Women’s College Basketball : Titans Rally in Overtime for Sixth Straight Over UC Irvine

Cal State Fullerton survived cold shooting and a furious UC Irvine comeback attempt to beat the Anteaters in overtime, 67-66, in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. women’s basketball game Saturday in Crawford Hall.

Freshman guard Sheryl Jones made both ends of a one-and-one with 27 seconds left in overtime to provide the margin of victory. The win was Fullerton’s sixth straight over its county rival and improved the Titans’ record to 3-1 in PCAA play and 5-9 overall. Irvine is 1-1, 9-6.

Fullerton shot just 35.5% from the field (27 of 74), but managed to hold off Irvine’s late comeback attempt, thanks largely to senior guard Robin Holmes. Holmes was 10 of 19 from the floor, 5 of 7 from the free throw line and finished with a game-high 25 points.

Fullerton had a 60-52 lead with 2:53 left in regulation, but succumbed to Irvine’s fullcourt pressure in the final minutes. UCI guard Valerie Dehn had two straight baskets, the second of which was a layup that followed Erin Higashi’s steal off the press, to cut the lead to 60-56.

Nadia Burks’ bank shot with 1:50 remaining pulled Irvine to within two, 60-58, and Dehn tied it by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 16 seconds left. Jones missed the front of a one-and-one with 4 seconds to play, sending the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Fullerton got a jumper in the lane from Holmes, a 12-foot jumper from Jones and one free throw from Felicia Benson before Jones clinched it from the line.

Dehn hit a long-range jumper over a Fullerton defender to make it 67-66 with 16 seconds to play, but was called for traveling with 6 seconds left after Higashi got another steal off the Anteaters’ press.

Cheri Graham, shooting mostly with her left hand because of an injury to her right (shooting) wrist, led the Anteaters with 16 points.