COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Titan Women Strengthen Their Case

Sometimes it takes a little extra work to get attention. The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team has learned that as it waits to break into the top 25.

It shouldn’t be much longer now.

The Titans are 13-4 and fresh off back-to-back upsets of Nevada Las Vegas and Cal State Long Beach, both ranked teams. They didn’t let up against UC Irvine Thursday, racing to a 26-point lead in the first half on the way to an 82-58 victory in front of 140 in Titan Gym.

“I think the kids are going to be awful disappointed if we’re not in it,” Jeremiah said, speaking of the national poll that will be announced Monday. “If we’re not, it will be one more thing to do. If we have to do something more, we will.”

Before the rankings come out, Fullerton will have another chance to prove something. After UC Santa Barbara’s upset of UNLV Thursday, Fullerton, which has a 6-2 conference record, will have an opportunity to take over first place in the Big West Conference when it plays Santa Barbara in Titan Gym Saturday.

Jeremiah risked criticism by keeping the Titans’ outstanding senior center, Genia Miller, in the game until only 4 minutes 31 seconds remained Thursday, despite a lead that stretched to 37 points in the second half.

Jeremiah would like to see Miller get national recognition--All-American is what she has in mind--and the only way for that to happen is for Miller to maintain her averages. She didn’t leave until she had 28 points, one below her average, which is third best in the nation.

“I wouldn’t be playing her, but I never sit her down until she has her average,” Jeremiah said. “I try to help her maintain it. To sit her down wouldn’t be fair to her. But it gets to a point where leaving her in is not a good thing to do to another team.”

Miller added nine rebounds and four blocked shots. She leads the nation in blocked shots, averaging 4.2.

Jenny Lee scored 20 points for Irvine (4-13, 2-6 in conference). Yvonne Catala, who shared the Big West Conference’s player-of-the-week award with Miller this week, added 19.

Irvine got into trouble early with 14 first-half turnovers. The Anteaters finished with 17.

Fullerton kept the pressure on by shooting 56% from the field.

Claudette Jackson added 19, and Joey Ray had 16.

It might have been Fullerton’s lack of a reputation that kept the Titans out of the top 25 after the upset of UNLV last week. Jeremiah, formerly the coach at Indiana, admits there is something of an East Coast bias to the poll. She is evidence of it herself.

“When I coached back East, I didn’t think the West Coast played basketball,” she said.

But with the victory over Long Beach, Fullerton made its case stronger.

In a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District III women’s basketball game:

Christ College Irvine 79, The Master’s 60--Nancy Geisler scored 16 points, Lauren Rich had 13 and Jackie Hatten added 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for visiting Christ College Irvine (12-4, 6-2).

In nonconference women’s tennis:

UC Irvine 6, Loyola Marymount 3--Four of Irvine’s singles players won matches, led by No. 1 player Kelly Goldsborough, to pace the victory for the visiting Anteaters (1-0). Goldsborough defeated Kim Florez, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.