Titans Count On Curry to Spice Up Program

If even a little of Denise Curry’s talent as a player rubs off on the Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team in this, her first season, the Titans should be improved.

After all, Curry was a three-time All-American at UCLA, a member of the gold medal-winning 1984 Olympic team and recently was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

But Curry says she isn’t making any “big predictions” for her first season as a head coach after spending five years as an assistant at California and one with the San Jose Lasers in the women’s American Basketball League.

Last year, the Titans were only 10-16, finished fifth in their six-team division in the Big West and didn’t qualify for the conference’s postseason tournament, ending Deborah Ayres’ five-year tenure as head coach.

Three of the top four scorers from that team return, but the problem is none of them has shown the ability to dominate inside.

“We’re going to be small,” Curry said. “We won’t want to get into a half-court game with most teams we’ll be playing.”

Center Dee Braxton, a first-team All-Big West selection last year as a sophomore, decided to transfer to Pepperdine. She led the team in rebounding (10.1) and was its third-leading scorer (12.7).

Two other centers, Jackie Bucher and Celine Rasche-Schuermann, also dropped out of the program, and another center who Ayres recruited, Jamie Marrott of Provo, Utah, decided not to enroll after the coaching change.

“It hurt to lose four post players, and we didn’t have time to get anyone else at that position because it was so late,” Curry said.

But Curry hopes her up-tempo style of play will help overcome the lack of height, and she’s also reminding her players that “rebounding is all about desire and effort.”

The key returning players are guards Andrea Thieme and Kriss Sigg, the two top scorers a year ago. Thieme averaged 14.8 points and Sigg 13.2.

Thieme, a junior point guard, has been a starter for two seasons. “It’s good to have an experienced player at that position,” Curry said.

Junior Justine McMahan (6-0) also returns after averaging 10 points and five rebounds last season, but she has been bothered by a shoulder problem in the preseason.

Other experienced players returning are junior Rhonda Anderson, junior Gabrielle Castro, sophomore Erin Whiteside and sophomore Nieshia Cleveland.

“We feel very good about our freshman class,” Curry said.

Guard Joyce Sudario and forward Loren Gualco were signed by Ayres, and Curry signed three others after last summer’s defections. That group includes community college transfer Natascha Stokely and freshmen Nashira Shaw and Helen Kale. Kale and Sudario were teammates last season in Henderson, Nev.

“Any time you have a change in a program there are going to be adjustments for the players,” Curry said. “It’s going to take some time for the players to pick up a new system. I just want us to be playing better when the conference seasons begins in January.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

SCHEDULE

DATE: OPPONENT, TIME

Nov. 21: Nevada Las Vegas, 7 p.m.

Nov. 24: Northern Iowa, 7 p.m.

Nov. 29: * vs. Southern Utah, 7 p.m.

Nov. 30: * vs. Fresno State, 2 p.m.

Dec. 2: Pepperdine, 7 p.m.

Dec. 5: ** vs. New Mexico, 6 p.m.

Dec. 6: ** Final or consolation, TBA

Dec. 12: at San Diego, 7 p.m.

Dec. 20: at Eastern Washington, 4 p.m.

Dec. 30: Sacramento State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 5: Loyola Marymount, 7 p.m.

Jan. 9: New Mexico State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 11: North Texas, 2 p.m.

Jan. 16: at Idaho, 7 p.m.

Jan. 18: at Boise State, 1 p.m.

Jan. 22: Long Beach State, 7 p.m.

Jan. 24: Pacific, 7 p.m.

Jan. 30: at UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

Feb. 1: at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 2 p.m.

Feb. 6: at UC Irvine, 7 p.m.

Feb. 13: at Nevada, 7 p.m.

Feb. 15: UC Irvine, 2 p.m.

Feb. 18: UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

Feb. 20: at Pacific, 7 p.m.

Feb. 22: at Long Beach State, 1 p.m.

Feb. 26: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 7 p.m.

March 4-7: Big West tournament.

* Fresno State Tournament ** New Mexico Tournament ROSTER

*--*

No. Player Ht. Yr. 23 Rhonda Anderson 5-7 Jr. 20 Gabrielle Castro 5-8 Jr. 32 Nieshia Cleveland 5-10 So. 25 Loren Gualco 5-11 Fr. 15 Helen Kale 6-0 Fr. 45 Justine McMahan 6-0 Jr. 34 Kristen Sigg 5-9 Sr. 22 Nashira Shaw 5-10 Fr. 52 Natascha Stokely 5-10 Jr. 24 Joyce Sudario 5-4 Fr. 21 Andrea Thieme 5-7 Jr. 43 Erin Whiteside 6-1 So.

*--*