South Dakota at Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, Calif. | Titan Gym
Friday, November 8, 2013 | 7:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video |Audio | SD Audio |Cal State Fullerton Notes 
| South Dakota Notes
FULLERTON, Calif.- Cal State Fullerton rings in the 2013-14 season at home versus South Dakota, Friday at 7:00 p.m. Head Coach Daron Park begins his first stint at the helm of the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball program.
There will be a live video feed available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. South Dakota. To access video for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "video" link to watch through BigWest.TV.
There will be live audio streaming available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. South Dakota. To access audio for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "audio" link. Matt Hurst will be providing play-by-play for the Titans.
There will be live stats available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. South Dakota. To access live stats for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "live stats" link.
Follow the Titans!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/CSUF.Athletics), Twitter (@FullertonTitans) and YouTube.com (YouTube.com/csfathletics). In addition, the women's basketball team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/WBBTitans) and Twitter pages (@WBBTitans).
A Look at the Series...
Cal State Fullerton vs. South Dakota
The Titans and Coyotes contest on Friday at Titan Gym will be the very first meeting between the two programs. South Dakota is in its second full year as a member of Division One athletics.
Not Know About South Dakota? Now You Do!
South Dakota is under the direction of second-year head coach Amy William following a 19-16 mark (10-6 conference record) from a season ago. The Coyotes will have to find a replacement for Tempestt Wilson (12.9 ppg), who was the second-leading scorer on the team from a year ago. However, 2013 Summit League Tournament MVP Nicole Seekamp returns and figures to be one main pieces to the puzzle for South Dakota this season after scoring 14.9 points and grabbing 4.0 rebounds per contest last year.
Polly Harrington will be another strong option at guard for the Coyotes. She averaged 11.1 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. Forwards Lisa Loeffler and Margaret McCloud will help South Dakota in the paint as both return after averaging over five rebounds per game. Seekamp was named to the 2013 All-Summit League Preseason First Team, while Harrington was chosen to the Second Team. South Dakota was picked to finish third in the Summit League coaches/media poll.
Conference Call
Cal State Fullerton is 6-5 (.545) all-time against the Summit League. Fullerton hasn't played against any teams in the current configuration of the Summit League since December 1, 1989 when the Titans defeated Western Illinois 68-44 in Columbia, Mo.
Start of a New Era
Head Coach Daron Park begins his first stint as the head coach of Cal State Fullerton women's basketball. Park spent last season as the associate head coach at USC. Prior to USC, Park has coached as an associate and assistant at California, Louisiana Tech, Maryland, and Utah. In seven of his nine years as a coach his team has qualified for the NCAA tournament and three years his teams have reached the Elite Eight. Park enters his first season as a head coach and is the first male head coach in Cal State Fullerton women's basketball history.
Breaking Down the Titans
Cal State Fullerton return all five starters and 11 letterwinners overall from last season's squad that finished 11-22 overall and 5-13 in the Big West Conference, good enough for eighth place. The Titans were the No. 8 seed in last year's conference tournament, falling to Pacific in the Big West Conference Semifinals, 54-51.
The Titans have stability with the return of Chante Miles who returns as the team's leading scorer (10.5 ppg). All-Big West Conference Tournament team honoree Mya Olivier returns for her senior season as one the team's leading rebounder (5.3 rpg) and scorers (7.2 ppg) from a season ago. Twenty-eight game starter Kathleen Iwuoha also returns looking to build off a solid sophomore campaign where she averaged 5.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Guard Alex Thomas will also provide an offensive threat after averaging 8.4 ppg last season. Annie Park heads into her second season after being named to the Big West's 2013 All-Freshman team in 2012. She shot a conference-leading 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from three-point land during Big West play.
Titans Tabbed 7th in Big West Media Poll
The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team was picked to finish seventh in the 2012-13 Big West Conference race according to a vote of league media members released by the conference office on Oct. 23.
The Titans received 59 points to finish just behind, UC Davis which was sixth with 72 points. Cal Poly managed to edge out Hawai'i as the favorite to take home the conference crown with 17 first place votes and 177 points overall. Hawai'i was tabbed second with 159 points (three first place votes), Cal State Northridge third with 121 points, Long Beach State fourth with 120 votes, UC Santa Barbara fifth with 100 points, UC Davis sixth with 72 points, UC Irvine with 54 points, and UC Riverside ninth with 38 points.
Winning in the Beginning
Cal State Fullerton is 26-18 all-time in season ope- ing contests (14-7 at home), including an 76-72 opening night loss at Nevada last season. The Titans have won three of their last five regular season openers and three straight home debuts.
The Titans have won five of their last six home openers, including a 94-75 victory over San Francisco State last season. The winning streak will be put to the test Friday against South Dakota.
Straight From the Coach's Mouth
Be sure to visit www.fullertontitans.com and click on the women's basketball page to watch the 2013-14 women's basketball preview video featuring head coach Daron Park.
2012-13 Season Recap
Cal State Fullerton advanced to the semifinal round of the Big West Tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season, and was just three points away from playing in the program's second ever Big West Tournament championship game, as Pacific's Erica McKenzie swished a three-pointer with seven seconds left to give the Tigers a 54-51 win over the Titans in the conference tournament semifinals.
Fullerton ended the season winning two of it's final three contests and sporting a 4-4 mark through its final eight contests, after shaking off a season-long nine-game losing skid.
The Titans entered 2012-13 as the sixth youngest team in women's Division I basketball, and after having to deal with the tragic death of assistant coach Monica Quan, still ended the season with a trip to the school's 12th consecutive Big West Tournament, as the Titans went 11-22 overall and 5-13 in conference play during the regular season to finish eighth in the Big West. Fullerton has now secured seven double-digit win seasons in the last eight years.
We're Honored
Last season the Titans had two players gain All-Big West Conference honors:
Annie Park
Freshman guard Annie Park was named to the Big West's 2013 All-Freshman team this season. She started 14 times and averaged 4.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, and one assist per game. She shot a conference-leading 40.7 percent (22-of-54) from three-point land during Big West play. Park became the first Titan freshman to earn all-conference honors since My Olivier earned the same nomination at the end of the 2009-10 campaign.
Mya Olivier
Junior forward Mya Olivier was named to the Big West Conference's 2013 All-Tournament team, as she averaged 12.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over the Titans' three-game Big West Tournament run. Her 17 points scored vs. Hawai'i in the quarterfinals marked a season-high, while her two three's made and two assists both equalled season-bests. She became just the 10th Titan all-time to collect a spot on the tournament's all-conference team, and the first since Toni Thomas represented Fullerton on the squad back in 2009.
Hit Me Your Best Shot
Cal State Fullerton boasts a rigorous 13-game non-conference schedule that includes one road contest against No. 23 Iowa State, according to the AP Preseason Poll. The Titans first road test will come in New York to face off against Albany and Columbia. Later in the month, Fullerton travels to Northern California compete against Toledo and Alabama in the SMC Hilton Concord Classic. Six of the Titans' 13 non-conference affairs will be played away from Titan Gym.
California Dreamin'
All 13 players on the roster call California home and thirteen are from Southern California.
New Kids on the Block
The Titans welcome two new faces to the squad for the 2013-14 season. Here is more on the true freshmen ready to make an impact for the team this season:
Chelsea Waddy • F/C • 6-1 • Rialto Carter High School, Calif.
Was a four-year letterwinning forward for the Rialto Carter High School basketball program, also played varsity tennis for four seasons...earned all-league honorable mention honors all four years...made Second-Team All-League for basketball her sophomore season...earned First-Team All-League honors and was named team MVP for basketball both her junior and senior seasons. Led her team in points per game (12.9), total points (336), field goals made (114), blocked shots per game (3.4), total blocked shots (89), rebounds per game (12.2), and total rebounds (317) last season.
Samantha Logan • G/F • 5-9 • Centennial High School, Calif.
Played four seasons for the Centennial basketball team, two seasons of softball, and even a season of football her senior year...she made Second Team All-League for basketball her sophomore season, earned coach's excellence award, and broke the school record for most rebounds in a game (25)...her junior year she earned the coach's excellence award and First Team All-League honors...her senior season she earned the coach's excellence award, made First Team All-League, named MVP in all three tournaments Centennial played in, and made Third Team All-County...she also played quarterback for Centennial's CIF Championship football team her senior year...she went 2-for-4 with 42 passing yards (father Matt is the head coach of the Centennial football program).
Fullerton's Dynamic Duo
Guards Chante Miles and Alex Thomas have combined to score 34 percent (591/1779) of Fullerton's total points this season. The two have combined to score in double-figures in 30 games this season, while the rest of the team has combined to score in double-figures in 32 games combined.
The Amazing Alex
During Big West play last season, Alex Thomas led the Titans in scoring (9.6 ppg), field goals made (3.2 pg), steals (1.4 spg) and minutes played (29.9). She scored in double-digits in a team-leading eight of 18 league games.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Kathleen Iwuoha made her presence felt on the glass last season. She led the team in overall rebounding (6.7 rpg), offensive rebounding (3.0 rpg), and defensive rebounding (3.7 rpg). Her overall rebounding ranked 11th in the conference while her offensive rebounding ranked fifth.
Finding the Right Mix
Cal State Fullerton will look for more consistency in their starters this season as last season there were 13 different starting lineups used during the 2012-13 season...No Titan started in every game.
Big West Sportsmanship Award
The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball program was selected as one of two recipients for the 2013 Big West Winter Sportsmanship Award it was announced on March 22 by Big West Commissioner Dennis Farrell.
The Sportsmanship Award is voted upon in each of the conference's 16 championship sports by the respective student-athletes. Each participating student-athlete selects the school that they feel demonstrates excellent conduct in competition and is most deserving of the award. The winning teams are chosen at the end of every season (Fall, Winter and Spring).
Join the "Tipoff Club"
The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball program invites fans and supporters of the Titans to join the "Tipoff Club," a club created to allow fans to become engaged specifically with the Fullerton women's basketball team. Membership benefits include an opportunity to support and improve the quality of the program, a regular newsletter with insights from the coaching staff, a lanyard to gain access to select pregame chalk talks, and an invitation to participate in special events with the team.
For more information or to make a gift to the women's basketball team and become a member of the "Tipoff Club," please make a gift by visiting: https://giving.fullerton.edu/giving/giving.aspx?szAccount_no=95993
Titans Stun Hawai'i in Big West Quarterfinals (March 13, 2013)
Cal State Fullerton's 66-51 vs. Hawai'i on March 13 advanced the Titans to the semifinal round of the Big West Tournament for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Titans Rally to Shock Long Beach State in First Round of Big West Tourney (March 12, 2013)
Cal State Fullerton's 54-48 vs. Long Beach State on March 12 marked the Titans' first conference tournament win since the 2009-10 season...the win snapped a seven-game neutral court losing streak for the Titans.
Historic Night at Titan Gym
Cal State Fullerton's 46-38 victory over UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 28 snapped what was a 40-game losing streak to the Gauchos dating back to Feb. 26, 1995. The streak was the second longest active losing skid to a conference opponent in Divison-I women's basketball... the 38 points scored by UCSB was least amount of points a Fullerton opponent had scored since Dayton was held to just 33 points on Dec. 4, 1987....the 38 points scored was also the lowest point total recorded in any Big West game this season.
Tailoring Greatness
Tailer Butler's 27 points scored on Jan. 3 vs. Hawai'i was the most by any Titan since Megan Richardson also posted 27 points Dec. 12, 2011 vs. San Jose State...Butler's 27 points were also the most points any Titan had produced off the bench since Lauren Chow scored 28 points Nov. 17, 2007.
