StingRays Bounce Back Big

Now that’s how you finish a game.

That was the mood in the StingRay locker room after their 84-69 victory Tuesday night over the San Jose Lasers, in a finish that was more of a message to themselves than anyone else.

It came two days after a crushing overtime loss to Portland, when, unable to protect a big lead in the final minute, they were tied in regulation and then beaten badly in overtime, 88-82.

Nothing like that happened Tuesday. Long Beach built a big second half lead and kept up the pressure.

Long Beach (24-16), before an announced 1,833 people, was down 41-40 at the half. But it ground up San Jose (21-21) into little pieces in the second half to win going away in the team’s 22nd and final regular-season home game.

After Sunday’s disaster, Long Beach Coach Maura McHugh ripped her players a bit for a lack of closing intensity, but not Tuesday.

“We are playing like we want to continue to win, and to us first place is still in sight,” she said.

“We’re not conceding anything.

“We played really well, we came out with real intensity. They made some runs at us, but we came back with runs of our own. And we were aggressive offensively all the way to the end.”

It won’t be long now--four more games--before the StingRays can start drawing up plays for the playoffs.

Here’s the StingRays likely playoff schedule:

Long Beach, as the No. 3 seeded team, figures to meet Colorado (19-22), No. 6, in a best-of-three preliminary round starting Feb. 21 at the Pond of Anaheim.

The second game would be at Denver the following night and game three, if necessary, would be Feb. 25 at the Pyramid.

First, though, comes a tough season-ending four-game trip beginning Thursday. Long Beach plays at New England, Atlanta, Columbus and Philadelphia, all in six days.

And as McHugh said, no concessions.

“We’ve made that trip once and were were 2-2,” she said.

“We’ve dominated three of those teams this season [all but Columbus], and after tonight I’d have to say we’re ready to play anybody.”

That might depend on Yolanda Griffith’s back, however. In the third quarter Tuesday, she had a hard encounter with San Jose’s Clarisse Machanguana. Both went to the floor and Griffith was kneed in her back, bringing on back spasms.

Clarissa Davis-Wrightsil was Long Beach’s top gun. After scoring 23 against Portland on Sunday, she had 22 Tuesday night, making 11 of 15 shots.She put the game away with two 18-footers late in the third quarter and a driving layup for the first score of the fourth quarter for a 66-54 Long Beach lead.

From 2:18 to go in the third quarter to 7:22 left in the final quarter--when Griffith was carried off the court--Davis-Wrightsil scored 10 points to San Jose’s six.

Griffith returned briefly to the game but seemed clearly in pain.

“I’ll be ready,” said Griffith, who had eight points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. She sat out much of the first half with two fouls.

“I have to play [at New England on Thursday]. . . . I’ll play with pain if I have to.”

For Long Beach, Venus Lacy had a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.

ABL Notes

Carolyn Jones scored 25 points to lead the New England Blizzard (22-20) to a 93-82 victory over the Atlanta Glory (15-26) before 4,179 at Springfield, Mass.