March 2008 Archives

FRESNO – Senior Claudia Garcia (Whittier) and sophomore Tokunbo Adeniji (Pomona) each met NCAA Division II provisional qualifying standards at the Cal-Nevada Invitational, held Friday and Saturday at Fresno State University.             Garcia finished fifth in the 5,000 meters on Friday in 17 minutes, 39.16 seconds to meet the standard. It marked a personal best for the senior and gave the Broncos five points in the team competition.

            The feat meant that much more to Garcia, who a few weeks ago did not finish a 5,000 race due to a shoe problem.

            “Claudia ran extremely well and for her to run that well after having a disappointment last time out means that much more,’’ Bronco coach Troy Johnson said. “She ran a solid race. I’m very happy for her. She’s put in the effort, no question.’’

            Adeniji ran a 56.68 time in the 400 during Friday’s qualifying round. She missed reaching the finals by two-hundredths of a second.

            “Tokunbo easily ran the best race as a Bronco and I couldn’t be more proud of her,’’ Johnson said. “It’s a shame that she missed by that close of a margin of reaching the finals, but she has put herself in solid position to improving. I like what she has shown.’’

            Junior Jasmine Winn (Pomona) finished sixth in the long jump with at 18 feet, 7 inches.

            For the men, sophomore Jonathan Williams (Temecula) finished third in the 200 in 21.42 seconds. Freshman Carter Griffin (Anaheim) finished third in the 400 in a  personal-best 48.81. Senior Joaquin Ortiz (Woodland) ran a personal best 1:55.92 in Friday’s preliminaries, then eclipsed that time with a 1:54.24 in the finals. He finished seventh. Senior Sofiane Meniri was ninth in the finals in 1:58.75.

            “Carter has really shown that he has unlimited potential,’’ Johnson said. “He keeps improving and that pleases me, big time. Joaquin cut his times substantially, and to do it on back-to-back nights shows what he is capable of doing. I’m proud of both those young men.

            “We’re making not just improvement, but quality improvement for both of our teams. Those are the things that make you a difference maker.’’

            Junior Brian Roser (Chino) finished fourth in the 400 hurdles in 53.89 seconds.

            The Broncos return to the track Saturday at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational.

 

BRITTANY MARTINEZ

Chaffey College

Softball

The lowdown: The freshman leads the state in homeruns with 10 and is batting over .500 for the Panthers (20-14, 7-1) who are currently second in the Foothill Conference. Starts in left field but has also been used in right and in center. Was at Chaffey in 2006-07 but did not play. Carries a 3.1 GPA.

Age: 19

Hometown: Ontario

High school: Don Lugo High School, 2006

Major: Psychology

Favorite athlete: Leah O’Brien-Amico (outfielder on three Gold-medal winning USA Olympic teams).

Favorite team: New York Yankees

Role model: My parents

Most memorable sports moment: Receiving Mt. Baldy League MVP my freshman year on the varsity team.

Most embarrassing sports moment: 1. Being intiated because I was dressed up crazy and everyone was laughing and 2. Losing my front tooth at a softball practice on Valentine’s Day.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My dad, physically and my mom, mentally.

Best advice anyone has given you: Follow your heart and everything else will fall into place.

Celebrity you most want to meet: Julia Roberts

Favorite food: Mexican food - dad’s home-cooked carne asada, rice and beans.

Can’t miss TV show: The Hills

Favorite movie: A League of Their Own

Last good book you read: Harry Potter

What’s in your CD player/iPod: Carrie Underwood

Favorite vacation spot: Rosarito, Mexico, anywhere by the beach

Pre-game ritual or superstition: Getting pumped from music and having assistant coach Justin sing international harvester with the team.

Other hobbies: Hanging out with loved ones, going to the beach.

What would you like to be doing in five years? Hopefully done with college and be a peace officer, have a home and possibly be married.

DREW HEDMAN

Pomona-Pitzer

Baseball

The lowdown: The junior first baseman is coming off a week in which he earned Division III national player of the week honors. In 25 games he is hitting .452 (42-for-93) with 47 RBI, 32 runs, nine doubles and 13 home runs with a slugging percentage of .968. He also has a fielding percentage of .991. Was a first-team All-SCIAC, All-West Region and All-American selection as a junior when he hit .389 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI in 43 games. Also carries a 3.61 GPA.

Age: 21

Hometown: Redding

High school: Shasta High School, 2005

Major: Politics, Philosophy, Economics (with concentration on economics).

Favorite athlete: Travis Hafner, J.T. Snow

Favorite team: San Francisco Giants

Role model: My parents because they are honest, hard-working and generous people.

Most memorable sports moment: Last year on the last day of the regular season when our baseball team qualified for the regional tournament.

Most embarrassing sports moment: I was so excited for my first game as a freshman that I didn’t pay attention to the lineup and I went to the wrong position, only to have the person who was playing that position tell me I was in the wrong spot.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My dad. He taught me to play hard, to work hard at practice and to push myself in the weight room. He taught me to play hard but play smart. Many days when I was younger were spent throwing the ball in the backyard or hitting at my school.

Best advice anyone has ever given you: Don’t ne satisfied. There is always room for improvment.

Pre-game ritual or superstition: I always give my batting gloves to my first base coach right when the game starts. Even after checking the lineup and knowing the answer, I ask our statistician where I am hitting in the order.

Can’t miss TV show: The Office

Celebrity you most want to meet: Michael Jordan

Last good book you read: White Fang (while I was studying abroad in Spain it was the only book in English in my room).

Favorite food: Steak

Favorite movie: Gladiator

Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere sunny, warm, with a beach nearby.

Other hobbies: Working out, listening to music, playing the piano.

What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Citizen Cope, Jay-Z, Tom Petty.

What do you want to be doing in five years?: I want to play baseball as long as I can. After that I could see myself getting my MBA and working as a sports agent or in a front office of a baseball team.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

AMY THOMAS

Cal Baptist University

Softball

The lowdown: The senior pitcher has helped the Lancers (37-3) to a No. 2 national ranking. Is 20-2 with an 0.75 ERA and 122 strikeouts and 85 hits allowed in 141 innings. Played her first two seasons at Cal State Dominguez Hills, then transferred as a junior which allowed her to play with older sister Candice. Earned GSAC, regional and national pitcher of the years honors last year as a junior when she went 28-2 with an 0.56 ERA and 187 strikeouts in 188 innings. Carries a 3.4 GPA.

Age: 21

Hometown: Barstow

High school: Barstow High School, 2004

Major: Kinesiology

Favorite athlete: Jon Garland (He’s an amazing pitcher).

Favorite team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Role model: My mom because she is so strong and accomplishes everything she sets her mind to.

Most memorable sports moment: Receiving NAIA Pitcher of the Year last year at nationals. It came as a pleasant surprise to me, one I will never forget.

Most embarrassing sports moment: Running off the field when there were only two outs in the inning.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My parents both played huge roles in my success. My dad may have been the one on the field but my mom was at home working hard and pushing me on academics.

Best advice anyone has ever given you: Real pitchers paint the black.

Pre-game ritual or superstition: I need to pitch with a fake nail on my right index finger. My teammates think it is all in my head but I know it helps.

Can’t miss TV show: One Tree Hill

Last good book you read: I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris. It gave me a whole different perspective on the Christian way of dating.

Favorite food: Italian (especially Olive Garden)

Favorite movie: The Notebook

Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere I can get a good deep tissue massage, and of course the beach just reading a good book.

Other hobbies: Yoga, pilates, volleyball, shopping and surfing.

What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Three Doors Down, Goo Goo Dolls, Josh Gracin, Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

 

What do you want to be doing in five years?: I would like to be a successful physical therapist helping others.

- Compiled by Michelle Gardner

DUSTIN WILLIAMS

San Bernardino Valley College

Baseball

The lowdown: The freshman shortstop has helped the Wolverines to a 15-11 mark, serving as an offensive catalyst out of the leadoff spot. Is hitting .308 with 22 RBI, 10 doubles, three triples, a home run 20 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. Earned first-team all-league honors and represented his school in the annual all-star game as a senior. Also carries a 3.0 GPA.

Age: 19

Hometown: Huntington Beach

High school: Riverside Rubidoux, 2006

Major: Business management

Favorite athlete: Jose Reyes

Favorite team: New York Yankees

Role model: Derek Jeter/Ozzie Smith

Most memorable sports moment: Hitting my first two career high school home runs in the same game against my old high Ramona.

Most embarrassing sports moment: I dove for a ball up the middle and landed on my face but it was a hrow down on a runner stealing second on ball four.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My mom.

Best advice anyone has given you: To stay focused on what I can do and not to let what anyone says affect the way I play.

Celebrity you most want to meet: Derek Jeter

Favorite food: Angel hair pasta with shrimp scampi

Can’t miss TV show: Any Yankees game

Favorite movie: The Sandlot

Last good book you read: Beowolf

What’s in your CD player/iPod: Kanye West’s Colleg Dropout

Favorite vacation spot: Lake Havasu

Pre-game ritual or superstition: Clean my cleats and listen to Kanye West.

What would you like to be doing in five years? Playing pro ball.

Chaffey College softball coach Jimmy Rodriguez was more than a little miffed last Wednesday when College of the Desert called to forfeit a game it was supposed to be play at Chaffey in two hours.

Panthers athletic director Bob Olivera forced the Roadrunners hand and refused to accept the forfeit, telling the school to pick another day, any day.

The schools originally agreed on Tuesday but Desert came up with another excuse on why that wasn’t good. The schools finally settled on April 14th.

It turns out it isn’t the first time Desert has tried that stunt. It forferited to Antelope Valley on March 5, saying it didn’t have enough players. But it was able to play three games two days later at a tournament hosted by Golden West.

What makes bailing on the games a little fishy is that Antelope Valley (26-4, 9-0) is the top team in the conference and Chaffey (20-14, 7-1) is second.

The whole season has been a difficult one for Rodriguez who has a solid team but would make the playoffs by default just because of the Foothill Conference is so weak.  SBVC, Victor and Rio Hondo are a combined 17-63. Add in third place Mt. San Jacinto and it is a still-woeful 28-79. Barstow (0-27, 0-9) started the season with a team but folded. Victor Valley and San Bernardino Valley haven’t been competitive.

The former SBVC coach bailed in the fall and the only reason the Wolverines have salvaged a season is that soccer coach Kristin Hauge, who played softball at Cal Poly Pomona when it had a team, stepped in.

“It has been tough,” Rodriguez said. “We want to try and be competitive in the postseason but this makes it very difficult and our conference in losing credability.”

Rodriguez said it will be tough in the end of the season to dole out all-conference honors since Desert’s individual numbers would be misleading if it hadn’t played the top two teams.

He also thinks statistics for games against Barstow should be throw out since not everyone played them.

The Victor Valley College baseball team will play an exhibition game at 7:05 Tuesday at Stater Bros. Stadium against the High Desert Mavericks, the Seattle Mariners High-A affiliate of the California League.

Part of the proceeds will go toward the school’s baseball program. About $4,000 was raised last year.

“It's really a lot of fun,” Rams coach Bob Smith said. “Our guys enjoy playing against the pros and the kids come and have a great time. They don't know the difference. They're just having fun.”

 

Smith said freshman Louis Martus (Sultana HS) would probably start but he plans to use a handful of pitchers.

The Rams are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday. They are eld by sophomores Blane Lloyd and Luke Mullinax.

 

The Victor Valley College baseball team will play an exhibition game at 7:05 Tuesday at Stater Bros. Stadium against the High Desert Mavericks, the Seattle Mariners High-A affiliate of the California League.

Part of the proceeds will go toward the school’s baseball program. About $4,000 was raised last year.

“It's really a lot of fun,” Rams coach Bob Smith said. “Our guys enjoy playing against the pros and the kids come and have a great time. They don't know the difference. They're just having fun.”

Smith said freshman Louis Martus (Sultana HS) would probably start but he plans to use a handful of pitchers.

The Rams are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday. They are eld by sophomores Blane Lloyd and Luke Mullinax.

 

Senior right-hander Cheyne Hann of Cal State San Bernardino has been named CCAA Pitcher of the Week.

He turned in a dominating performance against No. 26 Cal State Stanislaus Saturday, throwing a complete-game two-hit shutout in an 11-0 Coyote win.

In nine innings Hann struck out six while facing just 31 batters – four over the minimum. Two of the base runners reached on errors. Hann did not allow a runner past second base and retired the side in order five times.

He is the second Coyote pitcher in two weeks to earn the award as senior Matt Long did so two weeks ago.

The University of Redlands men’s tennis team is gearing up for another run at the regional playoffs. The No. 11 Bulldogs, coached by Geoffe Roche, are 15-3 with seven wins over nationally ranked opponents.

The Bulldogs have advanced to regional play for 16 straight years. They usually end up running into either UC Santa Cruz and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, who are top contenders again this season.

“I like to think we have played good enough competition we’re going to be ready,” Roche said. “We return most of our team and they did too so it will be a battle.”

The Bulldogs have been bolstered by the addition of sophomore Matt Liebman, a transfer from the University of Delaware who has moved into the No. 1 slot. That has strengthened the lineup by allowing senior Eric Wagar, who was No. 1 last year, to move down to No. 2.

Rounding out the top five are junior Aron Ouye, sophomore Mike Reading, junior Chris Trippel and sophomore Jeff Hammond. The doubles lineup consists of Wagar and senior Ransom Cook at No. 1, Reading and senior Zack Hasenyager at No. 2 and Hammond and freshman Keven Wong at No. 3.

“I think it’s just a matter of everyone being a year older and more experienced,” Roche said. “Now they all know more about what they’re facing.”

The three losses have all been to top 10 teams - No. 5 Middlebury (6-3), No. 9 Williams (5-4) and No. 10 University of Mary Washington (6-3).

No doubt the most dramatic match came last week as the Bulldogs upset No. 1 Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) 5-4, the pivotal match coming when Wagar won the last match of the day in a third-set tiebreaker.

The Bulldogs were up 2-1 after doubles but the Gusties won three of the five singles matches to tie it with Wagar still out on the court.

“It doesn’t get any more exciting than that,” Roche said. “It was a great match and a great atmosphere. And what makes it even more interesting is that he was in that same position last year and lost. So it was ironic.”

Next up for the Bulldogs is a Wednesday home match against Concordia-Irvine, a quality NAIA program. The most notable matches will come on April 11 when the Banana Slugs come in and April 12, the last match of the season, when the defending SCIAC champion CMS team pays a visit.

There may not be any local team representation at the Division II Elite Eight, but the Inland Empire is being represented on the women's team from Alaska-Anchorage.

Former Eisenhower High School and Chaffey College standout Lillie Parks plays for the Seawolves who are competing in the women's Elite Eight at University of Nebraska-Kearney. The Seawolves (30-4) won their quarterfinal Wednesday, beating Franklin-Pierce in overtime 71-65.

Parks only played five minutes but went 0-for-1 from the field. She had one steal but had three fouls which limited her playing time off the bench.

Next up for the Seawolves is a semifinal against Northern Kentucky (26-8) today. Parks was a valuable reserve all season. Hopefully the nerves will be gone and she will have a better showing in the next game.

Cal State San Bernardino’s Vanessa Wilt has been voted to the Daktronics NCAA Division II women’s basketball all-America second team by a vote of the nation’s sports information directors.

In addition, Wilt was named a State Farm/Women’s Basketball Coach’s Association honorable mention for the second straight year despite the fact she was among the top 26 in the nation in four statistical categories.

Wilt was the only West Region player named to any of the three teams selected by the Division II sports information directors. None of the 10 all-Americans selected by the WBCA coaches committee played for West Region schools.

The 6-1 senior center from Hesperia (Sultana High School) by way of Cal Baptist led the CCAA conference in scoring (18.9 ppg), rebounding (13.4 rpg), field goal percentage (54.7) and blocked shots (71).

Wilt was in the top 12 in NCAA Division II in all four categories until very late in the season. She finished No. 2 in the nation in rebounding, No. 8 in blocked shots, No. 23 in field goal percentage and No. 26 in scoring.

 Previously this month, Wilt was named the CCAA’s most valuable player and the Daktronics West Region player of the year as well as being selected to the WBCA’s all-region first team.

Wilt had 25 double-doubles (points and rebounds) in 29 games and 36 for her two-year career at CSUSB, in which she led the Coyotes to two straight NCAA regional tournament appearances.

She was the CSUSB Female Student-Athlete of the Year in 2006-07, earning first-team all-CCAA and first-team all-West Region honors, averaging 18.0 and 9.9 rebounds a game with 41 blocked shots.

She smashed the team’s single-season record for blocked shots (old mark was 59), giving her 112 in her two seasons, one shy of the all-time career record of 113.

Wilt’s 388 rebounds is a new single-season record as is her rebounds per game average (13.4). She tied the team’s single-game scoring record with 39 points against Cal State L.A.

In her two seasons, Wilt led the Coyotes to a 38-19 record and the program’s first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances since the school moved up to Division II in 1991-92.

A good student with a 3.3 GPA, Wilt was recently voted to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA all-District 8 academic first team.

Celeste Trahan of Elizabeth City State (N.J.) was named the Daktronics Division II player of the year averaging 23.7 points and 15.9 rebounds per game, leading the nation in both categories.

The WBCA named sophomore Johanna Leedham of Franklin Pierce as its player of the year. Leedham was a third-team selection by the sports information directors on the Daktronics all-America list.

 

DAKTRONICS NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN’S HOOPS ALL-AMERICA

First team

            Lauren Beckley, So., Shippensburg

            Emily Brister, Jr., West Texas A&M

            Katie Cezat, Jr., Hillsdale

            Ashley Langen, Sr., North Dakota

            Celeste Trahan, Sr., Elizabeth City St.*

            *Player of the Year

Second team

            Vanessa Wilt, Sr., Cal State San Bernardino

            Kate Lynch, Sr., Southern Connecticut

            Jennifer Rushing, Sr. Delta State

            Michelle Stueve, Sr., Emporia State

            Sheena Walton, Sr., Tampa

Third team

            Anna Atkinson, Jr., Wingate

            Jeana Hoffman, Sr., South Dakota

            Johannah Leedham, So., Franklin Pierce

            Syretha Marble, Jr., North Georgia College

            Sarah Van Horn, Jr., West Va. Wesleyan

 

            STATE FARM/WBCA DIVISION II WOMEN’S HOOPS ALL-AMERICA

First team

            Lauren Beckley, So., Shippensburg

            Katie Cezat, Jr., Hillsdale

            Jeana Hoffman, Sr., South Dakota

            Kierah Kimbrough, Jr., North Dakota

            Johannah Leedham, So., Franklin Pierce*

            Kate Lynch, Sr., Southern Connecticut

            Jennifer Rushing, Sr., Delta State

            Michelle Stueve, Sr., Emporia State

            Jahzinga Tracey, Jr., Indiana U (Pa.)

            Celeste Trahan, Sr., Elizabeth City St.

            *Player of the Year

Honorable Mention

            Vanessa Wilt, Sr., Cal State San Bernardino and 30 others.

The University of La Verne golf team earned yet another victory in SCIAC competition by taking top honors at the SCIAC #3 Tournament Monday at the friendly confines of Sierra La Verne Country Club.

The Leopards finished with a four-player team total of 294 to prevail over Redlands (297) by three strokes. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finished third at 300 followed by Cal Lutheran (308), Pomona-Pitzer (309), Occidental (317) and Whittier (350).

Chris Davis earned medalist honors with the top individual finish of the day with a round of 72 (37-35). Teammates Mitchell Fedorka and Ryan Waring were among five players who tied for second one stroke back with respective rounds of 73, while Rizal Amin contributed with a 76.

The Leopards break from conference play to compete at the West Region Invitational held April 8 at Berry Creek Country Club in Texas.

It looks like former Cal State San Bernardino basketball big man Ivan Johnson has adapted quite well after his trade from the Anaheim Arsenal to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA's D-League.

Johnson averaged 13.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.90 assists in 35 games in Anaheim. He has played in four since joining the Vipers and is avergaing 14.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists.

It looks like the trade had more to do with need for both teams than performance, or lack there of. The Vipers needed a big man and Johnson is the biggest that team has. That was not the case in Anaheim which boasted a 7-footer in Marcus Campbell, out of Mississippi State.

Ironically the trade also involved a true local in Mike Efeverbha who went to the Arsenal from Iowa as part of the three-way trade. He prepped at Ganesha and starred at Cal State Northridge and filled the need Anaheim had for a guard.

The move also gets Johnson closer to his native San Antonio. The Vipers are based out of McAllen, Texas which is in the Southern tip.

I

Well the No. 7 seeded University of Miami Hurricanes gave it the good ole college try but came up just short, losing to No. 2 seeded Texas in the NCAA South Regional in Little Rock, Ark.

Former San Bernardino Valley College standout Lance Hurdle did his part with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting from the field. He went 5-of-6 from the line and hit all four tries in the last 47 seconds to go in the game to keep the Canes in striking distance.

Miami trailed by 15 with four minutes left and rallied to make it a game.

Hurdle, a junior guard, didn't seem to figure to prominently in the team's plans early but earned a spot in the starting lineup halfway through conference play. Talk about coming up big - Hurdle had a season-high 20 against North Carolina. Hopefully he set himself up for a more important role next season.

Kentucky Wesleyan's Jeff Fahnbulleh received third-team All-America recognition from both Basketball Times and Daktronics (SIDs) after leading the Panthers back to national prominence by compiling a 24-8 record and a record breaking 34th trip to the NCAA tournament.

The 2008 Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year finished second in the nation in rebounding (12.1 rpg) and third in the GLVC in scoring (19.1 ppg). He shot a second-best 57.8 percent from the field, and a third best 37.5 percent from the arc and 78.3 percent from the free throw line (78.3) for the Panthers.

The 6-7, 260-pound senior center from Los Angeles, posted 19 double-doubles and was one of just two players in the GLVC this season to post 20-plus points and 20-plus rebounds in the same contest with 25 and 23 respectfully against SIU Edwardsville. He became the 39th Panther to surpass the 1,000 point milestone with 1,009 in two seasons at KWC.

Fahnbulleh, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, received first team All-Great Lakes Region honors from NABC and Daktronics, selected a GLVC-high Player of the Week three times and named to the NABC All-Star squad. He started the year as a preseason Sporting News honorable mention All-America selection followed by earning Disney West All-Classic team recognition.

San Bernardino Valley College football standout Sylvester Burel (Redlands East Valley) has signed with Division II Gannon University in Pennsylvania. Burel was the top receiver for the Wolverines last season with 33 catches for 494 yards, with a long of 54 yards.

SBVC coach Pat Meech said Burel visited the school and also took a trip to the University of Hawaii but Gannon came through with a better financial package.

 

FULLERTON, CA - Cal State Fullerton sophomore Sheila Holguin and freshman Christine Hiner gave the Titans a sweep of the Big West Conference's weekly softball honors, earning the league's player and pitcher of the week awards as determined by the conference office on Monday morning.

 

The laurels are the first in both player's collegiate careers and Holguin becomes the second Fullerton player to be honored this season, joining teammate Jenna Wheeler, who earned the first award of the season on Feb. 11.

 

Holguin (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Rancho Cucamonga HS) was a powerful cog in the Titans' offensive wheel at the top of the lineup at last week's Judi Garman Classic, leading the entire tournament in batting (.692), slugging (1.077), on-base percentage (.692), and triples (2) while also tying for the tournament lead in hits (9) and finishing tied for second in total bases (14).

 

Hitting just .247 entering the tournament, Holguin raised her average almost 60 points to .306 to rank second on the team. She had her two best games against ranked opposition, going 3-for-4 against No. 19 Fresno State with a double, a run scored, and an RBI while finishing 3-for-3 against No. 7 Arizona, including driving home the winning run with a triple and scoring what would eventually be the decisive run later in the third inning.

 

Hiner (Garden Grove, Calif./Pacifica HS), who hadn't pitched since March 15 against Utah, snapped a four-start losing streak in the circle in impressive fashion, holding a powerful Arizona offense to just three hits and a .120 batting average in a 2-1 win over the Wildcats.

 

She struck out six without a walk in the complete-game effort, stranding three runners on base for the game - two of those in scoring position.

 

With the bulk of the non-conference schedule behind them, Cal State Fullerton begins the race for the 2008 Big West Conference title this weekend on the road as the Titans head to San Luis Obispo to take on defending champion Cal Poly in a three-game series.

 

REDLANDS — The No. 7 University of Redlands softball team proved it can win with the short game and the long game, all in the same day.

The defending champion Bulldogs swept a SCIAC doubleheader from much-improved Pomona-Pitzer 1-0 and 7-6 Saturday to keep a strong hold on first-place.

Redlands (20-2, 11-1), which has won 20 straight games, took the first contest on a one-out squeeze bunt in the bottom of the eighth by senior shortstop Melanie Hamlin.

The Bulldogs then won the nightcap on a two-run walkoff home run by sophomore catcher Nicky Neumann.

“We didn’t play up to our potential today but we found a way,” Redlands coach Laurie Nevarez said. “We got lucky with a couple of hits and that was the difference.”

The first game was a pitcher’s dual between seniors as Katie Brnca allowed the Sagehens just two hits and struck out six. Pitzer’s Billie McGrane was up the challenge and gave up just six while striking out four.
But one of those hits was a triple to Neumann with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Hamlin, a Redlands East Valley product, came up next and laid down a bunt that was retrieved by McGrane, whose toss to home wasn’t handled by catcher Alyssa Corley.

Neumann factored even bigger in the nightcap. The Sagehens (12-8, 5-5) surged out to a 4-0 lead, powered by a solo home run by Christine Calderon in the fourth and a two-run shot by Corley in the fifth.

The Bulldogs answered with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the inning, the big blows being a run-scoring double by Dory Baga and two-run singles by Remy Kawaguchi and Kayla Peterson.
But back came the visitors, who took a 6-5 lead on a two-run bloop single by Leanna Guillermo in the sixth.

The Sagehens again were on the brink of victory as sophomore Melanie Gularte, who entered in relief of starter Alexis Garcia in the fourth, fanned the first two hitters in the seventh.
Peterson then reached on an infield single, setting the stage for Neumann who smacked a 1-0 pitch over the leftfield fence, ending the contest.

“We seem to know when to turn it on,” Neumann said. “I was really just interested in getting a single. The last thing I was thinking about was a home run. Wow. That was so exciting, I don’t know what else to say.”

The close calls were little consolation for a Sagehen team that has made monumental strides. In 2007 Pitzer finished sixth of seven teams in the conference at 15-24 overall and 8-16 in conference. Their losses to Redlands came by scores of 5-0, 9-4, 11-2 and 10-0.

“I am pleased with how far we have come and that we have raised the bar,” second-year coach Joanne Ferguson said. “It’s a step in the right direction but we’re not satisifed.”
Nevarez, a former player at UCLA, was impressed with the opposition.

“That coach has done a great job with them,” Nevarez said. “They aren’t just improved, they’re a good team that really gave us our most competitive conference games so far.”

Since my Florida Gators crashed and burned this season and have been relegated to NIT status, I have to find another rooting interest just to make March Madness more interesting.

Who doesn't like Darren Collison's game? I saw him play at Etiwanda High School and I'll always root for a native. But everyone in Southern California is rooting for the Bruins, right? So that's boring.

So I'll pick a couple of other teams. First I'll throw my support to the Miami Hurricanes. That shouldn't happen because Gators can't (shouldn't) root for the Hurricanes in anything. But Lance Hurdle starts at guard and I followed him last season at San Bernardino Valley College. I like his game and he's a nice individual and that trumps whatever I might have against the school he chose to play for.

He scored seven points in the Hurricanes win over St. Mary's. So far, so good.

Next, lets take San Diego. A semi-local tie there. Booker Harris coached with Jeff Oliver at Cal State San Bernardino last year and is now director of basketball operations at San Diego (although not quite sure what that title means). It was sad to see him depart but was a great career move for him.

Bill Carr, who used to coach at UC San Diego, is also there as an assistant. I always liked what he did with his team in the CCAA. Always gave the Coyotes fits and made the most of his talent.

And the Toreros pulled off an upset inthe first round, beating UConn.

Keep the Cinderella stories coming!

The college basketball season has come and gone and neither local team lived up to expectations.

Cal Poly Pomona was picked to finish second and ended up eighth, barely making the conference tournament which leaves out just three of 11 schools. The Broncos came close to pulling off a miracle, advancing all the way to the conference tournament final, helped by the fact that the first four seeds lost their quarterfinal games.

Team chemistry seemed to be an issue all season. That is one of those intangibles you don't think makes much of a difference until you don't have it. The Broncos rival, Cal State San Bernardino, found that out a couple of years ago.

But coach Greg Kamansky does an admirable job with limited resources and will have his team back in the hunt next year.

The Coyotes did come away with a share of the conference title along with Humboldt State. But it seems like a team that was capable of more. Maybe everyone got a little too excited after such a great start. The Coyotes shouldn't have had to settle for a share of first. It's hard to explain a loss to last-place Chico State at home which came when the Wildcats had lost 11 straight games and were 0-9 on the road.

They also had two losses - one to the Broncos and one to Monterey Bay - which came because they couldn't make a free throw.

The Coyotes had a successful season by most standards but they have raised the bar to where more is expected than what was delivered.

Just three days after winning the program’s first ever State Championship, the 2007-2008 Men’s Basketball team keeps on winning, post-season awards that is. Including State Tournament awards, Citrus received 11 individual post-season awards this year.

Both Buchi Awaji and Darren Moore top the list, as both were named Co-MVP’s of the WSC South. Moore, who averaged 17.8 points per contest in WSC South play, was also named to the All-Tournament team at the State Championships this past weekend, and to the 1st team All-State list that was released at the tournament.

Alongside him was Awaji, who scored 17.2 points per game in conference play, and became the first player under Rick Croy to top 1,000 career points with a total of 1,021 points in his two year stint with the Fighting Owls. Awaji was also named State Tournament MVP, and 1st team All-State along with Moore.

Other’s who were awarded for their play this year, were sophomore’s Virgil Buensuceso who was named a 1st All-WSC honoree and an All-Tournament selection during Citrus’ State Championship run.

Freshmen Troy Payne and A.J. Gasporra rounded out the post season honors as both earned All-WSC South Honorable Mention honors. Payne led the Fighting Owls in rebounds this season, averaging 5.5 boards per game, while Gasporra made a team high 71 three pointers, all while averaging a team high 43.3% shooting from beyond 3-point arc.

Last but certainly not least, was the honor bestowed upon head coach Rick Croy, as he was named WSC South Coach of the Year. Croy who just finished his third season with the Fighting Owls has put together an impressive resume in which he has a 73-27 won-loss record, and a Citrus program best .730 winning percentage.

AN ANTONIO, Texas — The celebration began just before the final event, the 400 free relay, got underway as both California Baptist teams received word that they had enough cushion to claim the fourth straight national title on the women’s side and the third consecutive on the men’s side.

The women finished with 729 total points while the men topped it off at 573.

Both Simon Fraser and SCAD teams finished second and third with SFU’s women scoring 585 while the men finished at 503. SCAD’s women totaled 540 points while the men scored 465.5.

The Lancer women had eight top-four finishes with a pair of national champions. Nicole Shipman and Katelyn Butler each will bring home a national title as Shipman notched a 2:04.67 in the 200 back while Katelyn Butler just missed a school record by one-tenth of a second in the 100 free (51.83).

Kimie Cook, Elena Zanone and Elaina Hunter went 2-4 in the 200 breast with times of 2:23.55, 2:24.55 and 2:26.94. Meredith Krom and Angie Rodriguez each finished fourth with Krom swimming a 2:10.70 in the 200 back and Rodriguez swimming a 2:10.16 in the 200 fly.

The 400 free relay team capped off the women’s events as Melissa Bowers, Stephanie Jung, Krista Chacon and Katelyn Butler combined for a fourth-place time of 3:34.38.

Vicente Andrade added his second national title to his collection with a 1:48.97 in the 200 back while fellow freshman Daniel Heihn placed third in the 200 fly (1:52.83).

Kent Klawer finished sixth in the 200 back (1:56.63). Matt Brown and Sean McPherson went 6-7 in the 100 free (46.76, 46.87) while Rickey Wilson and Barret Wilson went 6-7 in the 200 breast (2:14.04, 2:14.07).

The 400 free relay team closed out the 2008 national championships with a second-place finish as Andrade, Brian Jack, Brown and Sean McPherson combined for a 3:04.97.

Rick Rowland was named the Men's Coach of the Year while Ben Wahlman and Lindsey Cline were each named Diver of the Year.

  UC Riverside has announced the hiring of Brent LeVasseur to serve as the Athletic Ticket Manager. LeVasseur comes to UCR after working as a Senior Financial Analyst and Vice President for Client Relationships for a private San Diego based company. He also has worked in the University of San Diego Compliance office as well as the ticketing offices for the “X Games,” California State games, and the San Diego Shockwave. LeVasseur duties at UCR will include ticket operation, group sales, and event management.

LeVasseur is in the process of completing his MBA in Sports Business Management from San Diego State University and is set graduate in June 2008. He completed his undergraduate degree in mathematics (with a minor in business) at Kalamazoo College (Michigan) in 2002.

Brent enjoys spending time with his wife Lacy, doing outdoor activities, and reading. LaVasseur and his wife live in Palm Desert.

CMS scored 70 points to finish 14th at the NCAA Division III Championships in Oxford, OH over the weekend. This is the third straight year and fifth time in the last seven years CMS has finished in the top 15.

The Athenas were led by the double All-American performance of Annie Perizzolo (FR, Aurora, CO). She finished second in the 200 breaststroke with a SCIAC record time of 2:18.31 and finished fifth in the 100 breaststroke with the second fastest time in SCIAC history (1:04.85).

In the 200, she broke her own SCIAC record in the prelims by 2.39 seconds to qualify third and then went 0.46 seconds faster in the final. In the 100, she swam a personal best of 1:05.18 in the prelims and then swam a lifetime best in the final.

Perizzolo also swam the breaststroke leg on both of CMS' medley relays. The 400 medley relay team of Jenni Rinker (FR, Eagle River, AK)-Perizzolo-Kevyn Klein (SR, Northridge)-Monica Brazelton (SO, Santa Clara) won the consolation final with a SCIAC record time of 3:56.01. The same four made up the 200 medley relay team that finished 11th.

The 800 free relay of Rinker-Brazelton-Perizzolo-Carliann Brashier (FR, Highlands Ranch, CO) finished 14th. All three of these relays earned Honorable Mention All-American honors for finishing ninth to 16th. Rinker also earned individual HM All-American honors by finishing 13th in the 200 backstroke. Rinker set the CMS and SCIAC record of 2:06.25 in prelims and swam just 0.01 seconds slower in the final.

Rinker also set the CMS record of 58.89 in the 100 backstroke while finishing 18th. The 200 free relay team of Brazelton-Rinker-Perizzolo-Klein finished 17th, the 400 free relay team of Brazelton-Rinker-Brashier-Klein finished 19th and Brashier finished 20th in the 1650 free and 38th in the 200 and 500 frees.

University of La Verne junior forward Trenecca Jones was named to the D3hoops.com First Team All-West Region as voted on by Sports Information Directors in the region and announced on Wednesday.

A 5-9 product from Ontario and a 2008 First Team All-SCIAC selection, Jones helped lead La Verne to a 20-8 overall record and a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Jones led the SCIAC in both scoring and rebounding for the second year in the row, averaging a double-double of 17.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 2007-08. Moreover, she paced the Leos in field goal percentage at .503 to rank third overall in the conference.

She distinguished herself in the postseason by averaging 19.0 points and 11.7 rebounds in ULV’s three tournament games. She helped lead the Leopards to the first-ever SCIAC Tournament Championship with a 17-point, 18-rebound effort in a 65-60 triumph over Redlands in the tournament semifinals on Feb. 28 along with a 20-point, 12-rebound performance in a 79-51 triumph over Occidental in the conference championship game on March 1. For her efforts, she was named SCIAC Female Athlete of the Week on March 5. Jones ended the season with a game-high 20 points in La Verne’s 74-58 NCAA first round defeat to Puget Sound.

Jones registered a career-high 19 rebounds against Tri-State University (IN) on Dec. 17 while recording a season-high 34 points against UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 17. All told, she recorded 15 double-doubles for the Leopards this season. On February 16, Jones reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career in a 72-40 victory over Caltech, becoming the sixth Leopard in school history to reach 1,000 points.

A D3hoops.com First Team All-Region selection last season, Jones is a repeat member on the squad and is the only SCIAC player to earn First Team honors.

Players were nominated for the D3hoops.com awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools in the West Region. A record 606 players were nominated nationwide. The ballot was then made available to SIDs, who voted for 10 players in their region. SIDs voted for six frontcourt players and four backcourt players and the top vote-getters at each position were named to the All-Region team.

Even though Cal State San Bernardino was eliminated from the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, one member of the Coyotes team will still be going to the NCAA Division II national championship event in Springfield, Mass.

Senior guard Marlon Pierce was chosen to the West team that will face off against a team of East players in the third annual NABC/NCAA Division II All-Star game on Friday at the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.

Pierce will join nine other West players in playing on center court at the Hall of Fame where he and his teammates were part of the pre-Elite Eight dinner for the eight finalists at the 2007 tournament. CSUSB lost in the 2007 semifinals to Barton College, 80-79.

The only other CCAA conference player on the West squad will be CCAA most valuable player Devin Peal of Humboldt State. Players from the Great Lakes, North Central, South Central and West regions make up the team.

The team will be coached by CCAA coach of the year Bill Treseler of San Francisco State.
Alaska-Anchorage, the 2008 West Region champion, will represent the West in the Elite Eight at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on March 26-27 and March 29.

Pierce was an all-CCAA first team and NABC all-West Region first team selection this season. He averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds a game with 118 assists and 57 steals.

Joining Pierce on the West team are: former Mt. SAC standout Jeff Fahnbulleh (Kentucky Wesleyan), Cory Ambercrombie (Pittsburg State), David Dreas (St. Cloud State), Robert Lee (West Texas A&M), Vince Mosley (Gannon), Avery Patterson (Tarleton State), Paul Peterson (BYU-Hawaii), Atila Santos (Minnesota State, Mankato) and Peal.

The University of Redlands baseball team got a chance to see how it stacks up against a national champion and the Bulldogs weren’t quite up to the task.

The Bulldogs fell to visiting Kean (N.J.) 9-6 on Tuesday in nonconference play at The Yard.
The Cougars (10-3), the defending Division III champion, pounded four Redlands pitchers for 18 hits and came up with some clutch defensive plays in the final innings to secure the win.

“It was kind of a roller-coaster game,” Redlands coach Scott Laverty said. “They score, we score, they scored. When that happens and the other team makes a couple plays, it pretty much kills your momentum.”

Kean, ranked No. 8 nationally, led 7-6 after six innings. The No. 18 Bulldogs (14-7) had a chance to tie it in the seventh as its first two runners reached base. Matt Goldstein missed on his first try at a sacrifice bunt and eventually grounded out to third. Chase Beatty then grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Laverty said he took the bunt off after the first strike and didn’t regret that call even though it backfired.

“He (Goldstein) has been swinging the bat so well and the first try wasn’t very good,” Laverty said. “The third baseman was creeping in so I took it off. Seeing the way the defense was playing, I would play it the same way.”

Kean, playing its fourth game on a spring-break swing through Southern California, then plated a pair of insurance runs in the eighth on three hits to go up 9-6.

Kean then came up with the play of the game in the bottom of the inning with two Bulldogs on and one out. Brandon Owashi lofted a fly ball into foul territory where three Cougars gave chase. Shortstop Mike Diaz, who entered the game when the starter went in to pitch, made a diving catch toward his left, then leaped to his feet and nailed the runner trying to advance to third to end the inning.

In the ninth, third baseman Chris Carrano dove toward the bag to snag a line drive off the bat of Jefre Johnson and leaped to his feet in time to make a strong throw to first base.

Senior first baseman Brian Schumaker had three hits to lead the Bulldogs offense,. The highlight was his fifth home run which came in Redlands’ three-run fifth. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, it came right after a runner was picked off.

“It was a fastball inside,” he said. “They were trying to pitch around me but I was lucky to get just enough of it.”

Johnson, Billy Lavelle and Corey Vane also had multiple hits with Johnson knocking home two runs.
San Gorgonio product Steven Dryden (0-1), who entered in relief of starter Nolan Nicholson in the sixth, took the loss.

Michael Noceri and Derek Gianakas had three hits each while Bryan Burke, Dan Mattonelli and Kevin O’Neill each knocked in a pair of runs for Kean.

Junior Matt Grinkevich (2-0), the second of three Kean pitchers, earned the win.

The contest was the Bulldogs’ fifth in a stretch of nine nonconference games. They next play this Thursday against Rutgers-Newark at 2:30 p.m. and They resume SCIAC play against defending conference champion Pomona-Pitzer on March 28.

“We played crummy today,” Laverty said. “We have a few more games to work out the kinks, though.”

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

A good start was probably the worst thing that could have happened to the Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball team.

The Coyotes were an impressive 8-0 despite a difficult schedule and they even boasted an exhibition win over Division I Youngstown State. So hopes for a return trip to the national semifinal were not unrealistic.

The Coyotes had their moments but didn’t put 40 minutes together in any game after that. They settled for a still-stellar 22-8 record and a share of the CCAA title for the seventh time in nine years, both noteworthy accomplishments. But with three Elite appearances since 1999, the bar has been raised higher at Cal State.

This year’s run ended with a 67-63 loss to Brigham Young-Hawaii in the West Region quarterfinal at Anchorage.

“I don’t think we were as good as we thought we were,” said Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver, who just wrapped up his sixth season heading the program. “We relied a little too much on our defense and that carried us because we never got it totally together at the other end of the floor.”

The Coyotes came up empty in the close games. They were just 1-3 in overtime and seven of their eight losses were by a total of 24 points. They lost three times when allowing 65 points or less.

“Most of those games we win and it isn’t even close if we have just an average offensive game,” Oliver said.

The Coyotes, who won 20 games for the ninth time in 10 years, came in to the season having lost seven players including their top four scorers.

This year’s team seemed more balanced, with 12 players getting regular playing time, but it never got the same production it got from its top two departed players - Ivan Johnson and Prentice Harris.

“I thought we had balance but it turned out to be a balance of mediocrity,” Oliver added. “We needed more production from our top guys and more production from our middle guys.”

The good news for Oliver is that the Coyotes will start next season with more players who have experience in the system than was the case this year. Seven players are leaving, four of them starters. Among those are all-conference selections Michael Earl, Lance Ortiz and Marlon Pierce.

The core of six who will be counted on heavily next year includes guard Steve Gaston, center Devon Davis, forward Ryan Kinney and guard-forwards Renardo Bass, Phil Jones and Reggie Brown. Gaston, Brown and Kinney are threats form long distance but will need to be more consistent. Jones and Bass were both top-notch defenders but will be asked to contribute more on offense.

Oliver also is high on the three players who redshirted this year. Guards Tim Denson (Colorado State) and Omar Krayem (Eastern Washington) are both Division I transfers. Jordan Richard, a 6-foot-9 center out of Los Osos, has potential to fill the void left by the departure of Earl.

Oliver said he hopes to bring at least five players into the program, at least one at every position. As has been the case Oliver will look for experienced players out of the junior college ranks.

“It never hurts to have some competition so I am hoping we get at least five, maybe as many as seven guys,” he said.

Oliver said his team is not going back to the Disney West Coast Classic in Anaheim since the event is trying to rotate representation out of the CCAA. Humboldt State will be the likely conference participant.

The Coyotes will open the season with games at Seattle Pacific against Great Northwest Athletic Conference contenders Western Washington and Seattle Pacific.

They will go back to Las Vegas but not the same event they had played in the last two years against GNAC schools. Instead they will face Grand Canyon, which once was in the CCAA and now plays out of the Pacific West Conference, and San Francisco School of the Arts, which has been accepted into the Pac West for next season.

Oliver said he will also have exhibition games against two Division I schools which should be confirmed in the next month.

 

The 19^th Annual University of Redlands Bulldog Bench Golf Tournament will take place at the historic Redlands Country Club on Monday, May 12, 2008.

 

“We look forward to hosting this exciting and important event once again,” Director of Athletics Jeff Martinez said.  “This tournament is an excellent way to show your support for Bulldog Athletics while enjoying a great day out on the golf course.”

 

The fundraising event benefits the University of Redlands intercollegiate athletic programs, which includes 21 varsity teams.  The day begins with a golf clinic by Senior PGA Tour Member Dave Stockton, followed by a round of golf at 11:30 a.m.  The golfers enjoy a barbecue lunch on the course and then return to the club house for a no-host social hour.  Tournament awards, raffle prizes and a live auction take place during dinner.

 

Cost to participate in this great day is $395, which includes green fees, cart, tee-prize package, foursome photo, door prize ticket, clinic, BBQ lunch and buffet dinner.  To attend the evening program, which includes dinner, auction and awards, the cost is only $75.  Supporters of the tournament may donate a door prize or auction item, or serve as a sponsor.  Sponsorship levels vary from $300, $1250, $2500, $5000 or more.  For more information or for sponsorship opportunities, please call the Department of Athletics at (909) 748-8400. 

 

All proceeds benefit the University of Redlands intercollegiate athletic teams.

 

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

It wasn’t a moment in the pool but one out of it that showed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps swimming coach Charlie Griffiths what freshman Nick Ostreim was made of.

Ostreim, 19, had just finished his best individual event at the SCIAC championships and hadn’t even had time to catch his breath when Griffiths asked him to swim the anchor leg in the 800 free relay which was coming up next.
Ostreim said he was ready to go.

“That’s a lot to ask,” Griffiths said. “Most guys would have tried to talk their way out of it or tell me to think about using someone else, especially on the anchor leg where there’s more pressure. He didn’t hesitate.”

Minutes later Ostreim was back in the pool, swimming that anchor leg and touching out a Redlands swimmer for first place in one of the more dramatic events of the meet. The win helped the Stags to a team title that ended the Bulldogs’ seven-year run.
“I’m really competitive. I hate to lose,” Ostreim said. “With swimming you really have to have that inner drive and personal motivation to keep you going.”

Griffiths thinks his standout also will be prepared when the stakes are higher this week. Ostreim will compete in the Division III national meet which starts Thursday at the University of Miami (Ohio).

He is the area’s lone representative and one of only three men from the SCIAC to qualify, the others being senior backstroker Dickson Fai of Occidental and senior fly specialist Manny Sanchez of Whittier.

Ostreim will swim the 200-yard individual medley Thursday, the 100-backstroke Friday and his speciality, the 200-backstroke on Saturday. He is seeded sixth in the 200 with a season-best time of 1:51.81. First place is nearly three seconds faster but second place is within reach.

The meet sets up perfectly for him with two events to get used to the venue and the championship atmosphere before he goes out for his best race.

Griffiths admits the freshman has done better than he expected. He has cut nearly six seconds off his times in the 200-backstroke and the 200-individual medley and a full second off his time in the 100-backstroke - all significant improvements.

What makes those drops more impressive is that Ostreim missed the first two months of the season with mononucleosis. It wasn’t until after Christmas that he was able to train.

“He worked out the first two weeks and looked very good. He was leading the team through everything,” Griffiths said. “Then, the next week he didn’t look quite the same. Then he missed a few days. When he came back from fall break we sent him to be checked out.”

Despite the slow start Ostreim won the 200-backstroke at last month’s SCIAC meet, placed second in the 100-ackstroke to Fai and was third in the 200 IM. His goals for this week’s meet are more about his time than a placement.

“I’d like to swim my best times and maybe break the school records,” he said. “I can’t control what someone else does so if I can go my best I’ll be happy, very happy.”

No matter what happens though, Ostreim has had a strong rookie season. He attended swimming power Brophy Prep in his native Phoenix, Ariz., and chose CMS over Lehigh (Penn.) because the weather is better and it is closer to home.

He first became familiar with the school through current teammate Alex Hill, who came out of Brophy Prep three years earlier.

Ostreim dabbled in other sports growing up including soccer and baseball. Swimming appealed to him because there is both an individual and team aspect to the sport.

“It is individual but it is also a team because you’re swimming relays and your there to cheer for you teammates,” he said. “It’s the best of both worlds.”

 

   Cal State San Bernardino pitcher Matt Long has been selected as the Wilson / California Collegiate Athletic Assocation Pitcher of the Week for his outstanding performance in a 5-0 victory over Cal Poly Pomona last Thursday.             Long, a senior right-hander, handcuffed the Broncos on just three hits while striking out 12 in earning the Coyotes’ pitching staff’s first complete game and first shutout of 2008.

            He struck out the side in the first inning and retired the first 12 batters in a row. His perfect game ended with a walk to open the fifth. Long didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning, a clean double to left center.

            No Broncos runner advanced past second base. Long walked three in all and faced just 33 batters in the nine-inning game, six over the minimum.

            Long (3-4 on the season) lowered his earned run average to 3.97. In seven starts, totaling 45.1 innings, he has struck out 52 batters and walked only 15.

            The Woodland, Calif., resident is No.2 in the CCAA in strikeouts behind Cal State Stanislaus’ Marquis Fleming and leads the CCAA in batters who struck out looking – 25. He ranks third in innings pitched.

           

Cal State San Bernardino junior Micah Burke has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association Golfer of the Week for the week of March 10-16.

Burke (Los Angeles, Calif.) captured individual medalist honors at the Southern California Intercollegiate that was contested March 10-11 at Marbella Country Club in San Juan Capistrano. Burke carded rounds of 69-65-69 for a seven-under par total of 203 and a six-shot victory over three players, including Chico State's Lucas Delgado.

The Cal State San Bernardino junior helped the Coyotes to a sixth-place finish and tops among CCAA teams in the 14-team field.

  UC Riverside's bid to win their third straight Big West Tournament championship fell short as the Highlanders dropped a 63-53 decision to #2 seed UC Davis in Friday’s semifinal round of the Big West Conference Tournament. Junior guard Seyram Gbewonyo led all scorers with 17 points for UCR who ends the season with a 14-16 overall record.

The Highlanders could not overcome a tough night of shooting, making only 15-of-55 (27.3%) of their shots. UCR battled tough against the Aggies (19-10) pressuring defense, as they knocked down seven three’s and forced 18 Aggie turnovers.

UC Davis played a near perfect game, shooting 21-of-36 (58.6%) from the floor and out-rebounding the Highlanders 32-29.

Both teams took turns holding leads no larger than five throughout the first half before UCD’s Jessica Campbell layup in the final seconds, closed out the first-half with the Aggies up 24-22. The Highlanders overcame a 5-of-26 (19.6%) first-half shooting performance to trail by only two at the break.

It seemed that UCR might have worked out the kinks in their offense during the break by opening the half with a 9-0 run. Junior forward Amber Cox, Gbewonyo, and sophomore guard Brittany Waddell knocked down consecutive threes to give the Riverside a 31-26 lead just over two minutes in.

But more of the same shots began to roll out later in half for the Highlanders and the Aggie’s shots continued to find ways to fall. UCD produced a 6-0 run to regain the lead, 38-37 ending at the 11:04 mark. UC Davis would slowly build up their lead the rest of the way by limiting UCR to 34.5% in the second half. Riverside again struggled down the stretch, not recording a basket for a five minute stretch before junior forward Roney Friend’s layup cut the UCD lead to 56-49 with 1:45 left.

Two possessions later, with the shot clock under three, Aggie guard Anna Harp threw up a prayer and banked a shot in from well beyond the arc to take the air out of the Highlander last-minute rally. UCD made their next four free-throws to seal up the victory and move on to Saturday’s championship game against UC Santa Barbara.

Cox finished with 13 points, Waddell scored 12 points, and junior forward Tainoisouti Lott brought down a team-high eight boards. Davis had four players score in double-figures with Haylee Danaghe and Heather Bates leading the way with 13 points apiece.

It is the first conference tournament loss in the past three seasons for this group of Highlanders who played most of the season without 2006-07 Big West Conference Player of the Year Kemie Nkele.

A two-run 11th inning gave the Cal Poly Pomona baseball team a 9-7 victory over Cal State San Bernardino on Friday.

The Coyotes built an early 3-0 lead with two runs in the first on RBI singles from Johnnie Haas and Jason Klug, and a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Drew Valenzuela.

Cal Poly responded with three runs in the fifth on RBI singles from Kyle Boggio, Josh Potter and Chris Wilson.

A messy seventh inning saw Cal State score three runs with just one hit thanks errors by Potter and shortstop Joe Villa, but the Broncos tied the game at six with a run in the eighth on an RBI single from Villa and two runs in the ninth on a two-run single by Wilson off of Cal State’s closer Ward Minich.

The teams each scored a run in the tenth before the Broncos pushed two across in the eleventh on a tie-breaking sacrifice fly by Villa and a wild pitch by Cal State’s Eric Meyerholtz.

The win went to Cal Poly’s Sean Hunter (1-2) who pitched two and two-thirds innings, allowing a run on one hit while walking two and striking out one.

The loss went to Cal State’s David Martin (0-1) who allowed the winning run to reach base in the eleventh.
Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino will conclude their series with a doubleheader in Pomona on Saturday.

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By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Cal Poly Pomona coach Greg Kamansky spent most of Friday watching the junior college state tournament in Stockton. He would have rather been in Alaska, where eight teams were competing in the Division II West Regional.

For just the second time in the last six years the Broncos did not make the playoffs. And for the first time in Kamansky’s eight-year tenure Cal Poly finished under .500 at 13-15. So it is back to the drawing board.

“We need to upgrade at every position,” Kamansky said, by phone from Stockton. “We need posts but we also need guards. We really need everything.”

Kamansky wasn’t surprised at the sub-par season, acknowledging that the signs were there early. Division I transfer Austin Swift injured an ankle this summer and never got well. He tried to play through it, but shut it down after just two games.

With the Broncos carrying only 10 players, about five fewer than most teams, the injury loomed large.

“Because of our depth, or lack of it, we’re always just one injury away. That is always the case. And it showed this year,” Kamansky said.

He added that the rest of the team came in out of shape, making matters worse.

It was indeed a rollercoaster ride for the Kamansky’s crew. The Broncos got off to a 2-6 start but seemingly recovered when it put together midseason wins over perennial powers Humboldt State and Cal State San Bernardino, both nationally ranked at the time. But Cal Poly hit the skids again and barely made it into the eight-team conference tournament.

It finished off the regular season with an impressive win at Humboldt, then reeled off two wins in the conference tournament before losing the final to UC San Diego.

“We were able to end on a somewhat positive note so that is something we can hold on to,” Kamansky said.

The Broncos are losing just three seniors, two of them posts in Kaelen Daniels (8.3 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) and reserve Kevin Neveau (5.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg). The other departing player is shooting guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15.1 ppg, 2.5 assists per game) who was deadly from 3-point range when he was on but also sometimes erratic.

The good news is that the Broncos have a centerpiece to build around in junior Larry Gordon (17.7 ppg, 9.1 rpg). The Montclair product was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection and likely would have been in the hunt for player of the year honors had the Broncos finished higher.

Among the other returning veterans will be junior wing Donnelle Booker (7.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg), junior guard Rich Collins (5.1 ppg), sophomore guard Isaac Waters and freshman forward Tobias Jahn, all of whom saw considerable playing time.

Kamansky said he is looking for five to six newcomers that will bring an intensity that was sometimes missing this season. He typically tries to build via the high school ranks but will be looking for some seasoned junior college players as well.

“We looked good at times but we were very average most of the time,” he said. “The team chemistry was never quite right and we didn’t always get in there and compete hard. Those are the things we have to address.”

SEATTLE, Wash. — The UC San Diego women’s basketball team got big first halves from forwards Meaghan Noud and Michelle Osier and a solid defensive effort, in beating Cal State San Bernardino 59-46 in the third game of the NCAA Division II Women’s West Regional on Friday at Seattle Pacific.

The defending regional champions Tritons (25-9) held the Coyotes to just seven field goals in 29 attempts in the second half in pulling away from a 35-30 halftime lead and posting a 13-point victory.

Noud finished with 23 points, after going for 17 in the opening 20 minutes, while Osier posted a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Center Alexis Gaskin joined her two teammates in double figures with 13 points. Gaskin also had nine rebounds, as the Tritons controlled the backboards 39-34. Guard Alexis Mezzetta had 10 assists and eight rebounds.

No Cal State player scored in double figures. Senior center Vanessa Wilt, the conference and region player of the year, was held to a season-low four points and eight rebounds because of foul trouble. She picked up her second foul four minutes into the game and was a non-factor after that.

Senior Leslie Pickron came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers, all in the first half, and led Cal State with nine points. Krystal Urzua had eight points.

Despite the loss, coach Kevin Becker was pleased with his team’s showing.

“We were picked in the middle of the pack and we were second in the conference with 21 wins. No one can take that away from us,” he said. “I think we played an exciting brand of basketball this year.”

UC San Diego, which had four fewer turnovers than their conference rivals, trailed 25-20 with 7:38 remaining in the first half, but then held Cal State to five points the rest of the half. The Tritons scored seven of the final nine points in the final 4:18 to break away from a 28-28 tie.

Early in the second half the Coyotes pulled to within two at 37-35 early in the second half on a 3-pointer by Shanae Blake with 17:42 left, but only scored five points over the next nine minutes as the Tritons built a 48-40 lead. After a jumper by Jatarra Pryor cut the deficit to six, UC San Diego scored the next six points and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.

For the game, the Tritons held Cal State to just 19 field goals in 48 attempts 19-of-48 shooting (32.8 percent), while making 20 of 48 (41.7).

 

It was the third time the Coyotes lost to the Tritons this season.

UC San Diego now advances to the semifinals at 7 tonight against top-seeded and second-ranked Seattle Pacific, which routed eighth-seeded St. Martin’s 92-47.

 

By MATT NEVALA

For the San Bernardino Sun

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – In unfamiliar surroundings, the Coyotes found themselves in a familiar situation Friday during the NCAA Division II West Regional. Only this time, the Cal State San Bernardino men’s basketball team couldn’t get past Brigham Young University-Hawaii in the opening round.

Making their first appearance on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus, the Coyotes hustled their way back from a nine-point, second-half deficit before falling to BYU-Hawaii 67-63 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Cal State’s usually sound defense from baseline to baseline disappeared too often, especially down the stretch when the Seasiders closed with one needed basket after another.

“We were horrible tonight,” Cal State coach Jeff Oliver said. “We didn’t do what we do – pressure the ball, guard the ball and rebound.

“If we don’t do that, we’re probably not going to win.”

Last season, the Coyotes cruised to the Division II Final Four after opening the postseason with a 71-68 win over BYU-Hawaii in Arcata. This season, the Seasiders dashed the team’s title dreams in Anchorage, the ride over after posting a 22-8 record.

“We knew going in that no one was going to let us win,” said Coyotes senior guard Marlon Pierce. “Right now, it’s tough to think about the season as a whole. Looking back, there will probably be some things I’ll be proud of and some things to be disappointed in.”

The Coyotes and BYU-Hawaii played the second of four games on Friday’s opening-round docket. They also played in front of a capacity crowd, despite host and top-seeded Alaska Anchorage not playing until the nightcap. While not booed or hassled, second-seeded Cal State clearly didn’t feel the love from the Anchorage fans the way BYU-Hawaii did as the game moved along. The seventh-seeded Seasiders were met with continued cheers. Maybe it had something to do with Alaska and Hawaii together not being connected to the Lower 48, the term Alaskans use to describe the contiguous portion of the country.The Coyotes, defending region champs and perennial Division II powerhouses, believed it was something else.

“We’re pretty used to that,” senior guard Lance Ortiz said.

Pierce knew what was up.

“We’ve had a pretty big target on our back all year,” he said. “Everywhere we played, even the neutral sites, we were all we had. Our 15 to 18 guys with the coaches included (are) what we had all season. It was nothing we hadn’t seen before.”

BYU-Hawaii committed 11 of its 12 first-half turnovers in the first 12 minutes. After that, it made only one turnover before halftime. The Seasiders (19-7) solved Cal State’s full-court pressure defense and began getting easy looks for their big men – 6-foot-9 sophomore center Lucas Alves and 6-7 junior Jermaine Odjegba. Each player finished with 16 points.

Alves’ emphatic slam from the left side with 4:19 to play in the first half gave BYU-Hawaii a 24-20 lead. The advantage grew to five (34-29) by the break.

“The two people that hurt us were their bigs and bigs aren’t supposed to hurt us,” Oliver said. “It was a major problem.”

And one that got worse for the Coyotes in the second half before it got a little better.

Alves shook loose for three second-half dunks, including a pair of ooh- and aah-inspiring alley oops. The second on a pass from Corey Neilson gave the Seasiders a 49-42 lead with 12:39 to play.

“(The Coyotes) tried to press the ball as much as they could so the weak side was kind of wide open,” Alves said. “The first time, I was open so I just threw my finger up (looking for the pass). Yes, I was pretty surprised it worked again after that.”

BYU-Hawaii extended the lead to 51-42 moments after Alves’ alley-oop dunk. It was then when the Coyotes found their defensive prowess and mounted the comeback.

Cal State made stop after stop and scored the next 10 points. Joseph Tillman’s long-range jumper gave his team a 52-51 lead with 6:16 remaining. The Seasiders scored, but Cal State answered with an Ortiz three-pointer and Michael Earl free throw. The Coyotes led 56-53, but they then went scoreless the next 2:37.

They also relented defensively, allowing eight consecutive BYU-Hawaii points. Pierce and Ortiz each knocked down three-pointers. Ortiz’s triple with 52 seconds left sliced the Seasiders’ lead to 63-62. Odjegba left-side leaner and a pair of Neilson free throws finished off the Coyotes.

Alves grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. BYU-Hawaii will play rival Chaminade in today’s region semifinal.

Pierce led Cal State with 13 points. Ortiz added 11. The Coyotes were beat on the boards 32-25. BYU-Hawaii shot 54.9 percent (28 of 51) from the floor.

In a classy postgame move, Oliver closed his comments by thanking his group of eight seniors, led by Pierce, Ortiz and Earl.

“Overall, this probably wasn’t the most talented team I’ve had,” said the coach in his sixth season. “But it’s probably been the most enjoyable to coach. This core group (of seniors) is the one that put us back on the map after having the one .500 year. My hat is off to those guys that got us pointed back in the right direction.”

Matt Nevala is a former Anchorage Daily News sports reporter. Contact him at nevs@gci.net.

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Now that the famed Itidarod dogsled race is over, another sport will be taking center stage in the sprawling wilderness of Anchorage, Alas.

The top eight Division II men’s basketball teams in the West Region will square off at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex at University of Alaska-Anchorage starting today with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line. Jeff Oliver’s Cal State San Bernardino squad will be trying to advance to the national tournament for the fourth time.

It is the first time the Seawolves have hosted the event.

The No. 2 seeded Coyotes (22-7) face No. 7 Brigham Young-Hawaii (18-7) in the second of four quarterfinals today at 3:30 p.m.

The Coyotes changed their travel plans and left from Ontario Tuesday night, rather than from LAX Wednesday morning which helped in the preparation.

The team practiced at a local high school Wednesday and Thursday, then attended a banquet held to honor the participating teams Thursday evening.”

“I’m really glad we had that extra day. Humboldt came in Wednesday late and had the first practice Thursday. That couldn’t have felt good,” Oliver said. “We have had good practices. We’re healthier than we have been all season. We’re ready to go.”

Oliver said his team seems to be acclimating to the conditions. It was snowing when the Coyotes arrived but had warmed up to a balmy 33 by Thursday afternoon. There hasn’t been much time for sightseeing but Oliver said athletic director Kevin Hatcher and trainer Laura Watkins took a side trip in search of wildlife.

“We actually saw the sun today and were able to open the sunroof on the rental car,” he quipped. “When we got here it was kind of flat. you couldn’t see much because of the fog but it is quite scenic.”

The Coyotes, who claimed a share of the CCAA title for the ninth time in seven years, may be enjoying their surroundings but the mood has been all business. Last year the Coyotes emerged as the regional champion, beating host Humboldt State in a dramatic title tilt.

This year’s quarterfinal is a rematch of one last year in which the Coyotes beat the Seasiders 81-78.
The Coyotes, ranked No. 14 in the most recent NABC poll, play the same style but have tweaked their defense since the last meeting and Oliver hopes that pays off. Cal State’s senior ackcourt of Marlon Pierce and Lance Ortiz have combined for 133 steals with Ortiz (76) ranking first in the conference in that department and Pierce (57) third. Ortiz was slowed by a sprained ankle recently but is back to full strength according to Oliver.

Senior center Michael Earl, a native of Pomona, has also figured prominently on defense with a conference high 56 blocks which set a school record.

“This is what we have been working for all season,” said Earl, a graduate of Diamond Ranch. “It’s a long season. We had some stumbles along the way but we’re still where we want to be.”

Junior forward-guard Philip Jones and senior forward Jason Gilzene round out the starting lineup. Jones hasn’t factored much into the offense but is one of the team’s best on-ball defenders.

The unsung hero has been junior Renardo Bass who has done what Oliver dubs the “intangible things” that have contributed to the team’s success.

BYU, the runner-up in the weak Pacific West Conference, will pose a formidable threat because of its inside presence in 6-foot-9 sophomore forward-center Lucas Alves (20.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg), a first-team All-Region selection.
Other key players are senior guard Paul Peterson (15 ppg, 3.7 apg) and junior guard Trenson Akana (11.7 ppg).

Despite the overall success, the Coyotes have come up empty in a lot of close games this season. They are 1-3 in overtime and six of their seven losses have been by a total of 20 points.

“It has been little things,” Pierce said. “We’ve been in every game we just haven’t been able to finish them off. Now we have to do it because there are no second chances.”

Sophomore Brenda Martinez was named the Big West Women's Track Athlete of the week after producing the fastest Outdoor 5000m time in the nation this past weekend at the Ben Brown Invitational in Fullerton,CA.

Martinez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) won the 5K race with a national-best time of 16:27.51 to also set a personal best and a new UCR school-record. The performance was one of the best the UCR Track and Field program has ever seen. Her time also qualified her for the Big West Championships last this season.

Also in the 5K race, Lisa Lopez (16:55.17), Danielle Evans (16:59.33), Cristina Olivas (17:11.26), Ashleigh Pratt (17:44.33), Jackie Juarez (18:25.75), Margaret Sitker (18:32.00), Brenna Bauer (18:34.15), Jessica Hogan (18:37.89), Jenessia Navarro (18:40.12), and Natalie Aceves (19:24.43) all set personal bests at the meet. Lopez, Evans, Olivas, and Pratt all qualified for the Big West Championships with their times.

Humboldt State senior forward Devin Peal, the California Collegiate Athletic Association's (CCAA) Most Valuable Player, received another honor on Thursday when he was selected the 2008 Daktronics Division II West Region Player of the Year.

In helping the Lumberjacks to a share of the CCAA regular-season title, Peal topped the conference in scoring with 18.6 points a game and was seventh in rebounding with 6.3 boards a contest.

Joining Peal on the first team was Cal Poly Pomona junior forward Larry Gordon, who ranks second in the CCAA in scoring and rebounding with 17.7 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.

Four CCAA players were named to the six-man all-region second team. Cal State San Bernardino senior center Michael Earl (12.6 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 2.0 bpg.) and senior guard Lance Ortiz (11.7 ppg., 4.7 apg., 2.6 spg.) along with Cal State L.A. senior guard Vincent Camper (16.5 ppg.) and Cal State Monterey Bay junior forward Joe Mitchell, who averaged 12.9 points and a conference-best 9.9 rebounds a game, were honored.

Peal, along with Earl and Ortiz, helped their teams advance to the NCAA Division II West Regional that begins Friday in Anchorage, Alaska.
Daktronics Division II Men's Basketball West Region Team

First Team

Devin Peal (Humboldt State) - Player of the Year
Carl Arts (Alaska Anchorage)
Lucas Alves (BYU-Hawaii)
Marko Kolaric (Chaminade)
T- Luke Cooper (Alaska Anchorage)
T-Larry Gordon (Cal Poly Pomona)

Second Team

Jake Beitinger (Central Washington)
Rob Will (Seattle Pacific University)
Michael Earl (Cal State San Bernardino)
T-Vincent Camper (Cal State Los Angeles)
T-Joe Mitchell (CSU Monterey Bay)
T-Lance Ortiz (Cal State San Bernardino)

It was announced earlier today that sophomore pitcher Olivia Ellis (Colfax, CA) was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Female Athlete of the Week for March 3-9, 2008.

 

After helping Redlands to a 10-1 routing over Occidental College on Saturday, Ellis threw the first no-hitter of her career en route to an exciting 1-0 victory over #4 Ithaca College.  Against the Tigers, she scattered two hits and struck out five in four innings of work to earn the win.  On Sunday, she faced 25 batters and stuck out three in seven innings on the mound for the no-hitter against the Bombers.

 

On the season, Ellis boasts an ERA of 0.90 with 40 strikeouts in 39 innings pitched.  She has helped Redlands accumulate an overall record of 14-2 and a SCIAC mark of 7-1.  The Bulldogs host Whittier College in a conference doubleheader on Saturday at 12 noon.

 

Senior Connor Whitman (Los Angeles, CA) of Occidental earned the SCIAC Male Athlete of the Week for his showings during the Tigers’ two NCAA postseason basketball games.

 

The conference sports information directors nominate and vote on the athletes of the week.

 

   Unheralded junior Micah Burke parlayed some sharp shooting with a blazing putter to capture medalist honors Tuesday at the 2008 Southern California Intercollegiate Golf Tournament at Marbella Country Club with a seven-under-par total of 203 for 54 holes.

Venice High School finished the tournament two-under par on the par-3s, even par on the par-4s and five-under-par on the par-5s. He was second among the individuals in birdies with 12 and fifth in pars for the 54 holes with 35.

State and UC San Diego.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA INTERCOLLEGIATE

TEAMS: 1. Lynn Univ. (861); 2. St. Edward's (867); 3. Western Washington (872)

State (882);

and Colorado-Colo. Springs (889); 10. Abilene Christian (899); 11. UC San Diego A (906); 12. UCSD B (917); 13. Pace (941); 14. CSU Dominguez Hills (945); 15. Southwest Baptist (955).

INDIVIDUAL 1. Micah Burke (CSUSB) 69-65-69 -- 203; 2. (tie) Lucas Delgado (Chico State) 69-70-70 -- 209; Scott Aydelotte (Lynn) 69-66-74 -- 209; Patricio Salem (Lynn) 71-66-72 -- 209. 5. Matthew Hatcher (St. Edwards) 68-72-71-- 211.

COYOTE CARDS: 1. Burke (69-65-69 -- 203); 25. Dane Bagnell (72-74-76 -- 222);

 SAN BERNARDINO -- Cal State San Bernardino women's basketball star Vanessa Wilt -- the California Collegiate Athletic Association MVP for 2007-08 -- is one of 40 finalists for the coveted State Farm Coaches All-America Basketball Team.

 

, Neb.

State.

Both Cal State San Bernardino basketball teams will be facing familiar foes this week when West Region play convenes. For the women's team the opponent is a little too familiar.

The men's team, currently ranked 14th nationally, is seeded second behind the host team University of Alaska-Anchorage and will square off against No. 7 seed Brigham Young-Hawaii in its quarterfinal on Friday at 3:30 p.m. It is the Coyotes ninth playoff appearance in 10 years.

It will be a rematch between the same teams in the same round last year. The Coyotes rallied to win that game 71-68 en route to a championship and berth in the Elite Eight.

Coyotes coach Jeff Oliver was not surprised with that draw and is pleased to be playing a nonconference opponent.

'I really didn't want to have to play a team I have seen twice already," he said. "With our defense teams have a lot better chance if they have seen it. We played it last year but we tweaked it a little and we're playing it better."

The Seasiders (18-7), runner-up in the Pacific West Conference to Chaminade, are led by a solid duo that consists of 6-9 sophomore Lucas Alves and senior guard Paul Peterson.

"They have the best big man in the region (Alves)," Oliver said. "They have a lot of the same team they had last year. We're quite a bit different. It will be a test."

The Coyotes (22-7) finshed as co-champion in the CCAA with Humboldt State, which is seeded No. 6 and will face No . 3 Chaminade. The third conference representative is No. 8 UC San Diego, which earned the automatic berth by winning the conference tournament and will play the host team.

Four CCAA teams made the women's regional, which will be hosted by top seed Seattle Pacific 27-0), ranked No. 2 nationally.

The No. 5 Coyotes (21-7) will face CCAA rival and No. 4 seed UC San Diego (4-9) in their first game Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The teams have played twice with the Tritons winning both games - 68-60 and 66-56.

It isn't a good matchup for the Coyotes who have not had an answer for the Tritons 1-2 punch of 6-footers Meaghan Noud and Michelle Osier. The two combined for 34 points in the first game between the teams and 57 in the second. They also boast a 6-2 center in Alexis Gaskin, giving the Tritons a big advantage in size and strength.
If there is any good news it is that the Coyotes have not played a good game against the Tritons.

"I don't think we can play any worse than we did the last time we played them. So it has to get better," coach Kevin Becker said.

"We need to shoot the ball better. Both times we played them we didn't lose because we didn't defend well. We held them in the 60's. We have to shoot better. If we don't it will be a long night."

The Coyotes qualified for the regional last year for the first time since 1998 but lost their quarterfinal to another conference foe - Chico State.

They had been No. 4 last week but dropped a spot this week. That failed to matter because the 4 and 5 teams play.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Three California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) teams were named to the 64-team NCAA Tournament field that was announced by the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Committee on Sunday. Twenty-two conferences were awarded automatic qualifiers and the remaining 42 were at-large selections.
CCAA Tournament winner UC San Diego earned the conference's automatic berth, while regular-season co-champions Cal State San Bernardino and Humboldt State were at-large selections. All three teams will compete in the 2008 NCAA Division II West Regional scheduled for March 14-17 at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex in Anchorage, Alaska.
The Tritons (18-11) enter regional play as the No. 8 seed and will face host and No. 1 seed Anchorage Alaska (25-5) on Friday beginning at 8 p.m. Second-seeded Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) will meet No. 7 seed BYU-Hawaii (18-7) at 2:30 p.m.
Sixth-seed Humboldt State (20-8) will play No. 3 seed Chaminade (20-7) at Noon. Central Washington (21-6), the fourth seed, will square off against No. 5 Seattle Pacific (20-7) at 5:30 p.m.
The first-round winners will advance to the semifinals scheduled for Saturday with start times of 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The regional final will be played on Monday beginning at 7 p.m.
The champion of the West Regional will move on to the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and will meet the East Regional Champion on March 26.
Seven of the regional tournaments, consisting of eight teams each, will be conducted March 15, 16 and 18 at regional sites. The West regional will be conducted March 14, 15 and 17. The eight quarterfinalists will advance to the finals at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts, March 26, 27 and 29.
2008 NCAA Division II West Regional Men's Basketball Championships Mar. 14, 15 & 17 - Anchorage, Alaska (Wells Fargo Sports Complex) All times Alaska Daylight Time
First Round - Friday, Mar. 14 No. 3 Chaminade (20-7) vs. No. 6 Humboldt State (20-8), Noon No. 2 Cal State San Bernardino (22-7) vs. No. 7 BYU-Hawaii (18-7), 2:30 p.m. No. 4 Central Washington (21-6) vs. No. 5 Seattle Pacific (20-7), 5:30 p.m. No. 1 Alaska Anchorage (25-5) vs. No. 8 UC San Diego (18-11), 8 p.m.
Semifinals - Saturday, Mar. 15 CU/HSU winner vs. CSUSB/BYUH winner, 5 p.m. CWU/SPU winner vs. UAA/UCSD winner, 7:30 p.m.
Finals - Monday, Mar. 17 Semifinal winners, 7 pm

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Four California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) teams were named to the 64-team NCAA Tournament field that was announced by the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Committee on Sunday. Twenty-one conferences were awarded automatic qualifiers and the remaining 43 were at-large selections.

CCAA Tournament and regular-season champion Chico State earned the conference's automatic berth, while Cal State San Bernardino, UC San Diego and Sonoma State were at-large selections. All four teams will compete in the NCAA Division II West Regional scheduled for March 14-17 at Royal Brougham Pavilion in Seattle, Washington.

The Wildcats (27-5) enter regional play as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 seed Northwest Nzarene (19-8) on Friday beginning at 1:30 p.m. No. 6 seed Sonoma State (20-8) and No. 3 Alaska Anchorage (26-4) will open the regional with an 11:30 a.m. contest.

No. 4 UC San Diego (24-9) and No. 5 Cal State San Bernardino (21-7) are scheduled to tip-off at 4:30 p.m. while top-seed and host Seattle Pacific (27-0) will entertain Saint Martin's (17-10) at 6:30 p.m.

The first-round winners will advance to the semifinals scheduled for Saturday with start times of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. The regional final will be played on Monday beginning at 6 p.m.

The regional champions will advance to the NCAA Women's Elite Eight March 26, 27 and 29 at the Health and Sports Center in Kearney, Nebraska. University of Nebraska at Kearney will host the Elite Eight.

2008 NCAA Division II West Regional
Women's Basketball Championships
Mar. 14, 15 & 17 - Seattle, Wash. (Royal Brougham Pavilion)
All times ADT

First Round - Friday, Mar. 14
No. 3 Alaska Anchorage (26-4) vs. No. 6 Sonoma State (20-8), 11:30 a.m.
No. 2 Chico State (27-5) vs. No. 7 Northwest Nazarene (19-8), 1:30 p.m.
No. 4 UC San Diego (24-9) vs. No. 5 Cal State San Bernardino (21-7), 4:30 p.m.
No. 1 Seattle Pacific (27-0) vs. No. 8 Saint Martin's (17-10), 6:30 p.m.

Semifinals - Saturday, Mar. 15
Chico St./NNU winner vs. UAA/SSU winner, 4 pm
UCSD/CSUSB winner vs SPU/SMU winner, 6 pm

Finals - Monday, Mar. 17

It has been a topsy-turvy season in the CCAA.

So it's appropriate that the team seeded eighth is on the brink of a tournament championship and an automatic  berth in the West Regional despite a record under .500.

On Friday, the Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball team continued its run with a 66-61 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills in the CCAA semifinals at Coussoulis Arena. The Broncos will square off with UC San Diego (17-11) in tonight's 7:30 title tilt.

"One more to go," Cal Poly coach Greg Kamansky said. "A miracle might still happen. We played very well early and I think we got a little tired but we dug in and sucked it up just enough to get the job done."

The Tritons are in the same position as the Broncos, needing a win to advance since their current regional ranking isn't good enough.

UC San Diego beat Cal Poly Pomona (13-14) both times the teams played this season -- 55-52 and 78-76.

"They have the best shooting team in the conference," Kamansky said of the Tritons. "They're tough. They're smart. It will be another tough one but at least we have a shot. We have nothing to lose."

Cal Poly had lost both games to the Toros, too, although each was by three points. But the Broncos were the better team this time from the opening tip.

They led the entire first half, the biggest advantage being 11 at 32-21 on a free throw by Kaelen Daniels with 4:07 left. The Toros cut into that a bit but still trailed 33-26 at the half.

Dominguez (17-11) went ahead 61-59 on a pullup jumper by Nonso Nibo with 1:40 left. It was the Toros' first lead since 2-0.

But the Broncos answered with Kaelen Daniels scoring and sinking a free throw to make it 62-61 with 1:35 to play. The Toros came up empty on their last possession as an alley-oop pass went awry and was corraled by the Broncos' Larry Gordon who was fouled. He made both with 23 seconds to go for a 64-61 lead.

The Toros weren't done yet. Jonathan Toliver hoisted a 3-pointer from four feet beyond the line at the top of the key. It was off the mark but Jerrell Smith grabbed the rebound. The Ontario native then threw the ball away with three seconds left, sealing the Toros fate.

Gordon led the Broncos with 23  points, highlighted by the 1,000th point of his career, which came on a bucket that gave the Broncos a 56-54 lead.

Daniels and Angelo Tsagarakis added 15 each, with Daniels having the best game of the season.

The Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team already pulled off one upset in the CCAA Tournament. On Friday, they had a chance at an even bigger one.

But the tenacious Broncos came up short, falling to regular-season champion Chico State 78-74 in a CCAA semifinal at Coussoulis Arena.

The Wildcats, ranked 13th nationally, advance to face defending conference and regional champion UC San Diego in tonight’s title tilt at 5:30 p.m.

At times it looked more like the teams were playing football than basketball. There were a total of 53 personal fouls called, with Chico shooting 47 free throws. Both coaches were unhappy with the officiating and got technical fouls in the second half.

First-year Broncos coach Scott Davis said the physical nature of the contest favored the Wildcats, who drained 36 of 47 free throws.

“It probably didn’t favor either team but they were able to take advantage because they made their free throws and we didn’t. They were more aggressive in getting to the basket and we were just a step late so charging fouls turned into blocking fouls.”

The Wildcats (26-5) used a 14-4 run at the end of the first half to take a 34-24 lead at the intermission.
Every time Chico threatened to blow the game open, the Broncos (12-16), who upended second seed Cal State San Bernardino on Tuesday, rallied back. They got within two points 7:40 into the second half on a jumper from the free-throw line by Unique Anderson that cut the deficit to 43-41.

The Wildcats surged ahead again and were up by 13 at 62-49 with 6:07 to play. They were still up by double digits at 68-57 with 2:47 to go, but the Broncos got four straight points from the line. After a Wildcats turnover, Vanessa

Dominguez converted inside to make it 68-63 with 1:41 remaining.

With the Broncos down 69-65 and 1:03 to go Anderson swiped the Chico inbounds and dished off to Natasha Reed whose layup made it 69-67.

The Broncos, seeded seventh in the eight-team field, were within one for the first time since late in the first half after Dominguez hit two free throws to cut it 70-69 with 50 seconds left.

Chico’s Christine Vest scored an easy layup off a baseball pass, then made a free throw to complete the 3-point play for a 73-69 lead that sealed the win.

Dominguez tallied 27 in the contest, 23 of those coming in the second half. She also had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Andrea Ohlssen pitched in with 11 and Ashley Moody had six assists. She also threw in a shot from half-court at the buzzer.

 “I didn’t want to go losing,” said Dominguez, one of the team’s five seniors. “We gave it everything we had.”
For Chico the win was overshadowed by the loss of leading scorer Audriana Spencer, who went down with a torn ACL with 3:56 left in the first half. She raced down court for a fast-break layup and came down awkwardly on her left knee.

It was a huge blow to a team that is ranked second in the region and had already won the regular season conference title.

So its finish in the tournament meant little.

The Wildcats had five players in double figures with sophomore Jade Smith-Williams leading the way with 17 points. Natasha Smith followed with 13 and Amanda Monteith 12. Chico led 38-30 on the boards with Monteith and Vest snagging seven each.

Coach Molly Goodenbour, a former player at Stanford, was visibly upset after the game. She wasn’t a big fan of the tournament even before the injury.

“You play 20 games during the regular season to determine a conference champion. That should be enough,” she said. “So, no, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

 

The California Collegiate Athletic Association announced its All-Conference basketball teams on Wednesday and Cal State San Bernardino and Cal Poly Pomona were represented on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Cal State San Bernardino senior center Vanessa Wilt was named the CCAA’s Most Valuable Player while Cal Poly’s Reyana Colson took home Freshman of the Year honors.

Wilt, a graduate of Sultana High School, averaged a CCAA-leading 19.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and 2.46 blocks, leading the conference in those categories as well as field-goal percentage (.553).

She is the first Cal State player to earn the MVP award, at least in the 12-year tenure of coach Kevin Becker. Wilt helped the Coyotes (21-7) to a second-place regular-season finish and No. 4 West Region ranking. They were also ranked nationally earlier this season.

“She is certainly very deserving,” Becker said. “You look at the numbers she put up and it would be hard to see her not getting it. On top of everything she is also a great student and an even better person.”

Wilt’s 69 blocks set a single-season record, besting the 59 of Celeste Gude in 1994-95 and equaled by Jill Bekar in 1997-98. Her 110 blocks are four shy  of  the school’s career record but the Coyotes have at least one more game to play in next week’s regional tournament.

Wilt, who transferred from Cal Baptist for her junior year, has also set new school marks for rebounds with 380 this season, and her 13.6 rpg average ranks second in the country.

She earned conference player of the week honors five times and chalked up 24 double-doubles in 27 games.

“Other teams focused completely on her,” Becker said. “By the end of the season she had two and three defenders on her every night. They knew she was the one they had to stop.”

Colson, of Compton, averaged 13.2 points and 4.8 rebounds and was one of two Broncos named to the second team. She was the only freshman to make the first or second team.

“I’m very happy for her,” first-year Broncos coach Scott Davis said. “She deserved it. I didn’t get a chance to recruit players when I got here but she was the one player I was able to bring with me. I knew what kind of impact she could have on a program.”

Among the others named to the second team were: Cal State junior point guard Shanae Blake, (10.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg), a product of Chino High and Chaffey College, and Cal Poly senior forward Vanessa Dominguez  (12.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg). It was the second second-team selection for Dominguez.

On the men’s side,  the Coyotes (22-7) had three first-team selections in center Michael Earl (12.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and guards Marlon Pierce (12.1 ppg) and Lance Ortiz (11.7 ppg), all seniors.

The Broncos (12-14) are represented by junior forward Larry Gordon (17.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg) on the first team and senior point guard Angelo Tsagarakis (15.1 ppg) on the second team.

Player of the Year honors went to Humboldt State’s Devin Peal, who edged out Pierce and Gordon.

Rodney Yearby (10.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and Jerrell Smith (11.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg) of  Cal State Dominguez Hills shared the Newcomer of the Year award. The two played together at Riverside Community College. Smith is also a product of Ontario High School.

Bill Tressler of San Francisco State took home Coach of the Year honors. His team went from 6-21 to 17-11 this season. The Gators were again picked to finish last and wound up tied for third.

CCAA AWARDS

MEN

Most Valuable Player - Devin Peal, Sr., Humboldt State

Co-Newcomers of the Year - Jerrell Smith and Rodney Yearby,
Dominmguez Hills

Freshman of the Year - Robert Hayes, San Francisco State

Coach of the Year - Bill Tressler, San Francisco State

First team

Vincent Camper, Sr., G, CS Los Angeles
D'Shon Cannon, Sr., G, Monterey Bay
Michael Earl, Sr., C, CS San Bernardino
Larry Gordon, Jr., F, Cal Poly Pomona
Grayson Moyer, Sr., G, Humboldt State
Lance Ortiz, Sr., G, CS San Bernardino
Henry Patterson, Jr., F, UC San Diego
Devin Peal, Sr., F, Humboldt State
Marlon Pierce, Sr., PG, CS San Bernardino
Cy Vandermeer, Sr., C, Humboldt State

Second team

Clint Allard, Sr., PG, UC San Diego
Robert Hayes, Fr., G, San Francisco State
Augie Johnston, Jr., G, Monterey Bay
Andrew Kochevar, Sr., PG, Sonoma State
Joe Mitchell, Jr., F, Monterey Bay
Darroll Phillips, J., G, Chico State
Will Sheufelt, Sr., G, Humboldt State
Alex Thomas, Jr., G, San Francisco State
Angelo Tsagarakis, Sr., PG, Cal Poly Pomona
Rodney Yearby, Jr., F, Dominguez Hills

WOMEN

Most Valuable Player - Vanessa Wilt, Sr., Cal State San Bernardino

Newcomer of the Year - Katie Franci, Jr., Humboldt State

Freshman of the Year - Reyana Colson, Cal Poly Pomona

Coach of the Year -Molly Goodenbour, Chico State

First team

Dana Andrews, Jr., G-F, Monterey Bay
Katie Franci, Jr., G-F, Humboldt State
Jessica Liang, Sr., PG, Dominguez Hills
Krystle Mays, Jr., F, San Francisco State
Meaghan Noud, Sr., F, UC San Diego
Michelle Osier, Jr., F, UC San Diego
Jade Smith-Williams, G, So., Chico State
Audriana Spencer, Sr., G, Chico State
Danae Wellender, Sr., G, Sonoma State
Vanessa Wilt, Sr., C, CS San Bernardino

Second team

Genny Anderson, Sr., F, Sonoma State
Chelsey Armacost, Sr., G, Sonoma State
Shanae Blake, Jr., PG, CS San Bernardino
Reyana Colson, Fr., G Cal Poly Pomona
Vanessa Dominguez, Sr., F, Cal Poly Pomona
Shristy Kumar, Sr., G-F, CS Stanislaus
Alma Lopez, Sr., PG, Monterey Bay
Brio Rode, Sr., F, San Francisco State
Lysandra Williams, Jr., F, CS Stanislaus
Veronica Williams, Jr., F, CS Los Angeles

2007-08 Women's Basketball All-SCIAC Awards
March 4, 2008 

The 2007-2008 All-SCIAC Women's Basketball Honors have been named.  The Occidental Tigers and Head Coach Jaime Hoffman claimed the title of Conference Champions finishing 12-2 in conference.  Head Coach Julie Kline and the Leopards of La Verne (11-3, SCIAC) were crowned champions of the inagural SCIAC Tournament and will represent the SCIAC in NCAA post-season competition as they go on the road to face Puget Sound Friday night.

Player of the Year:  Brianne Brown, Junior, Occidental College

Ed Baldwin Award Recipient: Lindsay King, Senior, California Institute of Technology                                               

First Team
Stephanie Babij	FR	Occidental College		Ontario, OR
Stacie Roshon	SR	Occidental College		Saratoga, CA
Trenecca Jones	SR	University of La Verne		Ontario, CA
Marissa Raya	SR	University of La Verne		Pasadena, CA
Valerie Katayama	SR	University of Redlands		Huntington Beach, CA
Kourtney Zilbert	FR	Whittier College		Burbank, CA
Second Team
Lindsey Shiomi	SR	University of La Verne		Cerritos, CA
Mary Placido	SR	California Lutheran University		Chandler, AZ
Rosario Rios-Aguilar	SR	Whittier College		El Rancho, CA
Jennifer Osgood	SO	Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges		Vashon, WA
Deirdre Chew	SO	Pomona-Pitzer Colleges		Pacifica, CA
Meghan Yetman	SO	University of Redlands		Danville, CA

The 2007-2008 All-SCIAC Men's Basketball Honors have been named.  The Conference Co-Champions and recipients of the Dave Jacobs Trophy were the Occidental College Tigers and California Lutheran University Kingsmen.  Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens were crowned the SCIAC Tournament Champions.   

David Wells Player of the Year:  Connor Whitman, Senior, Occidental College, 6'1"
Ted Ducey Award Recipients: Jabarri Reynolds, Senior, Pomona-Pitzer, 6'4"
                                                 Matt Loretz, Senior, University of Redlands, 6'5"

First Team
Justin Sexton	SO	Pomona-Pitzer	6'8"	Watertown, MA
Jabarri Reynolds	SR	Pomona-Pitzer	6'4"	Chicago, IL
Dave Thomas	SR	University of Redlands	6'3"	Santa Cruz, CA
Dan Winterbottom	SR	Claremont-Mudd-Scripps	6'3"	Tempe, AZ
Andy Meier	SO	California Lutheran University	6'7"	Parker, CO
Michael Archuletta	JR	Whittier College	6'6"	Manhattan Beach, CA
Second Team
Bryan Hires	SR	California Institute of Technology	6'6"	Columbus, IN
Deshion Inniss	SR	California Lutheran University	5'10"	Oxnard, CA
Juan Canas	SR	University of La Verne	6'1"	Commerce, CA
Huston Conti	JR	Occidental College	6'2"	Seattle, WA
Jeff McLean	JR	Whittier College	6'6"	Hingham, MA
Mychal Owens	SO	California Lutheran University	6'5"	Oregon City, OR

 

    Cal State San Bernardino's women's tennis team improved to 5-2 on the season Monday with a 9-0 sweep of Hope International University in a non-conference match at the Coyote courts. State at 11 a.m. Saturday.

CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO 9, HOPE INTERNATIONAL 0

DOUBLES

CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO's Ashley Collinwood and HUMBOLDT STATE's Lizzy Prescott have been named the Worth California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for the week of Feb. 25-Mar. 2. Prescott is the Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season.

Player of the Week - Ashley Collinwood (Cal State San Bernardino)

Sophomore first baseman Ashley Collinwood (Riverside, Calif.) was an offensive force in helping Cal State San Bernardino win three of four games against UC San Diego over the weekend. Collinwood batted .571 (8-for-14) with five runs scored, seven RBI, three home runs and a double.

Pitcher of the Week - Lizzy Prescott (Humboldt State)

Senior right hander Lizzy Prescott (Castro Valley, Calif.) went 4-0 with a 0.72 ERA during a four-game series sweep at Cal State Stanislaus. Prescott allowed four run, 19 hits and struck out 27 batters in 29 innings of work.

Jan. 28-Feb. 3: Jenny Maze (UC San Diego); Feb. 4-10: Homa Shaffi (Cal State Monterey Bay); Feb. 11-17: Danielle Lukk (UC San Diego); Feb. 18-24: Kendra Wood (San Francisco State); Feb. 25-Mar. 2: Ashley Collinwood (Cal State San Bernardino).

Jan. 28-Feb. 3: Melissa Ward (UC San Diego); Feb. 4-10: Lizzy Prescott (Humboldt State); Feb. 11-17: Melissa Ward (UC San Diego); Feb. 18-24: Lizzy Prescott (Humboldt State); Feb. 25-Mar. 2: Lizzy Prescott (Humboldt State).

TRENECCA JONES

La Verne

Basketball

The lowdown: The 5-9 junior forward is ranks first in the conference in rebounding (10.4 rpg), second in scoring (16.1 ppg) and fourth in field goal percentage (.516). Has led the team in scoring nine times with a best of 34 coming against UC Santa Cruz. Had a rebounding high of 19 against Tri-State. Was the SCIAC Player of the Year last season as a sophomore. Career high of 37 points came against Occidental as a sophomore in conference-winning game. Carries a 3.34 GPA.

Age: 19

Hometown: Ontario

High school: Chaffey High School, 2005

Major: Chemistry

Favorite athlete: Chris Webber

Role model: Jesus

Can’t miss TV show: Reba

Most embarrassing moment: Falling down right in the middle of a fast-break.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My cousin Henry Daron Ross

Favorite food: Glazed twist doughnuts

Favorite vacation spot: Anywhere but home

Favorite movie: 50 First Dates

Last good book you read: Monster

Other hobbies: Scrapbooking, traveling

What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Holy hip hop

Best advice anyone has given you: Keep moving forward

Pre-game ritual or superstition: I make sure I am wearing two pairs of socks.

What do you want to be doing in five years: Traveling the world.

 

 

KELLY JOHNSON

Citrus College

Basketball

The lowdown: The 6-foot freshman guard has helped the Owls (31-1) to their best season in school history. Is averaging 3.4 points, a team-high 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals for Citrus which takes a 19-game win streak into its playoff game Saturday against L.A. City. Has season highs of 11 points (against Compton), eight assists (against L.A. Harbor) and four steals (against Grossmont). Earned first-team Valle Vista honors in basketball three times and in football two times for the Red Devils.

Age: 19

Hometown: Pomona

High school: Pomona High School, 2006

Major: Undecided

Favorite athlete: Chris Paul

Role model: My dad

Can’t miss TV show: Heroes

Most memorable sports moment: Winning the 3-point shooting contest at the Daily Bulletin All-Star game in 2006.

Most embarrassing moment: Throwing up red Gatorade at an NJB basketball game.

Person most influential in your athletic success: My brother Korey

Favorite food: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

Favorite vacation spot: Las Vegas

Favorite movie: Remember the Titans

Last good book you read: A Place to Stand by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Worst job you ever had: Mowing lawns

Other hobbies: Movies, bowling, playing football, watching television

What’s in your CD player/iPOD: Jaime Foxx

Best advice anyone has given you: Play your hardest and always do your best.

Pre-game ritual or superstition: Pray

What do you want to be doing in five years?: Still playing basketball somewhere.

 

By Michelle Gardner

Staff Writer

Last time the women’s basketball teams from La Verne and Occidental squared off, Tigers junior Brianne Brown torched the Leopards for 33 points.

The two teams met again Saturday, this time with the SCIAC championship and a postseason playoff berth on the line. La Verne neutralized its biggest threat and was rewarded with a 79-51 win at Rush Gymnasium.

The Leos (20-7) advance to face Puget Sound Friday in a first round NCAA Tournament game.

Brown, a transfer from Division I Western Kentucky, went just 3-of-11 from the field with seven points and fouled out with 6:33 to play and the Leos comfortably ahead 63-42. She twisted an ankle the last week of the regular season, but Tigers coach Jaime Hoffman said the injury was not a factor and credited the Leos’ defense.

Junior forward Treneeca Jones, a product of Chaffey High School, took the challenge personally.

“We had to stop the one person that beat us last time because it was that one player that beat us,” La Verne junior forward Trenecca Jones said. “I heard she had an injured ankle, but I had diarrhea and that’s worse.”

The first half was an even battle that featured four ties and eight lead changes. It ended with La Verne up 28-25 after La Verne’s Marissa Raya heaved one in from half-court at the buzzer.

“That’s her range,” Hoffman said.

La Verne outscored Occidental 51-26 in the second half. The Leos led 35-32, then chalked up the next nine points, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Raya that gave La Verne its first double-digit lead of the contest at 44-32.

The Tigers (21-6), seeded first and riding an 11-game win streak, got within eight at 48-40 on a 3-pointer by lone senior Stacie Roshon whose 21 points included five 3’s.

But Occidental could get no closer. Raya hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key on the Leos next possession. Then after a Tigers miss, Charleen Guerrero scored inside off a nifty pass from Lindsey Shiomi to make it 53-40. The host team was not in striking distance again.

“We just started pushing the ball up the floor quicker,” Kline said. “That’s our game and we just needed to get back to doing that. It made all the difference.”

La Verne shot 49.1 percent (27-for-55) for the game but was a sizzling 61.5 percent (16-for-26) in the second half thanks to many point blank shots in the paint that came off the fast break. The Leos also sank 17 of 21 free throws.

Raya, who tied the school record for games played, finished with 22 points while Jones tallied 20 with a game-high 12 rebounds. Ashley Paul finished with 13 and Shiomi dished out 11 assists to establish a new career record in that department.

Occidental shot 29.6 percent (16-for-54). It also played without 5-11 freshman center Stephanie Babij, who is out with a hand injury that required surgery. But Hoffman didn’t use that as an excuse either.

“They just beat us. They were the better team,” she said.

  The Big West conference announced Monday that sophomore designated player Marissa Alvidrez earned Big West Softball Player of the Week for the week ending March 2nd.

Alvridrez earns her first career player of the week award after posting a .517 batting average with three home runs, seven RBI, five runs, and five doubles during the week. She also posted a 2.84 ERA and picked up a win and save in the circle for the Highlanders in their nine games last week.

UCR picked five wins during the week including a game two against Eastern Michigan on Tuesday after Alvidrez led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo blast to give UCR a 1-0 win. Later in the week at the UTEP tournament, Alvidrez continued to pound the ball with a 3-for-4 effort and a solo homer against Georgetown. She followed that game with a 4-for-5 performance including a homer, three RBI and two runs scored in the extra-inning win over Binghamton. Her three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh of that game sent it to extra frames.

The Highlanders are home for match-ups against Notre Dame on Tuesday and a doubleheader with Southern Utah on Wednesday.

Neither Cal Poly Pomona men's basketball coach Greg Kamansky nor Cal State San Bernardino coach Jeff Oliver liked the idea of a California Collegiate Athletic Association conference tournament when it was announced a year ago. The first one is a day away and the two like the idea even less now.

 

Quarterfinal games will be held Tuesday at the sites of the highest seeded schools while Friday's semifinals and Saturday's championship games will be at Coussoulis Arena. The No. 2 seeded Coyotes (22-6, 15-5) will open play at home at 7:30 p.m. against No. 7 UC San Diego (15-11, 11-9) while the No. 8 Broncos (11-14, 10-10) will play at No. 1 Humboldt State (20-7, 15-5), whom they played in their regular -season finale on Friday.

On the women's side, it will be the two local teams squaring off at 5:30 p.m. with the No. 2 Coyotes (21-6, 15-5) playing host to the seventh-seeded  Broncos (11-15, 8-12).

Both Oliver and Kamansky have understandable beefs with the conference braintrust.l

Oliver is upset that the Coyotes -- who finished tied with Humboldt State for first place -- won't be considered regular-season co-champions by the CCAA, as has been done in the past.

Cal State finished tied with Humboldt for the top spot, each with a 15-5 conference record, and the conference had to break the tie for purposes of awarding the top seed for the tournament. The Lumberjacks got that which Oliver didn't really have a problem with but he does think the teams should be considered regular season co-champions.

In 2005, the Coyotes finished tied with Cal Poly Pomona and the two were declared co-champions. Both got banners. Cal State has finished first or tied for first in seven of the last nine years.

"They're telling me I can't even claim a share of the conference and I have a problem with that. My kids worked hard and a conference title is what you strive for as a program. To say that we're not at least a co-champion is asinine," he said. "There will be a banner hanging in Coussoulis Arena, I guarantee that, even if I have to buy it myself."

The CCAA has criteria for deciding a regular-season champion and others for deciding who gets into the tournament. But the line is blurred. Among the criteria is "executive decision."

The Coyotes had a better strength of schedule, better overall record and higher West Region ranking than Humboldt, but the teams split their head-to-head games,  although the Coyotes would have come out on top had point differential come into play.

But their being taken out of the equation came down to another team's game which Oliver didn't think was right. The conference's criteria called for the first-place tiebreaker to be finish against the third-place team  -- a problem, because five teams finished tied for third.

When that tie was broken Cal State Los Angeles was third. Both Cal State and Humboldt swept their series against the Eagles. Humboldt came out on top because it swept Cal State Monterey Bay, which eneded up fourth,  while the Coyotes split. 

Dominguez was set up to finish third all alone but was upset by 3-17 Chico in its regular season finale. Had that not happened the Coyotes would have been the top seed because Humboldt lost a game to the Toros.

"As even as all these teams are it doesn't seem right it should come down to that," Oliver said. "But no one has told me what tiebreaker was used so I still don't know for sure."

Kamansky's beef with the conference is that he was never notified as to where his team was playing by a conference representative. Instead he had to told by one of his players who found out on the Internet.

The Broncos knew they would play  on the road Tuesday with the possibilites being close to home at San Bernardino or at Humboldt where they were already hunkered down having played the Lumberjacks that night.

The team had plans to return home Saturday, unless their quarterfinal opponent was Humboldt again, in which case they were to stay in Arcata.

San Diego was in the same position, having played Friday at San Francisco and needing to know where to go next.

Cal Poly athletic director Brian Swanson tried to call conference officials late Friday but had no luck reaching anyone for verification.

Both Kamansky and Oliver said they will take up their issues with the powers that be at this weekend's conference meeting held in conjunction with the tournament.

"I might just have to explode. Friday night we were sure we were playing San Bernardino. Humboldt was sure we were playing San Bernardino," Kamamsky said. "We should have just showed up at San Bernardino Tuesday night."

Kamansky's other issue with the conference tournament is the time it takes his players away from classes. The Broncos were out of school all last week because of the northern road trip and now have to stay an extra four days because of the game Tuesday.

If the Broncos were to win the CCAA tournament, they would advance to the regional -- which will likely be held in Alaska.

"We would have kids attending their classes for about three days in three weeks, right before finals," he said. "That's not what we should be about. When they started this tournament they said it was for the student-athlete. Well I don't think it's in the best interest of the student-athlete. The athlete,  maybe."

Tickets for Tuesday's quarterfinal games and for the semfinals and title games later in the week will go on sale today at 10 a.m. at Coussoulis Arena. For more information call the ticket office a (909) 537-5048.