Basketball Player Proves, Overnight, to Be Even More Successful

Allison Jackson, a guard on the Titan women’s basketball team, scored a career-high 33 points at Nevada Thursday night.

By Friday morning, it had become a career-high 35.

The official scorer had Jackson making 10 of 12 free throws during the Titans’ 82-67 victory, but nobody in the Fullerton locker room--including Jackson herself--could remember Jackson missing from the line.

So they poured over the play-by-play sheets and, with a couple of phone calls between Cindy Walton of the Fullerton sports information staff and the Big West Conference office, 33 points became 35 overnight.

“They said I missed two free throws, but I didn’t remember missing two free throws,” said Jackson, who on Monday was named the Big West women’s player of the week.

When informed Sunday evening that the two points had officially been added to her total, Jackson was surprised.

“That was nice of them,” she said.

Seems the least they could do after Jackson’s night, which, aside from total points, included career highs in field goals made (11), assists (five), free throws (12) and free-throw percentage (100%).

“My jump shot was kind of flowing, so I was looking for my outside jumper,” said Jackson, a senior from Los Angeles. “I felt really good. I’ve been working on my jumper.”

The amazing thing is that, by Thursday, Jackson had any strength to leave her feet and even attempt a jumper. The Titans flew to Hawaii on Jan. 15, played the Rainbows on Saturday, and Sunday caught a red-eye flight back to California. They arrived in Fullerton on Monday at 10 a.m., practiced Tuesday and flew to Reno on Wednesday.

“It certainly helps to toughen us up,” said Coach Deborah Ayres, trying to put a positive spin on the situation.

Fullerton, which is in the midst of a rebuilding year, is due to catch a break somewhere. The Titans (3-10) have shown promise on several occasions--most notably in a two-point loss at Cal State Long Beach Jan. 4--only to be soundly beaten the next time out.

“We played all of the top teams in our conference and gained experience,” Ayres said. “What we were hoping was to put that together against Nevada, knowing we were among them at the bottom of the conference. We played our best defense all year in the first half.”

Fullerton’s goal is to finish no lower than eighth and qualify for the Big West postseason tournament. The Titans (1-6 in conference) are currently ninth, ahead of UC Irvine (0-7) and right behind Nevada (1-5) and San Jose State (2-4).

“We’re hopeful,” Jackson said. “We’re going to upset some team. We’re going to be one team’s nightmare. We’re a team that could spoil it for anybody.”

They came out for warm-ups as if they had other things on their minds. Something better to do.

A few hours later, having disposed of San Jose State, 192.30-180.55, it was apparent that the Fullerton women gymnasts are young, unpredictable and, at times, determined this year.

Cristi Clifford, a freshman from Seattle, set a school record with a 9.85 on the balance beam, and the Titans’ overall score of 192.30 was also a Fullerton record.

“The big thrill for me as a coach was that in warm-ups, they were really flat,” Coach Lynn Rogers said. “We talked to them about it being an opportunity for a (NCAA tournament) qualifying score and told them that they were going to have to find their routines from within themselves.

“I was very proud of them. In their own way, each kept trying to pump the others up.”

Clifford came back to set the record on the balance beam immediately after she had fallen off the uneven bars.

Twice.

“That tells you something as a coach,” Rogers said.

The Titans are 3-1 and, when Rogers looks into the future, he likes what he sees. Fullerton is competing with four freshmen and a fifth is currently injured.

“I think a good team is one that recognizes opportunities,” Rogers said. “I told them (Monday) morning that they rank right there with about two other groups I’ve had that are special--one from the late ‘70s and one from the mid-’80s--in terms of resolving problems and pulling together. They’re a good, quality bunch of kids.”

You already may have known that Baseball America rates the Titans eighth in the nation in its preseason poll. A few other odds and ends from the publication’s college baseball preview:

* Stanford, in town to open Fullerton’s season with a three-game series beginning Feb. 5 at Titan Field, is ranked 12th. The Titans’ next four games are also against Top 25 teams--at home on Feb. 10 against UCLA (No. 17) and a three-game series beginning Feb. 12 at Texas (No. 11).

USC (No. 3) and Pepperdine (No. 14) are also on Fullerton’s schedule.

* In its Top 10 list of the nation’s best recruiting programs year in and year out, Fullerton ranks fourth--behind Stanford, Miami and Louisiana State. (“The Titans don’t have strong football or basketball teams on campus to aid in the recruiting process, so they must rely on the wizardry of personable coach Augie Garrido. . . . “)

* Pitcher Mike Parisi, catcher Bret Hemphill and outfielder Dante Powell are on the publication’s list of the nation’s best 100 college prospects, and Powell is a preseason All-American second-team selection.

* Pitcher Jon Ward, a right-hander, was picked as one of the top 25 freshmen.

* Fullerton was picked to win the Big West, and the Titans and Cal State Long Beach are predicted to be the conference’s two NCAA tournament representatives.

* Powell is the preseason pick as the Big West player of the year, Ward is the projected freshman of the year, and Hemphill and second baseman Jeremy Carr are expected to be the conference’s top two picks in baseball’s June amateur draft.

Titan Notes

The Canadian Football League has invited offensive lineman Ara Ishkhanian to its draft evaluation camp, to be held in Winnipeg Feb. 19-21. . . . The wrestling team, which hasn’t had a match since Jan. 10, resumes action Saturday at the Bakersfield Open. Senior Michael Grubbs (13-2), is ranked 12th nationally at 118 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News. . . . The men’s basketball team is expecting its largest crowd of the year for Saturday’s game against Pacific. The Fullerton Alumni Assn. has dubbed it the “Night of the Pachyderm” and has sold 1,275 tickets--up from last year’s alumni night sale of 600. School officials will open the upper deck in Titan gym for the first time since last season’s Nevada Las Vegas game.