Jacobsen Measures Improvement by 3s

Some people might think Adam Jacobsen is having too much fun this early in his college basketball career.

After all, he went to Pacific last year, and right away he was a starter as a true freshman.

This year the Tigers made him a team captain, and the former Crescenta Valley High guard leads the team in scoring with a 19.7 average.

But Jacobsen has been waiting a long time for this kind of enjoyment. Working, sweating, anticipating.

It all started when he was a kid.

“I always wanted a college scholarship,” he said. “Growing up, I always played with older guys. But I didn’t think I’d be able to make the jump as quick or as easy as I have.”

From high school to Division I, Jacobsen hasn’t missed a beat--and not many three-point shots either.

Twice in his brief career, the long-range specialist has nailed six three-pointers in a game--a school record. He did it for the second time last week in a 96-93 overtime victory over Fresno State in which Pacific set a team record with 17 three-pointers.

Jacobsen is the Tigers’ designated bomber. And until somebody finds a way to stop him, he’ll probably hit 10 in a game at some point.

“I probably shoot more three-point shots than layups,” he said. “When the three-point line was first put in, my dad put in a court in our back yard and put in a three-point line.”

And Adam developed an exceptional aim. At Crescenta Valley, he hit 390 three-pointers, a Southern Section record.

Last year, Coach Bob Thomason asked Jacobsen to provide more defense than scoring. He didn’t want to put pressure on the kid.

But by Feb. 12, Jacobsen was no longer a kid. He broke out with 23 points and made six of 10 from three-point range. By the time the Big West Conference tournament rolled around, he was providing points and defense.

In an 82-78 semifinal loss to eventual tournament champion UC Irvine, Jacobsen kept the Tigers close by hitting five consecutive threes in the first half and holding Anteater Chris Brown to 12 points in the game. Brown scored 36 against Pacific a week earlier.

Jacobsen made the Big West All-Freshman team and was named Pacific’s defensive most valuable player.

“I played denial defense nearly every game,” he said. “I like to guard the other team’s best perimeter guy and take him out of the game.”

And fill it up on the other end.

He did both in the overtime victory against Fresno State.

With five seconds left on the shot clock and under a minute to play in overtime, Jacobsen’s three-point shot was partially blocked by Brandon Bakke. But Jacobsen grabbed the loose ball and sank a 17-foot jump shot from the corner to make it 96-93.

With the clock winding down to zero at the other end, Jacobsen forced Dominick Young to take a desperation shot from more than 30 feet. Young missed.

“It just doesn’t get any better than that,” Jacobsen said.

Or does it?

Jacobsen already ranks fourth in career three-point field goals at Pacific with 75.

He averages four a game this season. At that pace, Jacobsen will pass Reggie Ricks (124) for third place when the Tigers play host to Fullerton on Feb. 16. And the career record of 230 by Dell Demps is within reach.

“I’d like to break the record,” Jacobsen said. “I need to do that to help our team be successful.”

Jacobsen said team success is his No. 1 priority. Scoring is fun, but winning is what it’s all about.

“Against Fresno State, we huddled up at the end,” he said. “It was an overtime game, there was pressure and guys were smiling and saying, ‘This is fun.’ ”

Around the country: Senior guard Calvin Curry (Ventura College) is averaging 9.8 points for Oklahoma (5-0). . . . Air Force senior forward Chris Loll (Thousand Oaks), after missing the first five games with an ankle sprain, came off the bench Saturday to score eight points in a 60-50 loss to Navy. Loll averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 assists in two exhibition games before getting hurt.

Utah junior guard Brandon Jessie (Ventura College) ranks eighth in the Western Athletic Conference at 17.2 points per game and sixth in free-throw percentage (86.7). . . . College of Notre Dame guard Dennis Fowler (Agoura), who survived a life-threatening car accident two years ago, had five points and one assist in six minutes in a recent 76-68 loss at Long Beach State.

Azusa Pacific junior guard Tim Sebek (Nordhoff) is averaging 12 points and four assists. Freshman reserve guard Mark Sebek (Nordhoff) averaged 11 points to help UC San Diego finish fourth in the Redlands tournament.

In football, Fresno State safety Lance Thomas (Crespi) received a $5,000 post-graduate scholarship from the National Assn. of College Directors of Athletics Foundation. Thomas had 110 tackles, four interceptions and carries a 3.2 grade-point average.

In women’s soccer, Notre Dame sophomore midfielder Cindy Daws (Louisville) received All-Midwest Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America. Daws had 12 goals and 19 assists for the NCAA runner-up Irish (23-1-1).