Garnes Leads SDSU Women Past USD

San Diego State defended its city women’s college basketball championship with a 72-68 victory Saturday over the University of San Diego in front of 2,344, the largest crowd to see a women’s basketball game at the USD Sports Center.

The Aztecs improved its record against USD to 18-1 in the season opener for both teams.

Forward Kieishsha Garnes scored a game-high 18 points for the Aztecs, including the tiebreaking basket with 25 seconds left.

Lynda Jones’ two free throws tied it at 68 with :43 left. But Garnes came down and hit an eight-foot jumper in the paint to give SDSU a 70-68 lead. USD center Chris Enger had a chance to tie it after she rebounded her miss, but she was stripped by Felisha Wright with 13 seconds left. Tammy Blackburn’s two free throws iced the game.

Michelle Suman also scored 18 points for the Aztecs and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. Wright added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Christina Murguia, a freshman from Castle Park High, scored 10 points in her first collegiate game.

Enger led USD with 15 points and eight rebounds, Jones and Jill Shaver added 14 apiece.

Gerves Fagan’s 25 points helped Christian Heritage defeat host Point Loma Nazarene 86-77 in a District 3 game that was the season opener for both teams. Shane McKim had 22 for Christian Heritage, 16 in the second half. The game was tied 36-36 at half, but Christian Heritage went on a 23-5 run to open the second half. Donnie Buettner led PLNC with 15.

CROSS-COUNTRY

The UC San Diego men and women’s teams posted their best finishes ever, 11th and 12th, at the NCAA Division III Championships at Newport News, Va..

The men received personal best times from Samuel Gwynn (25:36), Fussum Keflezighi (25:44), Steve Stuart (25:57, Jeff Hernandez (26:04) and finished with 276 points, which tied them for 11th with Augustana (Ill.) College. Gwynn placed 51st in the individual competition. Rochester University won the men’s title with 139 points.

Viviana Reza of led the UCSD women with a personal best time of 18:49, which placed her 55th. Erin Adams (19:10), Karen Hinkle (19:19) and Tracy Cole (19:20) also had personal best times. Wisconsin-Oskosh won the women’s title with 98 points.

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL

USD finished its first winning season in 11 years with a 8-15, 15-11, 16-14, 13-15, 16-14 victory over visiting Cal State Northridge. USD (18-14) is awaiting a possible bid next week from the National Invitation Volleyball Championships (NIVC). Nikki Wallace led the Toreras in kills with 25, Andrea Bruns added 22. CSUN finished 13-16.