McNeill Paces UCSD to Tournament Title

Gordon McNeill scored 23 points and was named most valuable player of the 13th annual La Jolla Classic as UC San Diego defeated La Verne, 82-71, at home, giving the Tritons their third tournament championship this season.

Tim Rapp (12 points) and Darvin Jackson (six points) joined McNeill, who made 10 of 17 shots, on the all-tournament team. Guard Tom Shawcroft added 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. UCSD improved to 11-3.

Andre Purry (23 points) and Ross Wilkins (22) also were named to the all-tournament team for La Verne (7-5).

In the third-place game, Pomona Pitzer defeated Bethany, 88-60.

Frank Dews scored 28 points to lead Point Loma Nazarene past Pacific Lutheran, 71-68, in the third-place game of the Point Loma Nazarene Classic. Grand Canyon edged Catawba, 66-64, in the championship game.

PLNC, which won only eight games each of the past two seasons, improved to 8-7.

Dews and Gary Litten (14 points) were selected to the all-tournament team. Don Brown scored 23 to lead Pacific Lutheran (6-5).

Rob Meeter’s 10 rebounds gave him a school career-record of 687 as Christian Heritage lost to Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills, 86-71, at Grossmont College. Meeter, a senior center, broke Will Cunningham’s record of 678, set from 1986-90.

With the victory, Dominguez Hills (10-4) tied a school record with eight consecutive victories. Keith Billingslea led CSUDH with 22 points.

Curt Hallberg led the Hawks (4-9) with 15 points.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Kieishsha Garnes’ 29-point, 18-rebound effort was overshadowed by a 65-63 San Diego State loss to host San Francisco.

SDSU trailed 21-8 before a 16-6 Aztec run midway through the first half closed the margin to 27-24. With 10:52 left, Garnes made a turnaround shot that put SDSU (7-5) ahead. She had 14 points in the final 10 minutes.

Marlene Henderson hit two free throws with 42 seconds remaining, then blocked a shot by SDSU’s Michelle Miles for the victory for USF (8-6).

Cari Young (21 points) and Lisa Beaver (20 points) both hit eight of 12 shots to give UC San Diego a 72-57 nonconference victory over Southern Maine in La Jolla.

UCSD, which led by 11 at the half, improved to 8-4. Laura Pate scored 19 for Southern Maine (6-3).

Point Loma Nazarene won its third consecutive Whittier Tournament by pulling away from Wheaton (Ill.) College in the second half of a 71-59 victory.

Forward Shannon Abrams, the tournament’s most valuable player, had 23 points and 12 rebounds for PLNC (8-5). Camille Armijo added 14 points, Becky Wilson 12 and Christy Stevens 10. Stevens joined Abrams on the all-tournament team.

Colleen Joransen scored 17 points for Wheaton (6-2), which led 28-26 at the half.