Fresno State at Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, Calif. | Titan Gym
Saturday, November 16, 2013 | 12:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video |Audio
Cal State Fullerton Notes 
FULLERTON, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton (0-1) finishes its brief two-game homestand with Fresno State (1-1) Saturday at 12 p.m. in Titan Gym. The Titans will then head to New York next week to take on Albany and Columbia on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.
There will be a live video feed available for Cal State Fullerton's game vs. Fresno State. 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. Fresno State. 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. Fresno State. 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 (0-1) vs. Fresno State (1-1)
Overall Record...19-11
Home Record...11-3
Away Record...7-7
Neutral Site Record...1-1
Longest Win Streak...8 games
Longest Losing Streak...6 games
Current Streak...Won 1
Record in Last 10 Meetings...3-10
Last Meeting....Nov. 28, 2006 at Fullerton (W, 61-56)
Series Note: These two schools haven't met in seven year with Cal State Fullerton taking the last meeting 61-56 in 2006 at Titan Gym. The win snapped a five-game losing streak that season for the Titans... Largest margin of victory was a 82-39 (43 pts) win Feb. 22, 1975... Largest margin of defeat was a 80-58 loss Feb. 2, 1987 in Fresno, Calif. Fresno State has won six of the past seven meetings.
Breaking Down the Bulldogs
Fresno State enters the 2013-14 season looking to build off a successful 2012-13 campaign that saw the Bulldogs finish with a 24-9 record (13-3 Mountain West Conference), a Mountain West Championship, and a first round NCAA Tournament birth. Fresno State is off to a 1-1 start after defeating UC Merced (74-50) and recently losing to USC (63-54). The Bulldogs were picked to repeat as Mountain West Conference Champions in 2013-14. The Bulldogs are under the direction of second-year head coach Raegan Pebley. Fresno State is led by senior guard Bree Farley, who is averaging 16.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in the early going. Junior forward Alex Sheedy is averaging 10.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest this season.
Taylor Thompson, named to the preseason Mountain West All-Conference team, will be another strong option at guard for the Bulldogs. She has averaged 8.5 points per game and 6.0 rebounds in two games this season. The Bulldogs are averaging 64 points this season, while shooting 37 percent from the field.
Conference Call
Cal State Fullerton is 49-68 (.419) all-time against the Mountain West Conference. Fullerton played against two MWC opponents last season (Nevada, New Mexico) losing both games on the road.
Last Time Out for the Titans
A sluggish start from Cal State Fullerton was too much to overcome as the Titans dropped their regular season opener, 66-57, to South Dakota at Titan Gym on Friday night. Fullerton (0-1) was led by junior forward Kathleen Iwuoha, who scored 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while grabbing seven rebounds. Junior guard Chante Miles scored 12 points and added a team-high three assists in the loss.
South Dakota (1-0) was led by Nicole Seekamp who was too much for Fullerton to handle, as she posted a double-figure scoring effort with 18 points. Raeshel Contreras provided relief off the bench, adding in 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Fullerton came out of the gates slow and didn't hit its first field goal until the 14:14 mark of the first half when Iwuoha connected on a mid-range jumper. With the Titans struggling, South Dakota was able to jump out to a 17-4 advantage after the first 10 minutes of play.
The Titans and Coyotes traded baskets for the last part of the first half and the Titans faced a 15-point deficit heading into halftime. Fullerton opened up the second half with more energy as redshirt senior Mya Olivier knocked down a mid-range jumper and junior Natalie Williams hit a corner trey to cut the Coyote lead down to 11. The Titans, however were never able to cut the lead down to fewer than seven.
The Titans finished the night shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 20 percent from three-point range. They were outrebounded 44-31.
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.
Mya Olivier
The redshirt senior from Laguna Beach, Calif., is day-to-day with a knee injury.
Brianna Hubbard
After playing in nine games as a freshmen, Brianna Hubbard has left the team due to personal reasons.
It's Early, but Still...
As of Nov. 12, Cal State Fullerton leads the Big West in steals per game (12.0 spg), second in field goal percentage (.383), second in turnover margin (+8.0), and fourth in scoring defense (66.0 ppg).
Close to a Career High
Kathleen Iwuoha's 14 points vs. South Dakota on Nov. 8 almost tied a career high for points in a single game. The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., native was one shy of her career high of 15 points, which she set on March 15, 2013. Iwuoha had five double-figure scoring games during the 2012-13 season.
Individuals in the Big West
After one game multiple Titans individually rank at the top of statistical categories for the Big West Conference. Junior Chante Miles is tied for second in steals (3.0 spg), sixth in assists (3.0 apg), sixth in field goal percentage (.556), and 13th in scoring (12.0 ppg). Kathleen Iwuoha is ranked 10th in scoring averaging 14.0 ppg, 6th in rebounding (7.0 rpg), 3rd in offensive rebounding (4.0 pg), seventh in field goal percentage (.545), and tied for eighth in steals (2.0 spg). Senior Alex Thomas leads the conference in minutes played (39.0 mpg). Forward Natalie Williams is seventh in defensive rebounding after coming down with five boards against South Dakota.
Dropping the Home Opener
Last Friday's 66-57 loss versus South Dakota was only Fullerton's second home-opener loss in the last eight seasons. The Titans are now 4-4 in their last eight regular season openers.
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.
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.
By the Numbers
Cal State Fullerton returns 91 percent of its 1,779 points scored, 91 percent of its rebounds, 90 percent of its field goals made, 68 percent of its free throws made, and 67 percent of its block shots from a season ago.
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).
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
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.
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).
Important Notes from 2012-13
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.