Long Beach Up to Task, Upsets Nevada in Overtime

What Long Beach State was up against Wednesday was formidable.

The 49ers were facing Nevada in the Big West Conference women’s tournament. Long Beach was 1-10 on the road this season.

Nevada, on a three-game winning streak, had clinched the Eastern Division title and the top spot in the 49ers’ bracket. Long Beach had lost two of its last three games to finish fourth in the Western Division.

The Wolf Pack had beaten the 49ers this season.

Yet, when it was over, it was the 49ers who rushed the court in celebration, following a 79-69 overtime victory in the Lawlor Events Center.

Long Beach overcame a seven-point Nevada lead in the final 1 minute 8 seconds, and had to survive its mistake at the end of regulation. The 49ers needed Ember Browns’ last-second shot to send the game into overtime.

In the end, though, they had made it to tonight’s second round against UC Irvine.

“This was the first round and I’m going to have a heart attack,” Long Beach Coach Dallas Boychuck said.

There was certainly enough to cause her great stress.

The 49ers (10-17) seemed beaten late in the game. They had seen their 44-36 lead erased by a 10-0 Nevada run. In 10 minutes, Long Beach scored eight points and trailed, 59-57. The 49ers then scored nine in the last 1:08.

“The most disheartening thing is we were in a position to win the game,” Nevada Coach Ada Gee said. “Then we were plagued by the same things that have hurt us this season, missed free throws and turnovers.”

Nevada (13-13) missed two one-and-ones and turned the ball over twice in the final minute. And still the Wolf Pack was in a position to win.

After Long Beach’s Toby Metoyer tied the score, teammate Adara Newidouski committed a foul in the backcourt with 11 seconds left. Shawna Franceschini made both free throws.

Brown got Newidouski off the hook by making a jump shot just inside the three-point line with one second left to send the game into overtime.

“Ember wasn’t supposed to be there,” Boychuck said. “She was suppose to inside. It was one of those shots where you go, ‘No, no, no . . . nice shot.’ ”

Long Beach pulled away in overtime, partly because Nevada missed seven of 10 free throws.

“I wasn’t ready to come home,” Kesha Wade said.

Wade had 22 points and 14 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds. She had 12 points and nine rebounds in the first half and Long Beach led at halftime, 28-26.

The Wolf Pack took control behind the play of Jelena Zrnic, a 6-foot-6 center. She had 11 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots. But Zrnic fouled out with 1:08 left in regulation.