LONG BEACH STATE NOTEBOOK / JASON REID : Hardy Bounces Back After Rough Early Performance

As expected, Akia Hardy took the news hard. It’s not every day a college point guard, let alone a returning starter, commits 18 turnovers.

But the number was legit, and there was no getting around it. Hardy, a two-year starter on the women’s basketball team, bungled her way through an exhibition Nov. 5 at the Pyramid.

Long Beach Coach Dallas Boychuk shocked Hardy with her turnover total at game’s end. Hardy isn’t clueless; she knew she didn’t have a great game.

But 18 turnovers? No way, she thought. Or hoped, anyway.

“I was really upset,” she said. “I thought, ‘Oh, my, God!’ Do you know how many points [the turnovers] probably turned into?”

No, we don’t. However, a Long Beach alumni team defeated the 49ers, 98-78. It’s safe to assume Hardy’s mistakes had much to do with the outcome.

To her credit, Hardy remained focused despite the horrible performance. She vowed to avoid a repeat and has. Hardy is the steadiest 49er, something seemingly unbelievable not long ago.

“She’s done a good job,” Boychuk said. “She’s been pretty consistent so far.”

To say the least. Hardy leads the 49ers in scoring, averaging 15.6 points. She tops the Big West Conference in assists, averaging 7.6.

“She’s looking to score a little bit more this year,” Boychuk said. “[The defense] can’t sag off her, so that opens up her passing and other parts of her game.”

Hardy, 21, isn’t fixated on scoring. She likes to score as much as the next player, mind you, but it’s only one part of her job, she said. And it’s not the most important part.

“It’s kind of interesting,” Hardy said. “I guess now it’s time for me to step up, and I’m trying to do that the best that I can.

“But the main thing, what I really like, is to get a lot of assists and steals. To me, that’s what makes you an overall point guard.

“The most important thing for me is to distribute the ball to my teammates in good scoring position. That gets their confidence going and usually makes the scoreboard in our favor.”

Despite her impressive scoring average, Hardy doesn’t have a scorer’s mentality or confidence. Shooting doesn’t come naturally to Hardy, but the 49ers need points from her.

The new role has its moments, but it’s still work. Greater responsibility brings increased pressure.

“I’ve never really been a scoring threat, normally I’m just a passer, so this is different for me,” she said. “My coach wants me to score, so I’m just going to do what my coach wants me to.”

Hardy enjoys playing for Boychuk, who replaced former coach Glenn McDonald. Hardy was close to McDonald and had the typical concerns about playing for a new coach--especially during her final 49er season.

“[The coaching change] had such a big impact on me at first,” Hardy said. “Coach McDonald is someone who I love. I felt it would be a big adjustment for me, and I didn’t know how I would handle it, but it’s turned out really well.”

Hardy knew everything would be OK after committing all those turnovers. Boychuk’s demeanor put Hardy at ease, and that feeling has carried over.

“She wasn’t mean at all,” Hardy said. “She kind of laughed and said, ‘Did you know you . . .’ She just told me not to worry about it, and that helped a lot.”

And the news has been good ever since.

49er Notes

Long Beach-USC used to be among the best nonconference rivalries in women’s basketball. The standout 49er and Trojan teams of the 1980s regularly played great games in packed gymnasiums and arenas. Although not as talented as their predecessors, this season’s teams added another exciting chapter to the rivalry last Thursday night. USC defeated Long Beach, 68-59. Coach Dallas Boychuk hasn’t been at Long Beach very long, but she understands the game’s significance. “It’s a very big game,” Boychuk said. “The players really [wanted] this game. They look at USC as a little bit bigger of a rival than UCLA.”

Rasul Salahuddin of the men’s basketball team was named co-player of the week by the Big West Conference. Salahuddin, a senior point guard, scored 16 points in the 49ers’ 98-84 victory over George Mason Friday and 21 points in the 86-69 victory over St. Mary’s on Dec. 19.