Hurlbut Sought Division I, Went Division II, Made Three-Point History

When Lori Hurlbut began the college recruiting process four years ago, she was thinking one thing: “Division I or nothing else,” she said.

But Hurlbut doesn’t regret the decision she made four years ago to play basketball for a Division II school, UC Davis.

She has become the school’s all-time leading three-point shooter despite missing nine games her freshman year with a broken wrist and sprained ankle.

Hurlbut, one of two Aggie seniors, is averaging 9.5 points, and broke Jennifer Gross’ career record of 167 three-pointers on Dec. 18 at Cal State Dominguez Hills, and has since stretched it to 189.

“I really wanted to go D-I,” she said. “When I realized I wasn’t going to a big time D-I school, I realized D-II wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. . . . I took that chance here.”

Coming out of Mater Dei High, Hurlbut’s choices were limited. The only Division I school that showed much interest was Air Force. But the coaches at Davis loved her.

“I think a lot of people look at schools and say, ‘Where can I play right away, or where can I get the most time?’ ” said Hurlbut, who has a major in communications and a minor in human development. “Basketball shouldn’t be the basis for the whole decision. Academics should play just as big a role.”

She bought into the system at Davis, and it bought into her.

“The biggest factor is the people I’ve played with and the unselfishness of the teams I’ve been on,” said Hurlbut, who is one of six players averaging between nine and 13 points. “There’s no one star. The offense isn’t geared around one person. Everyone is going to get their shots.”

Coincidentally, it was Gross who played a major role in recruiting Hurlbut, and Davis didn’t stop there in recruiting Orange County talent.

Freshman Kim Omer of Esperanza is a backup point guard for Davis (9-6, 5-5 in the California Collegiate Athletic Assn.). Sophomore Colleen Turnbull of San Clemente, a starting forward, leads the Aggies in scoring (12.5 points) and averages seven rebounds.

“I’m sure she’s going to see some double teams next time we play these teams,” Hurlbut said of Turnbull. “She’s not flashy. She just gets the job done.”

That’s the way Hurlbut played in high school--except for Jan. 18, 1997, her 18th birthday. That night, she scored a career-high 25 points to help Mater Dei beat Brea Olinda, 64-61, in overtime.

“I still think about that game when we play Marissa Bradley [a former Brea player now at Chico State],” Hurlbut said.

Hurlbut will be reminded again on Wednesday when Davis takes on Chico State. Bradley is averaging 18.5 points, and freshman Michelle Pietka, who last played at Valencia, is averaging 9.3 for the Wildcats.

Hurlbut celebrated her 22nd birthday last Thursday, but her team wasn’t nearly as successful as Mater Dei was four seasons ago. Davis lost to Pomona and San Bernardino, with Hurlbut scoring eight against Pomona on Friday and 14 against San Bernardino on Saturday.

She would eventually like to pursue a job in media relations, marketing or advertising.

“I would like to stay in the sports field,” Hurlbut said, “but as far as playing, my body is telling me I’m done. I feel like I’m 82.”

APRILE IN JANUARY

Pomona is having a stellar season, leading the CCAA behind the play of Aprile Powell, a 6-3 center from Century High.

Powell, a freshman, is averaging 16.7 points and 9.9 rebounds. She scored 24 against Davis and 20 against Chico State over the weekend. Pomona is 11-2, 6-0.

HOT SORE HAND

Sophomore Lindsey Davidson, who attended Brea Olinda, was named the Atlantic 10 Conference player of the week for the first week of conference play.

Davidson discovered her shooting touch, making 16 of 22 field goals to lead George Washington over Duquesne and Xavier. A 5-10 shooting guard, Davidson averaged 20.5 points and 5.5 assists, and scored a career-high 26 on 11-of-12 shooting, including four for four on three-pointers, in an 88-74 victory over then-No. 22 Xavier.

But just as Davidson found her groove, she also found some bad luck. The day after scoring 18 against St. Joseph’s and extending her three-game shooting streak to 73.3% (22 of 30) from the field and 71.4% from the three-point line (10 of 14), she dropped a 35-pound barbell on the middle finger of her shooting hand. In the next two games, she scored eight and three points.

“You know me, I could never lose my shooting touch,” Davidson joked. “I actually got my finger X-rayed [Monday] and there’s a vertical crack in the bone right at the tip.

“It takes about four weeks to heal, so I’ll have to wait until after the season.”

Davidson is averaging 10.4 points and five assists and is shooting 43.3% from three-point range.

George Washington (12-6, 6-0) is without one of Davidson’s teammates, sophomore Cathy Joens from Calvary Chapel and Woodbridge. Joens is sitting out this season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

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