoring in the first five minutes of the
game. Allowing them a 10-1 run.
“We went out to a slow start but finished
strong and played well near the end,” Dallas
Boychuck-Bolla said, head coach for the
49ers.
LBSU came back to tie the game 27-all with
3:09 left in the first half. The 49ers took
control when freshman Monica Quan hit a
three-pointer, but lost it again when UCR
were answered back with a three-pointer
from Holly Peterson for the Highlanders
making it 36-34 going into the second half.
Boychuk-Bolla said the 49er defense was
not strong in the first half of the game.
She said UCR was playing five guards and
beating them to the basket.
Long Beach pulled ahead to their biggest
lead of the game at 69-60 after swapping
the lead with UCR six times to begin the
second half. With 1:24 left to go in the
game the Highlanders could not come through
to retake the lead and the Beach held on
for the win.
“[UCR] played in a zone and we did a good
job of attacking their zone,” Boychuck-Bolla
said.
The 49ers committed 17 turnovers while the
Highlanders had 15, but The Beach out rebounded
its opponent 48-38. Forty-six fouls were
committed between the two teams.
Long Beach State was 73.3 percent from the
line and 39.1 percent from the field.
UCR hit 71.4 percent for free throws and
40 percent from the field.
Senior Glory Johnson followed Gosschalk
with 16 points for the Beach and 12 rebounds.
Junior Jennifer Baker added 12 points and
14 rebounds. Crystal Harris led the
Highlanders with 22 points and five rebounds.
Gosschalk was named Player of the Week in
the Big West conference after shooting 64
percent in both games against Cal State
Fullerton and UCR. She led the 49ers
in scoring over the weekend, averaging 18.5
points a game.
Boychuck-Bolla said, “[Gosschalk] is playing
well. She’s playing like a senior.”
The 49ers will return to the court 7:30
p.m. Thursday against Cal State Fullerton
in the Pyramid.
|