Cal State Fullerton vs. Toledo
Moraga, Calif. | McKeon Pavilion
Friday, November 29, 2013 | 12:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video | Audio | Toledo Notes
Cal State Fullerton vs. Alabama
Moraga, Calif. | McKeon Pavilion
Saturday, November 30, 2013 | 12:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video | Audio | Alabama Notes
Cal State Fullerton Notes (PDF)
Tip-Off
Cal State Fullerton heads up to Northern California to take on the University of Toledo in game one of the Saint Mary's College Hilton Concord Classic, Friday (Nov. 29) at 12 p.m. in Moraga, Calif. The Titans will then face the University of Alabama on Saturday (Nov. 30) at 12 p.m.
There will be a live video feed available to purchase from Saint Mary's College to watch both Cal State Fullerton games over Thanksgiving weekend. To access video for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page and then click the "video" link.
Listen Live
There will be free live audio streaming available for the Cal State Fullerton vs. Toledo contest, but the matchup between Alabama and Fullerton will be broadcasted with a subscription fee required. To access audio for the games visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "audio" link.
There will be live stats available for both games. 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 (1-3) vs. Toledo (2-2)
The Titans and Rockets contest on Friday at McKeon Pavilion will be the very first meeting between the two programs.
Scouting the Rockets
Toledo enters the 2013-14 season looking to build off a successful 2012-13 campaign that saw the Rockets finish with a 29-4 record (15-1 Mid American) and a Mid American Conference Regular Season Championship. Toledo is off to a 2-2 start after defeating Mississippi Valley State (95-48) and Missouri Kansas City (96-81) and losing to Drexel (65-52) and Purdue (81-79). The Rockets were picked to finish third in the west division of the Mid American Conference in 2013-14. Toledo is currently ranked #12 in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25. The Rockets are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Tricia Cullop. Toledo is led by junior forward Inma Zanoguera, who is averaging 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the early going. Zanoguera, a native of Llucmajor, Spain, was named the conference player of the week during the week of November 17-24. Senior guard Andola Dortch is averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per contest this season.
Brianna Jones will be another strong option inside for the Rockets. The hometown native has averaged 11.0 points per game and 5.5 rebounds in four games this season. The Rockets are averaging 80.5 points this season, while shooting 45 percent from the field. Toledo has six players averaging double-figure scoring efforts.
A Look at the Series...
Cal State Fullerton (1-3) vs. Alabama (1-3)
Overall Record...1-0
Home Record...0-0
Away Record...0-0
Neutral Site Record...1-0
Longest Win Streak...1 game
Longest Losing Streak...N/A
Current Streak...Won 1
Record in Last 10 Meetings...1-0
Last Meeting...Dec. 8, 1984 at Las Vegas, Nev. (W, 65-64)
Series Note: Saturday marks just the second all-time meeting between the two schools... Fullerton and Alabama previously met in Las Vegas, Nev. in 1984 at the UNLV 7-up Desert Classic with Cal State Fullerton taking the victory 65-64... the two teams have only played each other in neutral locations.
Breaking Down the Crimson Tide
Alabama is under the direction of first-year head coach Kristy Curry after spending the last seven seasons at the helm of the Texas Tech basketball program. The Crimson Tide enter Saturday's matchup with a 2-3 mark on the year. Alabama is averaging 61.2 points per game this season while they surrender an average of 74.5 points per game. The Crimson Tide picked up their first win of the season against Wisconsin on Nov. 21 when they defeated the Badgers 70-62. Alabama has faced a tough schedule so far this season as they lost to both No. 2 Duke and No. 15 Nebraska.
Junior guard Daisha Simmons leads Alabama in scoring (12.5 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg), and steals (4.25 spg). Senior guard Shafontye Myers is averaging 11.3 points per game this season, which is second best on the team. The Lions are shooting 38 percent from the field this season and 28 percent from outside the arc.
Conference Call
Cal State Fullerton is 0-3 all-time against an opponent from the Mid American Conference. Fullerton last loss versus a MAC opponent came on Dec. 4, 2010 when Bowling Green defeated the Titans 91-51 in Bowling Green, OH. The Titans are 3-3 (.500) all-time against Southeastern Conference foes. The last time the Titans faced a team from the SEC, Fullerton was upended by the Georgia Bulldogs 85-64 on Nov. 28, 2008 at the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
Last Time Out for the Titans
Junior Chante Miles scored a career-high 21 points to lead a quartet of Titans in double figures as Cal State Fullerton handed host Columbia a 80-54 defeat on Friday afternoon in New York, N.Y., to record its first win of the 2013-14 season.
Miles and redshirt sophomore Hailey King (15 points) both scored career highs and combined to score 36 points to lead the Titans (1-3). The victory gives head coach Daron Park his first win as a head coach.
Fullerton also got double-digit efforts from junior Kathleen Iwuoha (14 points and five rebounds) and senior Alex Thomas (12 points) as the Titans outscored Columbia, 12-10 in the paint, and outrebounded the Lions, 45-33. Six Fullerton players finished with at least four rebounds, including 10 boards from freshmen Samantha Logan. Logan (nine points) fell just one point shy of a double-double. Natalie Williams also added six points, four rebounds, and two blocked shots.
Cal State Fullerton's defense forced 11 turnovers and held the Lions to just 30 percent (18-60) shooting for the game, including a 9-0 run in the opening half en route to a 40-30 lead at the break.
The Titans and Lions traded baskets at the beginning of the game, but after a King mid-range jumper gave Fullerton a 10-9 lead with 15:55 left the Titans pulled away. The Lions got to within four points at 28-24 with just under six minutes to play in the first, but would come no closer. A 14-5 run to open the second half by Cal State Fullerton put the Titans ahead by 19 points and they never looked back. The Titans would extend their lead to as many as 28 points with 2:57 left. The Titans shot 48.2 percent (27-of-56) from the floor as Fullerton's offense exploded for their season high in points. Fullerton also knocked down 8-of-20 attempts from three-point range.
Hilton Concord Classic
This will be the first time that Cal State Fullerton has participated in the tournament hosted by Saint Mary's College. The Titans last played in Moraga, Calif., on Dec. 29, 2007 when the Gaels defeated Fullerton 71-70. Last season, Fullerton also competed in a tournament in Northern California when they played at the Cal Classic in Berkley, Calif.
Neutral Sites
This weekend's contests will be the first neutral location games played this season. Last season, the Titans were 2-3 in neutral site games. Fullerton lost both games at the Cal Classic (Georgetown, Eastern Washington) before going 2-1 in the Big West conference tournament (Long Beach State, Hawai'i, Pacific).
Balanced Scoring
Fullerton had four players score in double figures at Columbia on Nov. 22, the first time that the Titans had more than two players score 10 or more points. Junior Chante Miles upped her career best to 21 points to lead all players. Redshirt sophomore Hailey King had a career high 15 points, while junior Kathleen Iwuoha added 15 points and senior Alex Thomas scored 12. Freshmen Samantha Logan just missed double figures with nine points. The Titans have had at least one player reach double figure scoring in each game this season.
Improved Scoring
Cal State Fullerton had lost its first three games by an average of 14 points and was averaging 54.3 points per game. The Titans scored 57 points versus South Dakota and Fresno State, while putting up only 49 points against Albany. However, the Titans exploded for 80 points last Friday Nov. 22 against Columbia. Last season, Fullerton averaged 53.9 points per game and this season the team is averaging 60.8, which is an improvement of about seven points per game.
Milestones
After the 80-54 win versus Columbia last week, senior Alex Thomas passed the 600 career total point mark in her career and junior Chante Miles passed the 500 career point milestone. Junior Kathleen Iwuoha is nine points shy of recording her 400th career point.
Logan off the Bench
Freshman Samantha Logan came off the bench at Columbia and gave the Titans a big spark posting nine points and 10 rebounds. She knocked down three 3-point shots.
Scoring Threat
After four games Chante Miles has averaged 17.3 points per game, which leads all Titan players. Miles set a new career high after scoring 21 points against Columbia last week (Nov. 22). The Compton, Calif., native has had double-digit scoring figures in all four games this season. Last season the junior guard had 19 double-digit scoring games and one 20-point game.
Setting New Records
Entering last Saturday's contest versus Fresno State redshirt sophomore Hailey King's career high in a game was nine points, which she set against Fresno State on November 16, 2013, but the Solvang, Calif., native scored 15 points to give her a new career best.
It's Early, but Still...
As of Nov. 25, Cal State Fullerton is second in the Big West in scoring defense per game (64.8 ppg), fourth in field goal percentage (.397), third in rebounding defense (36.8), and fifth in scoring margin (-4.0).
Individuals in the Big West
After four games multiple Titans individually rank at the top of statistical categories for the Big West Conference. Junior Chante Miles is fourth in scoring (17.3 ppg), third in assists (4.0 apg), sixth in free-throw percentage (.833), and eighth in both minutes played (32.3 mpg) and field goal percentage (.491). Kathleen Iwuoha is ranked first in field goal percentage (.625),Senior Alex Thomas (31.8 mpg) is ranked ninth in the conference in minutes played. Forward Natalie Williams is fifth in blocked shots per game (1.0 bpg). Samantha Logan is ranked third in three-point field goal percentage (.571).
What's Trending
Fullerton has committed more turnovers than the opposition in two of four games to open the season...the Titans bench has outscored the opponent's bench in three of four contests this season...CSUF has been outscored 110-94 in the paint this season...the Titans used their third different starting lineup this season, which led to the team's first win.
King Sinks Em
Redshirt sophomore guard Hailey King is a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line this season, while Chante Miles is shooting .833 (10-of-12) from the charity stripe.
Fullerton's Dynamic Duo
Chante Miles and Kathleen Iwuoha have combined to score 113 of Fullerton's 243 points this season (47%).
Bench Production
The Titans' bench has produced 70 of Fullerton's 243 total points scored this season (29 percent)...the CSUF bench has outscored opposition's bench 70-51 this season...Cal State Fullerton's leading scorer, Chante Miles, has come off the bench one time this season.
Coming back home to Titan Gym
The Titans are entering their third and fourth game of a four-game road trip, but Fullerton will play four of its next five contests at home after Thanksgiving weekend before wrapping up the 2013 year at Boise State (Jan. 29).
Setting a New Career High
Kathleen Iwuoha's 14 points vs. on Nov. 22 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 has went for 14 points twice this season (vs. South Dakota on Nov. 8). Iwuoha had five double-figure scoring games during the 2012-13 season.
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. Park recorded his first win as the head coach of the Titans on Nov. 22 versus Columbia.
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.
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 all are natives of 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