Lady Toros Are Looking to Score

Building a strong program is the most important concern for the Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s basketball team and for its coach, Van Girard.

In his second rebuilding year, Girard said he is taking good defense for granted and concentrating on getting the offense to produce.

The season opener for the Lady Toros will be at home against Point Loma on Tuesday.

As a first-year coach, Girard had a good defensive team that led the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. in field-goal defense (.385) and caused 23.5 turnovers per game.

“Our only problem was that we couldn’t put any points on the board,” Girard said.

Last season, the Lady Toros’ top scorer was point guard Devon Akita, who averaged only 9.7 points per game. They finished the season with an overall record of 6-19 and were a dismal 1-11 in the conference.

The coach blamed some of last year’s losses on conflicts among the players.

This is a new year, though, with six freshmen joining five returning players. “It’s like the difference between night and day when I compare the attitudes of the two teams,” Girard said. “This year we’ve got a real sense of being a team, a sense of togetherness.”

Leadership in the preseason has fallen onto the shoulders of three senior guards, Julie Scott, Brigitte Frazier and Connie McKenney. “They’ve been helping out the freshmen and really helping to get the team in shape for the season,” Girard said. “So far, they have been the backbone.”

The 5-foot-9 Frazier was tough on defense for the Lady Toros last year and averaged 6.7 rebounds per game. In the last game of the year, Frazier came alive with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Scott had the best free-throw percentage, .738, completing 31 of 42 attempts.

McKenney, the coach said, is physical under the basket, where the team needs her most.

Kyra Anderson has shown improved shooting ability this year and Girard is looking for the 6-foot-3 senior center to provide the scoring punch the Lady Toros need to win.

Anderson, who was a forward last year, is moving to center to replace Kathy Goggin, the Lady Toros’ fourth-best career rebounder with 456 and their ninth-best career scorer with 571 points.

Akita, a 5-foot-7 junior guard who gave up volleyball this fall to concentrate on basketball, has been effective on the inside in preseason scrimmages, Girard said, and Melissa Punch, a 5-foot-11 freshman forward, has been effective from three-point range.