They Always Have Their Guard Up

Tough as the guards at a maximum-security prison, the backcourt stars here might be the best of any NCAA women’s regional.

“Each team has one of the top guards in the country,” Colorado State Coach Tom Collen said. “If you like great backcourt play and fast, uptempo basketball, this is a great tournament.”

The fearless foursome:

* Edniesha Curry, 5-foot-5 Cal State Northridge sophomore: A two-time All-Big Sky Conference pick and a freshman All-American last season, Curry entered Friday’s game averaging 18.6 points. She stepped up the scoring to nearly 21 points in road games.

* Becky Hammon, 5-6 Colorado State senior: The first-team All-American and three-time All-Western Athletic Conference most valuable player averages 22.6 points and holds nearly every school scoring record.

* Erin Buescher, 6-3 UC Santa Barbara sophomore: The Big West Conference player of the year and a first-team All-American, Buescher averages 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.7 steals.

* Jackie Stiles, 5-8 Southwest Missouri State sophomore: The Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and third-team All-American leads the nation with a 25.9 scoring average.

Hammon and Buescher were among 12 players selected last summer for the USA Basketball Jones Cup Team. Stiles was invited to the tryouts and was one of the last cuts.

Curry is flattered to be mentioned in the same company, but deflects the attention.

“It’s not a personal match to prove anything,” she said. “I just play for my team and for myself.”

*

A feeling of familiarity nagged Tara Harrington all week. Finally, it hit her: She had played against Colorado State in the NCAA tournament in 1996.

Harrington, a first-year Northridge assistant coach, was a Stanford reserve in her junior year. The Cardinal hosted the regional and knocked off the Rams, 94-63, in the second round.

“The first couple of games each tournament were not the ones I remember,” Harrington said. “I remember the bigger games. The coaches were always telling us we were looking ahead.”

Hammon and Katie Cronin, Colorado State’s senior leaders this season, were freshmen.

*

Nicole Greathouse of UC Santa Barbara fell victim to something of a sophomore jinx, but the drop-off was of her own making.

“I’ve had lots of opportunities to discuss with her playing hard and playing to her potential,” Coach Mark French said. “She really turned it on at the end of last year and we are counting on her again.”

Greathouse, a 6-2 center and four-time all-state selection at Buena High, averaged 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds this season, down from her freshman numbers of 9.9 points and 8.3 rebounds.

“Nicole is very calm and very frank,” French said. “When she was struggling, she told me not to blow a gasket.”

The Gauchos lost 72-70 to Southwest Missouri State in the first round Friday. Greathouse had five points and nine rebounds.