COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Azusa Pacific Shows SCC It’s Worthy of Top Rating

Azusa Pacific received the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Division I men’s basketball poll this week, but it was far from unanimous.

California teams are not usually well represented in NAIA basketball polls, for good reason: The last team from the state to win a national title was San Diego State--in 1941 .

So many took the Cougars’ No. 1 ranking, the first in school history, with more than a few grains of salt.

But Saturday night at Southern California College, Azusa Pacific might have convinced at least one skeptic with a 109-86 Golden State Athletic Conference victory over the Vanguards.

“Earlier this week I told a lot of people that I wasn’t certain they were a No. 1 team,” SCC Coach Bill Reynolds said. “But after tonight--they have so many ways to hurt you--they very well could be.”

The Cougars (22-2, 7-0 in the conference) found plenty of ways to put the hurt on.

Ronnie Winbush, a 6-foot-8 transfer from Cal State Long Beach, scored 26 points, but perhaps more importantly was a part of the most spectacular play of the game--a alley-oop dunk off a pass that Earic Peters made from about half court in the first half.

It was a rousing way to break SCC’s full-court press and it seemed to briefly break the spirit of the Vanguards and the more than 1,000 that packed SCC’s tiny gym.

Winbush’s basket started a 15-4 Azusa Pacific run that gave it a 28-13 lead with 8 minutes 44 seconds left in the half.

“It kind of hushed the crowd,” said Bob Terry, another 6-8 Azusa forward. “We needed to do that--take the crowd out of it--because it’s tough to play in here.”

Indeed, the Cougars hadn’t beaten SCC at “The Pit” in nine years. Terry, a transfer from Fullerton College who was also recruited by SCC, celebrated his 24th birthday by scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. He and guard Scott Day each made four three point baskets, which neutralized several SCC runs.

SCC, which trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, was able to make some inroads a couple of times. The Vanguards trailed 11 at the half and had a chance to cut the Cougars lead to eight with 10:37 left in the game. But point guard Dana Bryant failed to convert a three-point play and Azusa Pacific soon padded its 69-60 lead.

Mike West had 23 points and 10 rebounds and Scott Campbell had 22 points, including four three-pointers, for SCC (15-9, 4-3).

In another Golden State Athletic Conference game:

Christ College Irvine 79, Fresno Pacific 67--D’Andre Brown had 23 points for Christ College Irvine.

In Big West Conference women’s basketball:

Nevada Las Vegas 84, Cal State Fullerton 48--Gwynn Hobbs had 24 points and Teresa Jackson 22 and 12 rebounds for 20th-ranked Nevada Las Vegas (16-1, 10-0).

Allison Jackson and Danielle Bryce led Cal State Fullerton (4-13, 2-9) with 10 points each.

New Mexico State 79, UC Irvine 68--Jinelle Williams had 18 points for UC Irvine (1-17, 0-10).

In the Golden State Athletic Conference:

Christ College Irvine 61, Fresno Pacific 58--Gitte Mejer had 20 points and 12 rebounds for CCI (21-4, 7-0), ranked 25th in the NAIA. Julie Workman added 12 points and Stacy Kirch had eight rebounds and seven assists for the Eagles, who increased their school-record winning streak to 12.

In California Coastal Conference men’s basketball:

Pacific Christian 112, Oakland Holy Name 61--Charles Ross scored 31 points for PCC (18-10, 7-1).