COLLEGE WOMEN’S PREVIEW : Burns Short on Players as She Begins at SDSU

It seems that Beth Burns, the first-year women’s basketball coach at San Diego State, already is suffering from a dose of Montezuma Mesa’s revenge.

Because of injuries, a suspension and illnesses, Burns finds herself with just 10 able bodies going into this weekend’s Coopers & Lybrand Invitational, a DePaul-hosted tournament in Chicago.

Not a good way to start, especially for a team considered to be only knee-deep in talent after the graduation of two of the three leading scorers from the 1987-88 team that finished 25-9 and 12-6 (fourth) in the Big West Conference.

So where does Burns find hope?

Well, following SDSU’s 60-48 loss to the Spanish National team Saturday, she found it in a statistic other than the final score--rebounds. SDSU out-muscled the Spaniards, 44-25, a surprise considering that Spain started a front line measuring 6-feet-4, 6-3 and 6-2 while SDSU’s tallest player came in at 6-1.

Without departed Chana Perry (23.5 points per game) and Brooke Meadows (13.0), the Aztecs will have to continue to outwork their opponents if they hope to remain competitive.

In that area, Burns is expecting some leadership-by-example from senior Julie Evans, a 6-1 forward who last year was the second-leading scorer with an average of 14.5 points and who played the full 40 minutes against Spain. Also figuring prominently is junior Melanie Usher, seldom used by Earnest Riggins, the former coach.

Usher, 6-0, takes over the post position from Perry, the main benefactor of returning guard Crystal Lee’s conference-leading assist total of 169--a mark that earned Lee recognition as the conference freshman of the year.

Dee Dee Davis was also expected to be a major contributor at guard coming off her 15.0-point average of a year ago but will be out at least two weeks and possibly more with a stress fracture in the lower left fibula.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

1988-89 Record: 10-17 overall, 6-8 in the West Coast Conference

1988-89 Finish: Fourth (tie)

Two freshman will give USD enough skill to knock off SDSU for the first time and are responsible for Coach Kathy Marpe’s brash prediction that the Toreras will win their conference.

The two are center Chris Enger from Vista High and point guard Angie Straub from Grass Valley. Enger (6-4) averaged 28.2 points, 15.0 rebounds and nine blocked shots last year; Straub averaged 15.0 points and 5.0 assists.

“Both players are a lot quicker than what we had before,” Marpe said. “So you’ll see us running a lot more; we won’t be so much of a half-court team. Chris Enger especially--she gets down the court so quick, we can just pass the ball over the defense, and she has a layup.”

The Toreros return their entire starting lineup from a year ago, notably guards Candida Echevaria (13.9 points) and Paula Mascari (10.7).

POINT LOMA NAZARENE COLLEGE

1988-89 Record: 20-11 overall, 8-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference

1988-89 Finish: Third (tie)

The Crusaders return only two starters off last year’s team but are expecting their third consecutive season of 20 or more victories. Guard Camille Armijo last year led PLNC in scoring (16.1-point average) as a freshman and was named to the all-conference first team. The other returning starter is junior forward Lisa Mowday (6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds).

UC SAN DIEGO

1988-89 Record: 19-6

1988-89 Finish: Best ever

Last year, the Tritons won more games than ever before and had their longest winning streak in history--nine. Then eight players, including the three leading scorers, graduated. The operative cliche here is “rebuilding.” The two returning starters are guard Nancy Caparaz (7.5-point average) and forward Bernadette Diepenbrock (6.4).