WEEKLY NEWS
& NOTES Titans Look for First
Tourney Win Since 1995 vs. UCR Complete
Release in PDF Format
THE SCENARIO The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team (8-19 overall,
8-10 in the Big West Conference) will head into this week’s Big West
Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament as the No. 6 seed and will
face UC Riverside in the first round on Wednesday afternoon at the Anaheim
Convention Center.
The Titans-Highlanders match-up will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion
of the tournament’s first game featuring Long Beach State and Utah
State, which begins at Noon. The winners of the first round games will
advance to meet either No. 3 Pacific or No. 4 Cal Poly depending on seeding,
with the lowest remaining seed facing the Tigers in Thursday’s second
round.
ON THE AIR Cal State Fullerton’s game on Wednesday afternoon will be broadcast
live on the internet with Steve Henkle handling the play-by-play. Later
broadcasts will be determined depending on the outcome.
CAL STATE FULLERTON AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT The Titans are a combined 7-14 at the Big West Conference Tournament
dating back to the 1985-86 season, losing their last five straight tournament
games... Fullerton hasn’t won a game at the Big West Tournament since
the second round in 1995, defeating UCSB, 97-86... This season will be
the first time in the last four years that the Titans will not have to
face top-seeded UC Santa Barbara in the first round... Fullerton has reached
the semifinals twice in 1991 and 1995, and the second round three times
in 1986, 1988, and 1989... Cal State Fullerton is averaging 67.8 ppg in
21 conference tournament contests to its opponents’ 74.6 ppg... The
Titans have fallen by an average margin of 22.6 ppg over their last five
tournament losses dating back to the 1994-95 season. A QUICK LOOK AT UC RIVERSIDE UC Riverside enters the tournament as the No. 7 seed in the Big West,
finishing the regular season with a 7-20 overall record and a 6-12 mark
in Big West play, two games back of Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach
State in the standings. The Highlanders finished their season on a sour
note, losing their last five straight contests – four of those coming
against the tournament’s top four seeds. UCR is led offensively by
Cassandra Reeves, who is averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.1 rpg on the season
while shooting .375 from the floor and hoisting up 143 three-point attempts
on the season. Crystal Harris is also in double figures, averaging 15.1
ppg and 5.0 rpg, while Jodi Reber leads the team at 6.0 rpg to go with
9.7 ppg.
THE SERIES Cal State Fullerton leads the all-time series with UC Riverside, 13-8,
splitting the two meetings this season... The Titans’ victory in
the opener snapped a six-game losing streak to the Highlanders... Fullerton
is 5-3 against the Highlanders at Titan Gym, 4-4 on the road, and 0-1
at a neutral site.
