Preview: Long Beach State Looks for First Win at UC San Diego SAN DIEGO (Interstat) — The winless Long Beach State women’s basketball team seeks a breakthrough Saturday when it visits UC San Diego in a Big West Conference matchup at RIMAC Arena. The 49ers (0-7, 0-1 Big West) are coming off a 67-52 home loss to UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, extending a difficult start to the season. Their struggles have persisted despite strong individual play from guard JaQuoia Jones-Brown, who leads the team in scoring. She is averaging 18.7 points per game over her last three contests, including a 15-point effort in the most recent loss. Conversely, the UC San Diego Tritons (4-4, 0-0) enter conference play with momentum, having routed Portland State 94-64 on the road last Sunday. The Tritons have shown a balanced attack, with three players scoring in double figures in that victory. Guard Sabrina Ma has been a key offensive catalyst, dropping 21 points against Portland State and 22 in a win over Occidental on Nov. 24. Long Beach State’s season has been defined by offensive challenges, failing to reach 60 points in five of its seven losses. Beyond Jones-Brown, consistent scoring support has been scarce. UC San Diego has shown more variability, with convincing wins against lower-tier opponents but losses to more established programs like Washington and San Francisco. This game marks the first Big West contest for UC San Diego this season. Long Beach State opened its conference slate with the loss to UCSB. The Tritons will look to capitalize on home court advantage to start league play on a high note, while the 49ers are desperate to find any spark to reverse their fortunes. The matchup tips off at 4 p.m. PST on Saturday, Dec. 6. — Following this game, Long Beach State hosts Portland on Dec. 11. UC San Diego travels to face California Baptist on Dec. 15.