THE COLLEGES : Community College Women’s Basketball : Golden West Seems Ready for Tournament

Golden West’s veteran team is well-prepared for the women’s community college state basketball tournament.

Golden West (31-2) starts four sophomores, including three who played in the tournament last season when the Rustlers lost to American River in the semifinals.

This season, Golden West is the top-ranked team in the state, the top-seeded team from the south and the favorite to win the state championship.

But then there is Fullerton, which also qualified for the state tournament.

Fullerton (26-7) starts an all-freshman lineup and finished third in the South Coast Conference behind Long Beach and Golden West, which won the conference.

Golden West plays San Mateo (25-6) at 2 p.m. in the first game of the eight-team tournament, which starts today at American River in Sacramento.

Long Beach (24-6) plays Ohlone (28-4) at 4 p.m., Los Angeles Valley (27-3) plays Merritt (23-7) at 6 p.m. and Fullerton (26-7) plays Santa Rosa (24-6) at 8 p.m.

The semifinal games are at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, with the final at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Golden West is led by sophomore guard Jeannine Battaglia, who was voted the South Coast Conference’s most valuable player. Battaglia led the team, averaging 15.9 points. She started last season, as did point guard Kim Takayama and forward Jane Utu. Takayama averaged 8.5 assists a game.

Kathy Werth, a 6-foot transfer from Fresno State, averaged 15.4 points and 9.6 rebounds.

Golden West’s top player off the bench is freshman forward Lori Totosz. She averaged 9.4 points and scored a career-high 26 as Golden West defeated Cypress, 92-81, Friday to advance to the state tournament.

Fullerton has been a forgotten team most of the season. With only one sophomore, the team didn’t draw much early attention. But the Hornets have emerged as a power with first-team all-conference players Lisa Crosskey and center Kelli Johnson.

Crosskey averaged 13 points and 3 assists and Johnson averaged 13 points and 7 rebounds. Debbie Wagner (11 points) and Steffi Strauss (9 points and 5 assists a game) were second-team all-conference picks for Fullerton.

Tournament Notes

Long Beach and Los Angeles Valley, the only two teams to defeat Golden West this season, have made the tournament. Los Angeles Valley defeated Golden West, 73-65, in the Fullerton tournament in the second game of the season. Golden West then had 27 straight victories before losing to Long Beach, 92-84, two weeks ago. . . . College of the Sequoias, the defending state champion, was eliminated in the regional by Merritt last Saturday.