LONG BEACH, Calif. \u2014 Long Beach State showed stretches of strong defensive pressure and balanced scoring Thursday night, but UC Santa Barbara’s perimeter shooting created separation the Beach could not overcome in a 67-52 loss to open Big West play at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The game opened with both teams trading baskets, including an early offensive rebound putback that helped Long Beach State settle in and match UCSB’s pace. Five different Beach players scored in a back and forth first frame, and LBSU held a 10 to 8 advantage on the glass. UCSB, however, stayed even by converting five three pointers on 62.5 percent shooting from deep, sending the teams into the first break tied at 20.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Long Beach briefly grabbed momentum at the start of the second period when Khylee Pepe<\/a> finished a driving layup to put the Beach ahead 22 to 20. UCSB responded with a 9-0 run sparked by another three pointer, then followed with a larger push that included five makes on its last seven shots of the half. The stretch grew into a 15 to 0 run that put the Gauchos ahead by 12. UCSB shot 53.3 percent in the period and 4 for 5 from three to take a 41 to 30 lead into halftime.\u00a0<\/p>\n Long Beach State worked to chip away throughout the third quarter, including bursts from JaQuoia Jones-Brown<\/a> and Christy Reynoso<\/a>. After UCSB extended the margin to 50 to 32, the Beach answered with a 5-0 run capped by a Reynoso three that cut the deficit to 15 and forced a UCSB timeout. Reynoso later hit another three to end a multi minute drought, but the Gauchos closed the frame with a late triple to maintain a 60-43 advantage.\u00a0<\/p>\n