Host PLNC Wins Title in Basketball Tournament

Point Loma Nazarene College won its own men’s basketball tournament for the first time in four years with a 87-69 victory over George Fox College Saturday night. Ron Hubbard, named the tournament MVP, led PLNC (5-8) with 26 points and nine rebounds, and Brian Thurston added 17 points and six rebounds. PLNC has won its past three games.

Willamette College shot 62% from the floor and 67% from three-point range to beat UC San Diego, 86-75, in the La Jolla Tournament finals. UCSD (10-4) was led by Gordon McNeill’s 21 and Tim Rapp’s 20. Both players were named to the all-tournament team. Willamette’s Erik Clarkson, the tournament MVP, paced all scorers with 36 points on 15-of-20 shooting.

Christian Heritage upset Malone College of Ohio, the No. 1 ranked team in the National Christian College Athletic Assn., 97-92.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Playing without starting center Christie English and losing backup forward Rochelle Lightner early in the first half, the University of San Diego women were no match for host Colorado, losing 78-46 in a nonconference game.

After winning nine of their first 10 games, the Toreras (10-3) have lost two in a row.

English missed the game with the flu, and Lightner broke her nose in the first 10 minutes. USD’s problems continued when starting forward Lynda Jones picked up four fouls and Kathy Perkins, a 5-foot-10 small forward, was forced to play the low post. And point guard Paula Mascari cracked a contact lens early and finished with no points in 17 minutes.

Candida Echeverria led the Toreros with nine points but was only three for 10 from the field. USD begins West Coast Conference play Friday at Pepperdine.

Teri Mann’s basketball career at San Diego State apparently has ended before it began.

Mann, a four-time all-section girls’ player from Point Loma High, has dropped out of SDSU, according to a published report.

Mann, who transferred to SDSU from Western Kentucky last January, was suspended by SDSU Coach Beth Burns in December for failing to meet academic requirements.

Burns said Mann was not forced off the team.

“The ball was in Terri’s court,” Burns said. “Her scholarship was not taken away.”

Burns said she had not been told of Mann’s decision to quit school.

“I haven’t talked to her,” Burns said. “I think it’s a shame. She has to make the decision on what she wants to do with her life.”

San Diego State trailed ninth-ranked Long Beach State by just seven at halftime but eventually lost, 74-53, in the Aztecs’ Big West Conference opener. SDSU (1-11, 0-1) was led by Julie Evans’ 18 points. Dana Wilkerson had a game-high 19 for Long Beach (8-3, 1-1).

Shannon Abrams had 10 points and 11 rebounds in Point Loma Nazarene’s 83-36 victory over host Whittier College.

UC San Diego upset previously unbeaten Lake Forest College of Illinois, 77-57 in a nonconference game at UCSD. Cari Young paced UCSD (5-5) with 14 points and 10 rebounds.