Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, Calif. | Titan Gym
Thursday, February 20, 2014 | 7:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video | Audio |Cal Poly Notes
Cal State Northridge at Cal State Fullerton
Fullerton, Calif. | Titan Gym
Saturday, February 22, 2014 | 6:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: Live Stats | Video | Audio | UCSB Notes
Cal State Fullerton Game Notes (PDF)
Tip-Off
With six conference games left to play and currently in a three-way tie for fifth place, Cal State Fullerton (9-14, 5-5 Big West) returns to Titan Gym for a pair of contests this week versus Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara. The Titans will take on the Mustangs on Thursday, February 20th at 7 p.m. before squaring off with the Gauchos on Saturday, February 22nd at 6 p.m.
Watch it Live
There will be a live video feed available for both of Cal State Fullerton's games this weekend. To access video for both games visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "video" link to watch through BigWest.TV.
Listen Live
There will be live audio streaming available for Cal State Fullerton's games versus Cal Poly and UCSB. To access audio for the game visit www.fullertontitans.com, click the women's basketball schedule page then click the "audio" link.
Live Stats
There will be live stats available for both of Cal State Fullerton's games this weekend.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 (9-14) vs. Cal Poly (14-10)
Overall Record... 25-24
Home Record... 16-7
Away Record... 7-17
Neutral Record... 2-0
Big West Record... 13-20
Longest Win Streak... 12 games
Longest Losing Streak... 9 games
Current Streak... Loss 9*
Record in Last 10 Meetings... 1-9
Last Meeting...Jan. 23, 2014 at San Luis Obispo, Calif. (L, 69-65)
*current streak
Series Game-by-Game (Last five meetings)
01.23.14 San Luis Obispo, Calif. L 69-65
03.02.13 Fullerton, Calif. L 72-47
01.31.13 San Luis Obispo, Calif. L 78-40
03.06.12 Fullerton, Calif. L 71-53
02.11.12 Fullerton, Calif. L 66-48
Series Note: Saturday marks the 50th meeting all-time meeting between the two schools... Fullerton lost earlier in the season to Cal Poly and hasn't beat the Mustangs since 2010...The Titans have loss the last nine meetings...the Titans are 13-21 against Cal Poly in Big West Conference play...Fullerton's largest margin of victory was a 90-18 (72 pts) win Jan. 25, 1975 at Fullerton...Fullerton's largest margin of defeat was a 94-55 loss in San Luis Obispo, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2000...The Titans haven't won at Titan Gym against Cal Poly since Feb. 25, 2010 (70-63).
Cal State Fullerton (9-14) vs. UC Santa Barbara (7-16)
Overall Record... 24-47
Home Record... 13-18
Away Record... 9-23
Neutral Site Record... 2-6
Big West Record... 16-41
Longest Win Streak... 16 games
Longest Losing Streak... 40 games
Current Streak... Won 2
Record in Last 10 Meetings.. 2-8
Last Meeting..Jan. 25, 2013 at Santa Barbara, Calif. (W, 67-62)
Series Game-by-Game (Last five meetings)
01.25.14 Santa Barbara, Calif. W 66-51
02.28.13 Fullerton, Calif. W 46-38
02.02.13 Santa Barbara, Calif. L 60-50
02.09.12 Santa Barbara, Calif. L 52-39
01.07.12 Fullerton, Calif. L 39-37
Series Note: Thursday marks the 72nd meeting all-time meeting between the two schools... Fullerton split the season series with UC Santa Barbara last season and beat the Gauchos earlier this season...Until last season's win the Titans had dropped the last 40 contests versus the Gauchos...the Titans are 16-41 against UCSB in Big West Conference play...Fullerton's largest margin of victory was a 84-38 (46 pts) win Jan. 9, 1976 at Fullerton...Fullerton's largest margin of defeat was a 79-24 loss in Santa Barbara on Feb. 21, 2001.
Scouting the Mustangs
Cal Poly (14-10, 8-3 Big West) comes into this week trailing Cal State Northridge by a half a game for the top spot in the conference. The Mustangs outlasted the Titans the last time the two teams competed, 69-65, on Jan. 23. Cal Poly has dropped its past two games (CSUN & LBSU).
The Mustangs are led by senior center and last year's Big West player of the year Molly Schlemer, as she averages 18.3 points per game. She also leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 10.3 boards per contest. Ariana Elegado and Jonae Ervin also help the Mustangs out as they average 16.8 and 11.7 points per contest, respectively.
Cal Poly averages 76.5 points per game, while they give up 77.8...Cal Poly leads the league in scoring and rebounds per game...the Mustangs were picked to win the conference in the Big West's preseason conference poll.
A Look at the Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara enters the contest with a 7-16 overall record (2-8 Big West) and was picked to finish fifth in the conference, according to the Big West's preseason media poll. However, the Gauchos come into Saturday's game in eighth place. The Titans previously defeated UCSB at the Thunderdome, 67-62, on Jan. 25.
The Gauchos boast three players averaging double-figures in points Nicole Nesbit (15.6 ppg), Melissa Zornig (13.7 ppg), and Destini Mason (12.2 ppg). Mason leads the team in rebounding as she grabs an average of 5.9 boards per contest.
UCSB averages 65.3 points per game, while it surrenders 70.9 per contest. The Gauchos are shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from behind the arc.
Promotion
When the Titans return to Titan Gym on Thursday to host Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton will be holding a mini titans basketball giveaway while supplies last.
Conference Call
The Titans are 199-301 (.396) all-time against Big West Conference foes. Fullerton was 7-14 last season against league foes and won two games in the conference tournament before losing to Pacific in the semifinals.
Season Update
Last Time Out for the Titans
Cal State Fullerton gave Hawai'i all it could handle Saturday night at Stan Sheriff Center, but the Rainbow Wahine were too much to handle as they shot 45 percent from the field to defeat the Titans 65-52.
Despite the loss, Fullerton (9-14, 5-5 Big West) still finds itself right in the middle of the conference race with six conference games left to play, while Hawai'i improves to 13-10 overall and 7-4 in conference play.
Senior Alex Thomas poured in a career-high 25 points off 5-of-11 shooting from the field and a whopping 15-for-19 from the free throw line. Junior guard Chante Miles chipped in with 17 points and junior Kathleen Iwuoha added seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the loss.
Hawai'i had four players in double figures as Briana Harris led the way with 14 points, including a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. Senior Shawna-Lei Kuehu scored 12 points and sophomore Destiny King added 10 points, while grabbing eight boards and dishing out a game-high seven assists.
The Titans and Rainbow Wahine began the game trading buckets as the lead changed five times and was tied on two separate occasions. With 10:39 remaining in the first half, Fullerton held a 14-13 advantage after a pair of free throws by Thomas, but for the rest of the half the Wahine shooters found their shooting stroke.
After Thomas' free throws Hawai'i went on a 16-3 run over the next five minutes to take a 12-point lead, 29-17. The Rainbow Wahine then extended its lead to as many as 15 points in the half after shooting an impressive 50 percent from the field and converting 5-of-11 three-pointers. Behind 12 points, including eight from the charity stripe, in the first half from Thomas the Titans found themselves trailing by 12 at the half, 37-25.
In the second half, the Titans made multiple runs to cut the lead down, but the Wahine were able to sustain their lead and hold Fullerton to 28 percent (8-for-28) in the second half and hold on to the victory.
Last Time Against Cal Poly & UCSB
The Titans face Cal Poly and UCSB for the second time this season and the first time the Mustangs and Titans clashed it was a tight game with Cal Poly pulling ahead at the end 69-65. However, Fullerton was able to rebound against UCSB and defeat the Gauchos 67-62. The win marked the first time since 1991 that the Titans had won at the Thunderdome.
Where We Rank
After ten conference games lets see where the Titans rank amongst other Big West opponents overall. Fullerton ranks first in the Big West Conference in three-pointers per game (7.80). The Titans rank second in turnover margin (+2.7) and third in free-throw percentage (.725) and rebounding defense (37.7 rpg).
Looking for Big West Win #200
Currently the Titans have 199 wins since entering the Big West and a win this week would record the team's 200th conference win.
Bend Those Knees
Fullerton has played many close games due to its tough defense and currently ranks second amongst Big West opponents in points allowed per game (66 ppg). The Titans rank just behind Hawai'i who allows a best 63.7 per game.
The Amazing Alex
After averaging 8.6 points in non-conference games, senior guard Alex Thomas has stepped up her game as the Mission Viejo, Calif., native is averaging 20.3 points per game in conference games, which is the highest among Big West players. She is also first in minutes played (38.7), and eigth in three-pointers per game (1.80). Thomas also scored a career high 25 points in a 65-52 win last weekend at Hawai'i.
What's Trending
Fullerton has recorded two or more double-digit scorers in all, but two games this season...the Titans bench has outscored the opponent's bench in half the contests this season...Fullerton has committed more turnovers than the opposition in less than half (nine out of 213 games this season), but has only committed more than their opponents twice in the last 14 games...the Titans have used six different starting lineups this season and are 8-7 with the most commonly used lineup.
From the Charity Stripe
Against Hawai'i last Saturday, the Titans shot a season-high 35 free throws with senior guard Alex Thomas attempting 19 of them. Thomas converted 15 of her free throws and fell one make short of the single record and three shy of the most free throw attempts in a game for a Titan.
Defeating the Highlanders Twice
After defeating UC Riverside both times this season it marked the first time since the 2005-06 season that the Titans beat the Highlanders in both regular season contests.
Butler's Hot Streak from Behind the Arc
Junior guard Tailer Butler has been a big contributor off the bench for the Titans ,especially since the start of Big West play. The Los Angeles, Calif., native has converted 26 three-pointers in ten conference games. Butler ranks fourth amongst Big West players for three-pointers made per game (2.60) and needs 19 points to record 400 points in her career.
Living Pretty in the 60's
The Titans are 8-4 when scoring 60+ points this season, compared to a 1-10 mark when scoring under 60 points...Fullerton is 3-0 when scoring at least 70 points this season.
Shooting Over 40 percent
The Titans are 5-1 when shooting better than 40 percent from the field and 4-0 when shooting better than 40 percent from behind the arc.
Out-Rebounding the Opponents
The Titans are 7-1 when grabbing more rebounds than the opponents. However, when Fullerton doesnt grab more rebounds than their opponent they are 2-11.
Williams' Block Party
Junior forward Natalie Williams leads the Titans with 13 blocked shots this season and now ranks ninth all-time among career shot blockers. The Cerritos, Calif., native needs one block to tie Charlee Underwood who played from 2003-2007.
Career Rebounds Mark Reached
Kathleen Iwuoha, who leads the team in rebounding, grabbed 24 rebounds over the past two games to go over 400 total rebounds in her career and redshirt-sophomore Hailey King and Chante Miles both reached the 200 mark after pulling down multiple against UC Davis and Hawai'i last weekend.
Sharing the Hot Hand
Chante Miles led the Titans in scoring in seven of the first 12 games to start the season, but Alex Thomas has had a team high in scoring the last nine games. Miles and Thomas are the only Titans to have back-to-back games as the leading scorer for the team.
Up Next
Fullerton will head on the road for a three-game roadtrip after playing two games at home. The Titans will travel to Cal State Northridge (Feb. 27) and Long Beach State (Mar. 1).
Most Three-Attempts
The Titans shot a whopping 41 three-pointers versus Long Beach State on Feb. 1, which gives Fullerton a new school record for most three-pointer attempts in a single game. The Titans previously shot 40 treys against Iowa State (12/8/13) earlier this season.
Miles Dishing Out Assists
Over halfway through the season junior guard Chante Miles is second in the Big West in assists. The Compton, Calif., native has 98 assists this season and tied a career high against UCSB after dishing out eight assists. Miles previously had eight assists versus Alabama earlier this season.
UCSB Winning Streak at Home Snapped
Fullerton's win last weekend at UCSB signified the end of what was a 23-year losing streak in Santa Barbara. The Titans previously defeated the Gauchos at the Thunderdome on Feb. 12, 1991 (22 games).
All About Getting Better
Fullerton finished 5-13 in the Big West last season. The Titans already have five conference wins with six league games to play.
Miles Ahead of the Rest
Chante Miles has averaged 13.6 points per game, which ranks second on the team. Miles set a new career high after scoring 22 points against New Mexico State on Dec. 23. The Compton, Calif., native has had double-digit scoring figures in 17 of 21 games this season and has 37 total in her career. Last season the junior guard had 19 double-digit scoring games.
Individuals in the Big West
After 23 games multiple Titans individually rank at the top of statistical categories for the Big West Conference. Junior Chante Miles is 13th in scoring (13.6 ppg), third in assists (4.26 apg), and first in minutes played (36.1 mpg). Kathleen Iwuoha is ranked fifth in rebounds (7.3 rpg) and sixth in offensive rebounds (3.1 pg). Samantha Logan is ranked eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.369) and seventh in three-pointers made (1.65 pg), and eigth in rebounding (6.3 rpg). Senior Alex Thomas is ranked fourth in minutes (35.7 mpg) and 11th in scoring (13.7 ppg.
Balanced Attack
Cal State Fullerton has had a relatively balanced attack this year with five players averaging between 13.7 and 6.4 points per game starting with Alex Thomas (13.7 ppg), folowed by Chante Miles (13.6 ppg), while Kathleen Iwuoha chips in 10.0 ppg.
The Second Half, Times Two
Fullerton has scored 53.9 percent (755/1400) of its total points this season in the second half. If one were to replace Fullerton's first half scoring with its second half scoring this season, the Titans would be averaging 65.6 points per game compared to its current 60.9 points per game clip.
California Dreamin'
All 13 players on the roster call California home and all are natives of Southern California.
Flying Under the Radar
Samantha Logan is making her presence felt. She currently is second on the team in overall rebounding (6.3 rpg) and defensive rebounding (4.5 rpg). Her overall rebounding per game ranks eigth best in the Big West.
Finding the Right Mix
Cal State Fullerton has used six different starting lineups this season and is 8-7 with a lineup of Chante Miles, Hailey King, Alex Thomas, Samantha Logan, and Kat Iwuoha. Hailey King and Alex Thomas are the only Titans to have started in every game this season.
Versus the Top 25
Iowa State was the first nationally ranked opponent for the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball program since the Titans played Gonzaga on Dec. 2, 2011 when the 24th ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated Fullerton 73-60 at Titan Gym. Last season the Titans played three teams (Georgetown, Gonzaga, Pacific) that received votes in either the AP or USA Today Coaches Poll.
Fullerton has lost its last 14 consecutive games against teams either ranked or receiving votes in either poll dating back to a 68-65 win over Idaho (receiving votes in the Associated Press poll) on Jan. 24, 2004, in Moscow, Idaho... the Titans have lost their last 25 meetings with top 25 foes since posting a 75-63 victory over No. 24 (Associated Press) Long Beach State on Jan. 21, 1991. Overall, Fullerton is 11-95 against nationally ranked competition dating to the 1977 season... the Titans have not been listed among the top 25 since Feb. 4, 1991, breaking into the Associated Press poll at No. 24 that week.
Recycled Notes
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.
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. 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.
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.
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.
New Kids on the Block
The Titans welcome two new faces to the squad for the 2013-14 season with Samantha Logan and Chelsea Waddy joining the squad.