San Diego Sports Et cetera : SDSU Women Beat Connecticut to Reach Final

Jessica Haynes scored 28 points and Chana Perry added 23 points and 16 rebounds as the San Diego State women’s basketball team defeated Connecticut, 69-64, in a first-round game of the University of Maine Tournament in Bangor.

The Aztecs (1-0) will play Maine for the championship today. Maine defeated Drexel, 79-65, in the other first-round game.

“We didn’t play like I know we can,” SDSU Coach Earnest Riggins said, “but I attribute that to the time change and first-game jitters.”

The Aztecs committed 15 first-half turnovers but cut the number to six in the second half. The game was tied, 36-36, at the half.

Neither team led by more than four points throughout the game until Sheri Edmonds hit two free throws to give the Aztecs (1-0) a 65-60 lead.

Krista Bloomquist had 22 points for Maine.

Freshman Tim Rapp scored 35 points to lead UC San Diego to a 107-82 victory over Occidental in the first round of the Triton Tipoff Tournament in La Jolla. Grand Canyon College defeated UC Santa Cruz, 105-70, in the other first-round game.

UCSD (2-0) plays Grand Canyon (4-1) for the championship at 8 p.m. tonight.

Kevin Stewart had 18 points and Bill Gerlach had 10 points for UCSD. Rapp set the tournament scoring record in the first half as he scored 29 points, breaking the old mark of 25 points, which was held by Claremont’s Todd Thomas. Rapp was 15-of-20 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three-point range.

Freshman Miguel Guttierez came off the bench to score 21 points but it wasn’t enough as Point Loma Nazarene lost in overtime to Northwest Nazarene, 100-96, in Nampa, Idaho. Guttierez was 8-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the line.

Clayton Williams had 20 points and Steve Riddle added 18 for Point Loma Nazarene (2-1). Steve Thomas scored 28 points to lead Northwest Nazarene (1-3).

Guard Sonya Carter scored 18 points and Amanda Spry had 15 points to lead the United States International University women’s basketball team to a 78-53 victory over the National University of Mexico in the first round of the USIU/Pepsi Great West Classic at the Jewish Community Center in La Jolla.

USIU (1-0) plays Southern Utah State at 8 p.m. tonight for the championship. Southern Utah State advanced to the final with a 78-67 victory over Cal State Northridge. Staci Sargent scored 14 points for Southern Utah State (1-0) and Kathleen Dixon had 17 points CSUN (1-1).

Forward Jane Gilpin scored 27 points but it wasn’t enough as the University of San Diego women’s basketball team was defeated, 70-63, by host Arizona State in the Dial Soap Classic in Tempe.

Candida Echeverria added 10 points for USD (0-1), which plays Wyoming in the consolation game today. Shanda Mosley had 18 points for Arizona State (1-0).