COLLEGE NOTEBOOK : County Players Had Say in Rose Bowl Outcome

It seemed fitting that a pair of former San Diego County athletes ended Michigan’s last-ditch effort to overtake USC in Monday’s Rose Bowl game.

USC had 10 former San Diego Section players on its roster. Eight were on defense, including Junior Seau (Oceanside High) and Craig Hartsuyker (Orange Glen), who teamed up for a sack of Wolverine quarterback Mike Taylor on Michigan’s last offensive play.

Three area players--Ernest Spears (El Camino), Tom Dabasinskas (San Pasqual) and J.P. Sullivan (Vista) were in their final game for USC.

For Spears, the Trojans’ 17-10 victory will have some long-term implications.

“A game like this gives you confidence to go out into the world,” Spears said. “You go out a winner, and hopefully you’ll be a winner in life.”

Spears made four tackles, rating his play “average.”

He added, “I wasn’t in the scheme enough to be as effective as our linemen or linebackers. As a defensive back, I did my job, and I’m satisfied.”

Dabasinskas, a reserve tackle/center who did not play, had a less-than-satisfactory experience but kept perspective nonetheless.

“This is a big disappointment,” Dabasinskas said. “But you have to take what life gives you and make the best of it. I’m just thankful to go out in style as the Rose Bowl champion. There are many people who would love to be in my place, and I’m thankful for where I am.”

Dabasinskas missed six games this year after spraining a ligament in his left knee during practice before the Sept. 23 game against Ohio State. He was out for two games of the 1987 season while recovering from a sprained right shoulder, then had surgery on that shoulder to repair a dislocation before the Rose Bowl. That injury also forced him out of 1988 spring practice.

But while Dabasinskas had his problems athletically, he has starred in the classroom. His 3.87 grade-point average is the highest on the team, and he won USC’s 1987 Academic Letterman Award and the John Wayne Memorial Scholarship. Dabasinskas interviewed for a Rhodes Scholarship and also is a candidate for post-graduate scholarships offered by the NCAA and the Rotary Club.

Other local players on the Trojans roster included: safeties Marcus Hopkins (Lincoln) and Marcel Brown (Point Loma), linebackers James Wilson (USDHS) and Junior Moi (Rancho Buena Vista) and offensive lineman Marc Raab (Helix). Junior linebacker Leon Morton (Helix) was a walk-on at Michigan this year.

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Christian Heritage men’s basketball team moved to No. 2 in the latest National Christian College Athletic Assn. poll. The Hawks (8-3) will have a shot at the top when they take on No. 1 Malone College Saturday at the Westmont Tournament in Santa Barbara.

Christian Heritage’s Mark Kraatz leads the NCCAA in assists, averaging 9.3. The Hawks have six players shooting over 80% from the free-throw line and are shooting 78.1% as a team.

Two weeks ago, the University of San Diego’s women’s basketball team received its first ever vote in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. Last week, it got nine and Monday 11. The Toreras are 9-2, but their eight-game winning streak was snapped Tuesday night by Iowa State.

One thing can be said about Candida Echeverria, USD’s all-time women’s scoring leader. She is coachable, or at least follows a good example.

On Saturday, Echeverria broke USD’s career scoring mark with 1,013 points. Debbie Theroux, an assistant coach at USD, held the record of 1,010 points.

In high school, Echeverria broke Jackie Vander Poel’s career scoring record at Chino High. Vander Poel at the time was an assistant at the school after playing at UC Irvine.

San Diego State’s Julie Evans ran her string of consecutive free throws to 24 before missing one against Iowa State in a tournament game Friday at Pepperdine. SDSU’s record is 26 in a row set by Chana Perry in 1987-88. Evans, a senior guard, has since made seven in a row and is 31 of 35 (88.6%).

At the USD Sports Center Saturday night, one third of the overhead lights were out, and the 45-second clock wasn’t working properly. And it seemed to have an effect on the Toreros.

USD, which came in shooting 44%, had its best shooting game of the season making 62.5% (30 of 48) from the floor and 76.9% (20 of 26) from the free-throw line.

Said Torero guard Pat Holbert, who made four of five three-pointers, “Maybe they should keep it that way.”

The Point Loma Nazarene men’s basketball team will play host to George Fox College, Western Washington and Grace College in its 27th annual tournament at Golden Gymnasium Thursday through Saturday.

The SDSU women’s golf team is playing host to a fund-raising tournament Jan. 16 to benefit its program before the Aztecs’ annual Intercollegiate Invitational at Carlton Oaks Country Club. The deadline for entry ($175) into the scramble tournament is next Tuesday. Contact John Klein at 594-6699.

Times Staff Writer Steven Herbert contributed to this notebook.