Women’s Basketball Roundup : USIU Sets School Win Record

The United States International University women’s basketball team got a school-record ninth straight victory Saturday night, defeating Northern Arizona, 69-63, in a nonconference contest at Serra High School.

Toya DeCree had 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Gulls (19-5). Fiona Murray also scored 22 points, including the basket that put USIU ahead to stay, 57-55, with 6:10 remaining.

The win avenged an 87-71 defeat the Gulls suffered to Northern Arizona at Flagstaff Dec. 14.

Mindy Sherred scored 20 points for NAU and Julie Hanks had 17 points and 13 rebounds.

In other women’s games:

UC Irvine 82, San Diego State 69--Natalie Crawford and Sheri Graham each scored 22 points to lead the Anteaters to a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. win Saturday night at SDSU’s Peterson Gym.

Irvine (5-5, 13-10) shot 67.9% (36 for 53) from the field and hit 81% (17 of 21) in the second half.

Shelda Arceneaux led SDSU with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Dee Dee Duncan scored 17 points.

The Aztecs, who fell to 5-5 and 12-13, were without their leading scorer, Jessica Haynes.

Cal State Long Beach 85, Nevada Las Vegas 78--The sixth-ranked 49ers survived a furious Nevada Las Vegas comeback for a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory at Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Center Cindy Brown scored 10 of her team’s last 16 points as the 49ers held off the Rebels, who had a 74-73 lead with 2:42 left.

Brown scored 25 points, despite picking up her fourth foul with 9:24 to play. The 49ers (9-0 in the PCAA, 21-2 overall) led, 45-28, at halftime and had an 11-point lead with 7:11 remaining.

USC 83, Arizona 67--Cheryl Miller had 19 points and 9 rebounds as the Trojans pulled away in the second half for a Pac West victory at Tucson.

The Trojans (6-0, 22-3) had a 39-33 lead at halftime and broke open the game with a 16-6 surge in the first five minutes of the second half.

UCLA 76, Arizona State 68--Jamie Brown scored 18 points, and the Bruins turned back the Sun Devils in a Pac West game at Tempe, Ariz.

The Bruins (2-4, 10-14) raced to a 36-19 lead at halftime as Arizona State (12-9, 3-3) shot just 33% before the break.