PCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Women : Titans Avoid Overtime and Top Irvine, 48-47

UC Irvine’s Natalie Crawford was sure her second free throw was headed into the basket. So was teammate Cheryl Eiland.

And, for that matter, Cal State Fullerton Coach Maryalyce Jeremiah did, too, as she braced herself for overtime.

However, one person knew better--Irvine Coach Dean Andrea--even before the shot went off the rim with no time remaining, giving Cal State Fullerton a 48-47 victory over Irvine in the opening round of the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. women’s basketball tournament on Thursday at Cal State Long Beach’s gym.

“No, I knew Natalie missed the shot once she released it,” said Andrea, who watched Crawford make the first free throw. “That’s why I started walking to the other end.”

Walking over to shake hands with Jeremiah. So No. 3-seeded Cal State Fullerton (18-10) will meet No. 2 Nevada Las Vegas today at 2 p.m. in the semifinals at the Forum. Irvine, the sixth-seeded team, finished 11-16.

Fullerton had balanced scoring with three players in double figures: Wendy Anae (15), Amy Torczon (10) and Gena Miller (10). Irvine’s Eiland was game-high with 19 points, and Crawford had eight.

“We want it to go on past this tournament,” said Jeremiah, whose team split with Vegas in their series this season. “Whoever will take us. The NCAA or NWIT.”

In the other tournament games, fourth-seeded San Diego State (21-9) defeated fifth-seeded Fresno State, 64-60. Center Chana Perry led the Aztecs with a game-high 24 points and 14 rebounds as SDSU rallied from an eight-point, second-half deficit. Fresno State finished 16-12.

Las Vegas (23-6) played without its leading scorer, Pauline Jordan, in the first half because Jordan injured her knee during pregame warmups when she slipped on some water on the court. Hawaii (14-14), the seventh-seeded team, took a 25-24 halftime lead. However, Jordan returned for the second half and scored 21 points and had 12 rebounds as Vegas defeated Hawaii, 62-56.

Top-seeded Cal State Long Beach, ranked No. 8 nationally, defeated eighth-seeded Pacific, 77-50, in the final game of the opening round. Long Beach will meet San Diego State at 4 p.m. in today’s semifinals at the Forum.