Point Loma Nazarene Upends Hawaii Hilo

Aurora VanSickle had six kills and Sunday Renze five to help host Point Loma Nazarene upset second-seeded Hawaii Hilo, 15-1, 15-2 in the first round of the NAIA National Tournament on Thursday at Golden Gym. The Crusaders earlier defeated West Virginia Wesleyan, 15-5, 15-2.

PLNC will face Montevallo, Ala., at 9 a.m. today (both teams are 2-0 in pool play) then play Western New Mexico (0-2) at 3 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

UC San Diego defeated Cal Baptist, 66-62, in the first round of the Redlands Tournament. John Spence had 17 points and Rodney Lusain 14 for the Tritons (3-2), who today face Lewis and Clark, a 98-94 winner over Bethany.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Despite outrebounding Azusa Pacific and shooting nearly as well from the field, UCSD lost to the Cougars, 84-75, in Azusa. Erica School had a game-high 26 points and 19 rebounds for the Tritons, who fell to 2-4. Azusa is 3-0.

TENNIS

The top two seeded players, USD’s Frederik Axsater and Kevin Bradley, advanced to the finals of the the San Diego All-College Tennis Tourney at USD with victories over two San Diego State players. No. 2 Bradley defeated No. 5 Kerry Safdie, 6-4, 6-0 and No. 1 Axsater turned back No. 3 Chris Numbers, 7-5, 1-6, 6-2. Saturday’s final is set for 10 a.m. The doubles final is scheduled for today at 1 p.m.

Seventh-seeded Joe Zerboni of Solana Beach, Art Thomson of Englewood, Colo., fourth-seeded Charlie Marold of Glen Ellyn, Ill. and Clark Robinson of Bountiful, Utah, each advanced in the men’s singles quarterfinals of the Senior Hardcourts Tournament at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.

Zerboni upset No. 2 Leslie Dodson of Kalamazoo, Mich., 7-5, 1-6, 7-6. Thomson upset third-seeded Leland Houseman of San Diego, 6-3, 6-0. In the women’s 40 singles round of 16, No. 1 Carol Baily of Steamboat Springs, Colo., and No. 2 Karen Gallagher of Vail, Colo., both advanced.

FOOTBALL

USD sophomore punter Robert Ray of Bakersfield was named College Division II All-American, as selected by the American Football Coaches Assn. on Thursday.

Although USD is Division III, All-American teams were only selected at the Division I and Division II levels. Ray, who was the No. 1 Division III punter with a 42.3 average this season, beat out all Division II players for the honor.

SWIMMING

Four UC San Diego swimmers made automatic NCAA cuts during the first day of the Collegiate Cup at Long Beach.

Travis Miller qualified in the 500 free (4:34.2) and the 200 IM (5:53.3). John Flowers broke his own school record in the 50 free with a 20.58, which bettered his 1992 record of 20.64. Gabe Speyer swam his lifetime best of 20.75 in the 50 free, and in women’s 50 free, Jamee Couch swam an automatic time of 24.43.

Tritons who swam consideration NCAA times were Mike McNeff in 500 free, Jocelyn Rothbard in the 100 free, Carrie Parker in the 100 back and Connie Romero in the 500 free.

HORSE JUMPING

Forty riders from the United States, primarily San Diego County, will be among 180 entries Saturday and Sunday in the first Copa Ecuestro Navidad--the Christmas Cup--at Club Hipico Caliente Jockey Club in Tijuana. Men, women and children will compete for $10,000 in prize money and trophies.