49er Women Hand San Diego State First Loss

San Diego State’s women’s basketball team once again stumbled in Long Beach.

The Aztecs came into Thursday night’s game against Cal State Long Beach with a 14-0 record and ranked 12th in the nation--and lost, 99-80, before 1,484 fans at the University Gym.

Five years ago, San Diego State carried a 15-0 record into the Long Beach game and lost.

In the 25 years these two teams have been driving up and down the San Diego Freeway to play one another, Long Beach is 47-1.

Not even the presence of Chana Perry, San Diego’s talented center, could invigorate a listless Aztec team. Meanwhile, the 49ers (11-4) were as peppy as they have been all season.

Long Beach took over sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference with a 5-0 record. San Diego State (14-1) is in third place in the conference at 5-1.

San Diego Coach Earnest Riggins had a hand in inspiring the Long Beach team. In Thursday’s editions of the San Diego Union, Riggins had “guaranteed” a win.

Long Beach Coach Joan Bonvicini said only that she was aware of the boast.

The 49er players, however, told the full story.

“That’s what got us really going,” Shameil Coleman said. “Joan got fired up, and when she gets fired up, we can’t help getting fired up.”

Riggins said his comments were taken out of context.

Perry’s teammate were taken out of their game with an uninspired performance in their most important game to date. “Chana was ready to play, but she had no supporting cast,” Riggins said.

She hardly needs support. Perry led all scorers with 33 points and 10 rebounds. She is the third-leading scorer in the nation and the fourth-leading rebounder.

“She’s in a class by herself,” Coleman said.

Long Beach sputtered in the first half but clamped a smothering full-court press in the second that shut down San Diego.

“We expected the press,” Riggins said. “We didn’t think we’d have the that much problem with it. We thought our guards would do better.”

The Aztecs relied on a freshman at point guard, 5-foot 4-inch Crystal Lee, and an injured shooting guard, Julie Evans. Lee’s inexperience was damaging to San Diego--she committed 11 of her team’s 22 turnovers.

After holding an 8-point lead at the half, the 10th-ranked 49ers poured it on. Coleman had the best game of her career, scoring 27 points in 26 minutes. She was also the team’s leading rebounder with 9.

It was a night of balance for Long Beach. Six players scored in double figures. Guard Traci Waites had 16 points, 8 assists and 5 steals.

The 49ers didn’t have a big lead until the waning minutes, which is uncharacteristic of a team that is accustomed to scoring in huge chunks.

“We didn’t get big spurts,” Bonvicini said. “We just methodically kept them out of the ballgame.”

The Aztecs got off to a fast start, taking a 10-5 lead not even 3 minutes into the game. The 49ers worked their way back and forged as much as a 12-point lead. They led, 48-40, at halftime. All of the 49ers were shooting cold, save Shameil Coleman. The senior forward scored 12 of Long Beach’s first 16 points. Coleman led all scorers at the half with 16 points.

San Diego was led by Perry, who had 14 points.

Long Beach had 42 rebounds to San Diego’s 34--the first time in 2 years that the Aztecs have been out-rebounded.