The Long Beach City College women's basketball team improved to 5-0 on the season with a 49-40 non-conference win over visiting Cypress College on Wednesday night at the LBCC Hall of Champions Gym.

Long Beach overcame a rough shooting night and played solid defense to hold off Cypress late in the game.

The Vikings led by as many as 13 points in the first half, and was ahead 24-12 with 4:16 to go after a layup by freshman guard Keshonda Moore. But Cypress closed out the first half with a 9-0 run to get within three points (24-21) at the break.

Baskets by Cypress' Samantha Soria and Denshay Wallace continued the Chargers' run into the second half. Cypress took its first and only lead at 25-24 with 14:12 in the second. But it didn't last long as Moore's fastbreak layup from Kala Amico moments later put LBCC back up in front 26-24.

The game remained close until late in the game. Up by a narrow margin of 40-37 with 1:28 left in the game, Long Beach got back-to-back jumpers from freshmen Tamica Cheatham and Symphony Logan to go up 44-37. LBCC made its final three field goals and converted on three of four free throws down the stretch to ice the win.  

LBCC made just 18 of 65 shots (28 percent) from the field. Long Beach was 0 for 11 from three-point range but made 13 of 19 free throws. The Viking defense more than made up for the poor shooting, forcing 40 Cypress turnovers.

Moore and Cheatham (pictured) led LBCC with 12 points. Moore added four steals and two assists. Freshman Toynell Williams grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and Amico chipped in with six points, five assists, and five steals.

For Cypress (4-3), Soria and Tera Salhus scored seven points. Melissa Jensen added five points and a team-best seven rebounds.

Since 1988, no LBCC team has started the season 5-0. Long Beach's best start since then has been 5-1 during the 1991-92 and 1993-94 seasons.

Long Beach returns to action on Wednesday (Nov. 30) when it travels to face another Orange Empire Conference opponent, Fullerton College, at 6 pm.