COLLEGE DIVISION NOTEBOOK / MARTIN BECK : SCC Coach Wonders If Strategy Works

Southern California College men’s basketball Coach Bill Reynolds occasionally gives his team a chance to play against higher-level competition.

Last season, the Vanguards played Utah and Southeast Missouri State. Texas El Paso is a good possibility next season.

Monday, SCC played San Diego State of the Western Athletic Conference, and as expected, lost, 76-54. But Reynolds isn’t sure of how big a step up the Vanguards took this time.

“Actually, they are not a very good Division I team,” he said. “I’d be surprised if they could win a game in the WAC this year.

“They don’t have a lot of talent but we aren’t competing very well right now.”

SCC (2-2) has been hampered by injuries. Kevin Carlson, from Fullerton College and Katella High, has had a chipped bone in his foot and a dislocated finger and played for the second time Wednesday in a 78-66 victory over Christian Heritage. Chauncey Woolridge, from Orange Coast, Cal State Fullerton and Santa Ana High, played for the first time against San Diego State after recovering from a groin injury.

Woolridge and Chris Kostoff, a shooting guard from Capistrano Valley High, Irvine Valley College and the University of San Diego, made a combined three of 19 shots from the field against San Diego State.

SCC next has a three-game trip to the Bay Area, playing Bethany on Friday in Scotts Valley, Dominican on Saturday in San Rafael and Holy Names on Monday in Oakland.

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Pacific Christian Coach Lee Erickson also tests his team against higher-level competition, and the Royals, who play in the National Christian College Athletic Assn. Division II, are amid a stretch of three tough teams.

After losing to the NAIA’s Concordia, 109-68, Wednesday, and to NCAA Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills, 106-97, Thursday, the Royals (6-3) play Division III Cal Lutheran Saturday.

“It’s good for us to play higher, for us to have to play above our comfort level,” Erickson said. “We have a number of stretches like this and they will help us be competitive during playoff time.”

Pacific Christian, the NCCAA Division II runner-up last season, is ranked No. 1 this year. Senior Charles Ross, a two-time All-American, is averaging 28 points and 13 rebounds and junior Chuck Henderson is averaging 19 points and seven rebounds.

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No edge: Accustomed to losing, the Chapman women’s basketball team had trouble Tuesday when it took the lead against Cal Lutheran.

The Panthers led by five early in the second half, but couldn’t hold the lead and eventually lost, 85-74.

“When we take the lead, we tend to relax a little bit instead of pouring it on,” Chapman Coach Mary Hegarty said. “If we don’t find that edge we are going to be in close games the rest of the season.”

Hegarty said the Panthers also missed too many easy shots and didn’t rebound well, giving up 17 offensive rebounds.

Next up is a game at Cal State Los Angeles tonight.