Long Beach Women Play Texas Today

The Cal State Long Beach women’s basketball team, coming off an inspiring win Thursday night, plays host to 13th-ranked Texas today at 2 p.m. in the University Gym.

After blowing a lead and losing to No. 8 Maryland Tuesday night, 49er Coach Joan Bonvicini put her seventh-ranked 49ers (7-3) through a rough practice Thursday morning. The team responded that night with a 107-74 blowout of Western Kentucky.

Texas (3-4) has a lot of injuries. Vicki Hall, the Longhorns’ star freshman, is out with a stress fracture in her right foot. Starting center Catarina Pollini has had surgery to remove a bone chip in her knee. Forward Marie Pesch is recovering from a back injury. Guard Denise Forestier has a sprained ankle. And center/forward Clarissa Davis, regarded by many coaches as the best player in women’s basketball, is bothered by a bad back and isn’t participating in practices.