Rowles Puts Her Heart Into Game
A difficult season came to an end for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Caroline Rowles Friday when the Mustangs lost to Long Beach State in a semifinal of the Big West Conference women’s basketball tournament.
Rowles scored eight points, which did little to offset the 93-68 defeat the Mustangs suffered. But just playing was enough.
Rowles underwent surgery Dec. 27 to correct an irregular heartbeat. Doctors removed electrical blockage by making an incision in her upper right leg, then working a tube through the artery.
“I just thought my season was over,” said Rowles, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from West Vancouver High in British Columbia. “I went in for a checkup a week later and the doctor said I could be back in three weeks. I was shocked.”
She was also back in three weeks. Rowles missed five games, then returned Jan. 19. She had nine points and seven rebounds in a 60-44 victory over UC Irvine.
She averaged 10 points and seven rebounds, both team highs.
Rowles was unaware of her condition until after a game against Portland State on Dec. 16.
“You know, my basketball career could end 10 years from now or 10 minutes from now, it doesn’t matter,” Rowles said. “I’m just going to enjoy every bit of it. This is a gift.”
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Big West officials may not realize a huge jump in attendance at the conference tournament this season, but things will sure look better.
Sales of full-session tickets, costing $60 and good for each of the 14 men’s and women’s games during the four-day tournament, were running about even with those from last season, when the tournament was in Reno. Through Thursday, 2,571 full-session tickets had been sold compared to 2,759 a year ago. The conference sold 2,554 full-session tickets in 1999.
The difference? The tournament’s final drew 3,159 a year ago, which will appear a whole lot more impressive in the 7,500-seat Anaheim Convention Center than in Reno’s Lawlor Arena, which holds 11,200.
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Long Beach State guard Tamara Inoue thinks the 49ers have a good shot at ending UC Santa Barbara’s string of four consecutive Big West women’s tournament titles if they aren’t intimidated by the Gauchos’ success.
“We just have to get past the Santa Barbara tradition and play our game,” said Inoue, a junior who played at Laguna Hills High. “Physically, we can match up with anyone. We just have to keep our composure.”
Santa Barbara has beaten the 49ers in the finals each of the last two seasons and won both regular-season games this year.
“No one needs any motivation for this game,” said Inoue, who had 12 points and seven assists Friday in the 49ers’ 93-68 victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in a semifinal.
Staff writer Lon Eubanks contributed to this story.
