CSUN Women Travel Easier Road as AWC Season Begins

The old sports cliche about the start of a conference season bringing new life to struggling teams never rang more true than it will tonight.

The women’s basketball teams at Cal State Northridge and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are each 2-14, but after their American West Conference opener at Cal Poly, one of them will be in first place.

For the Matadors, the game marks the start of what Coach Michael Abraham calls “the lighter part” of the schedule.

After playing four consecutive games against perhaps the best teams on their schedule, the Matadors could use the break.

“As crazy as this may sound,” Abraham said, “we are probably playing some of our best basketball right now, in terms of organization and execution of fundamentals. But we are not going to become better shooters overnight.

“When you play teams that are very athletic, you are going to struggle.”

Northridge, which has lost five in a row, faces a Cal Poly team much like itself. The Mustangs, who lost their first 10 games, are adjusting to a new coach, Karen Booker. Their primary problem is turnovers--they average 26 a game.

But Booker said her team has played better lately, particularly in a 67-53 victory over Cal Baptist on Monday. In that game, 5-foot-5 sophomore Christina Carrillo, who averages 10.3 points, set a school record with 15 assists.

Guard Kellie Hoffman leads Cal Poly with a 10.8 scoring average. The Mustangs’ 38% shooting is second worst in the conference, better only than Northridge’s 34%.

The other AWC team Northridge might be able to handle is Cal State Sacramento (6-12), though the Hornets beat Northridge, 72-58, last month in the Idaho tournament.

Sarah Stapp leads Sacramento with a 13.9-point average. Shelby Boudreaux (12.5) and Mary Ann Bowman (11.8) give the Hornets three of the top five scorers in the conference.

Freshman Julie Wastell, who starred for Newbury Park High’s state runner-up team last season, is averaging 9.5 points and 2.8 assists for the Hornets.

Abraham likes the Matadors’ chances against Sacramento and Cal Poly, but adds, “I’m sure they feel the same way about us.”

The Thunderbirds, who last season won the AWC with a 6-0 conference record, feature Cherri Frandsen, the conference’s top scorer at 14.8 points, Linsey Mortensen, the AWC’s assist leader at 4.1 a game, and Myndee Larsen, who leads the conference with 43 blocked shots, an average of 8.1 rebounds and 59% shooting.

“Southern Utah is clearly the class of the league,” Abraham said. “They are going to be very tough to beat. The good thing is they are not extremely athletic, but the bad thing is they are huge. . . . They are head and shoulders above the rest of the conference.”