COLLEGE BASKETBALL 1991-92 : Long Beach Has New Approach : Women’s basketball: Bonvicini is gone and only one true guard is left, so focus will be inside.

Cal State Long Beach will not only begin a new basketball season soon but a new era as well.

Joan Bonvicini has gone to coach at the University of Arizona after 12 years at Long Beach, leaving the Long Beach job to former assistant Glenn McDonald.

Some top-25 national polls have responded by leaving out the 49ers, who are ranked behind Big West Conference rivals Nevada Las Vegas and UC Santa Barbara, and five notches behind USC, which Long Beach trounced, 83-58, in the second round of last season’s NCAA playoffs, in others.

Sure, Dana Wilkerson, who ran rings around opponents, has graduated, as has Penny Moore, who scored points in bunches. But the 49ers still have plenty of talent, probably enough to warrant a top-20 ranking.

“They think that since Joan isn’t here anymore, we’re not going to be as competitive,” said McDonald, a former Long Beach player and an assistant under Bonvicini since 1986. “It bothers the kids. They say that we’re just going to have to show people that we can play basketball, that we’re still a top ranked team.”

McDonald got the job in part because of a petition circulated by the players and given to the athletic department, so player support will not be a problem.

“He’s more like a father-figure, a coach, a friend . . . that’s why we respect him so much,” said Trise Jackson, a 5-foot-6 point guard.

She is the only true guard left on the team, and with her quickness, and ballhandling ability, the 49ers will still have some speed. But without Wilkerson and Moore, Long Beach will have a new look.

“Right now, we’re working on being really disciplined in the half-court set offense,” McDonald said. “We’re still going to do some pressing; it just won’t be as much because, you know, I don’t want to burn out the only true guard I have.”

McDonald says forward Marsheela Harriston, a 5-10 junior, is making a smooth transition to shooting guard, but the 49ers will not be the perimeter-shooting team it was with Wilkerson.

On the inside, the 49ers should be as strong as ever with hard-working Kari Pariott, a 6-2 center, and Bolivia Gaytan, a 6-4 center, returning as seniors. They will also have 6-1 sophomore forward Kellie Bennett and 6-3 sophomore Danielle Scott--who will join the team, and start, after the volleyball season.

“We’ve always been known for our guards and we didn’t have any power,” McDonald said. “But this year I think we’ve got a lot of power inside but no guards, so it’s a little bit of a different situation.”

CS Long Beach Roster

No. Player Pos Yr Hgt 50 Kellie Bennett F So 6-2 13 Bolivia Gaytan C SR 6-4 00 Melissa Gower F Fr 6-2 32 Marsheela Harriston F Jr 5-10 22 Trise Jackson G Sr 5-6 40 Charon Johnson F Fr 6-0 45 Kari Parriott C Sr 6-2 23 Danielle Scott C So 6-3 24 Sal Tauau F Fr 6-0 10 Sherri Thormahlen G Jr 5-7 41 Suzana Vrachar C Jr 6-4

Coach: Glenn McDonald.

CS Long Beach Schedule

ALL TIMES PACIFIC

Date Opponent Time Nov. 22 Australian All-Stars 7:30 Dec. 7 at Stanford 7:30 Dec. 10 USC 7:30 Dec. 14 San Diego 7:30 Dec. 19 Southwest Texas State* 7:30 Dec. 20 Washington* 7:30 Dec. 23 North Carolina St. 5:30 Dec. 28 Lamar** 10 a.m. Dec. 29 at Rutgers Tournament 10 a.m. Jan. 2 at UC Irvine 7:30 Jan. 5 at Arizona 10:30 Jan. 9 Fresno State 7:30 Jan. 14 at Cal State Fullerton 7:30 Jan. 17 at Hawaii 9 Jan. 19 at Hawaii 6 Jan. 25 UC Santa Barbara 7:30 Jan. 29 Nevada Las Vegas 9 Feb. 1 New Mexico State 7:30 Feb. 6 at Pacific 7:30 Feb. 8 at Fresno State 7:30 Feb. 10 at UC Santa Barbara 7:30 Feb. 13 Pacific 7:30 Feb. 15 San Jose State 7:30 Feb. 23 UC Irvine 3 Feb. 27 at New Mexico State 6:30 Feb. 29 at Nevada Las Vegas 7:30 Mar. 5 Cal State Fullerton 7:30 Mar. 8 at San Jose State 5:15 Mar. 11 Big West Tournament TBA

* CS Long Beach Tournament

** at Rutgers Tournament