College Basketball : Irvine Women Defeat Hawaii, 72-67, in PCAA Game

The UC Irvine women’s basketball team won its second consecutive Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game Saturday, defeating the University of Hawaii, 72-67, at the Bren Center.

Anteater Shurrell Johnson hit a 14-foot shot with 1:53 remaining to break a 65-65 tie and giving Irvine the lead for good. With 14 seconds left to play, Johnson stole a pass from Hawaii and passed to junior forward Natasha Parks, who scored on a breakaway for the Anteaters’ final basket.

Irvine (5-9, 3-3) was led by center Natalie Crawford with 21 points and 14 rebounds. The game was Crawford’s eighth double-double of the season and the 16th consecutive game in which she blocked a shot.

Forward Cheryl Eiland added 12 points for the Anteaters, and Parks finished with 11.

Judy Mosley led Hawaii (10-6, 4-3) with 22 points and Melissa Barker added 20.

In another PCAA game:

Cal State Fullerton 68, Fresno State 53--Felicia Benson scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds to lead Cal State Fullerton in Fresno. The Titans (9-5, 4-1) came back from a 26-25 deficit behind the shooting of Benson, who was 8 for 10 from the floor. Senior center Amy Torczon added 15 points and 12 rebounds and senior forward Cathi Hall scored 12 points off bench for Fullerton.

The Titans held the Bulldogs to 29% shooting in the second half. Fresno State (6-7, 1-3) was led by Lisa Ellis and Yvette Roberts with 11 points each.

In other women’s games:

Pacific Christian College 62, Colorado Christian College 18--Center Kris Dodson scored 29 points, leading PCC (1-9) to its first victory, at Colorado. Debbie LaGrow added 14 points.

California Lutheran 77, Southern California College 71--Connie Brazell, Julie Amon and Paula Hale each scored 16 points for SCC (9-5, 0-2). Cal Lutheran (2-10, 1-0) was paced by Danielle Elton’s 17 points.

In men’s games:

Southern California College 91, Cal Lutheran 82--Guard Kevin Alexander scored 19 points and guard Chris Ofelt added 17 for SCC (6-9, 1-1) in a Golden State Athletic Conference game at SCC. Jeff Bickmore scored 16 points and Phil Hill added 12. Cal Lutheran (6-10, 1-1) was led by junior Steve DeLaveaga with 27 points. He was playing against his younger brother Jeff, a freshman at SCC who scored 4 points.

Cal Baptist 88, Christ College Irvine 74--Center Michael Banks scored 31 points and had 11 rebounds to pace Cal Baptist (12-5, 2-0) over CCI (7-9, 0-2) in the GSAC game at Christ College Irvine. Cal Baptist overcame CCI’s 40-37 halftime lead. Robert Pallotta led CCI with 20 points, including four three-point shots. Center Bill York scored 16 points, guard Dan Klatt 15 and Cedric Benson 11 for CCI.

Pacific Christian College 74, Colorado Christian College 65--PCC center Steve Welch, the team’s second-highest scorer, was sent to the hospital after being knocked by an elbow in the head four minutes into the game at Colorado. The wound required 13 stitches, but forward Mike DeVries and Burton Lalk filled in for Welch and led PCC (17-3) to the victory. DeVries scored 22 points, Lalk added 11 points and Bill Edwards scored 15.

PCC trailed by 11 in the second half, 56-45, but held Colorado scoreless for seven minutes and regained the lead. Tom Murphy led Colorado with 24 points and Dennis Pruessner added 19.