The Titans head south to take on San Diego State on Saturday afternoon before hosting their final December home game against Cornell on Monday evening.
COME SEE THE TITANS
The Titans host Cornell on Monday, December 21st at 5:30 p.m. in Titan Gym. Parking will be required and is $8.
FOLLOW ALONG LIVE
There will be live video and stats for the game at San Diego State while live video, audio and stats will be available on Monday against Cornell. You can find all links at fullertontitans.com under the Women's Basketball schedule link.
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), Instagram (WBB_Titans) 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 (2-9) at San Diego St. (3-6)
Overall record: 31-19
Home Record: 17-7
Away Record: 11-12
Neutral Site Record: 3-0
Longest Win Streak: 20
Longest Losing Streak: 6
Current Streak: L - 6
Record in Last 10 Meetings: 3-7
Last Meeting: Dec. 2, 2007 (L, 45-76)
SERIES NOTES
SAN DIEGO ST.: After being in the same conference for 14 years with the Aztecs, this is the first time the two teams have met since 2007. San Diego State has currently won the last six match-ups.
Aztecs' head coach Stacie Terry is currently in her third year at the helm of the program, leading them to improved seasons in her last two years. In 2014-15, the Aztecs posted a 12-19 record and finished 7th in the Mountain West.
San Diego State is currently led by sophomore guard McKynzie Fort, who has averaged 15.7 points and 4.8 rebounds in their first nine games and recently won Mountain West Player of the Week. As a team, the Aztecs are averaging 59.9 points per game while shooting 38.6% from the field and 28% from behind the arc. San Diego State is also averaging 32.6 rebounds per game and 10.4 assists per game.
Overall Record: N/A
Home Record: N/A
Away Record: N/A
Neutral Site Record: N/A
Longest Win Streak: N/A
Longest Losing Streak: N/A
Current Streak: N/A
Record in Last 10 Meetings: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A
CORNELL: The two teams have never met.
Head coach Dayna Smith is in her 14th season at the helm of the Big Red, being the winningest coach in the history of the Cornell women's basketball program. Smith led them to their first winning season since 2007-08 last year with an overall record of 15-13.
So far this season, Cornell has posted a 4-4 record and is led by junior forward Nia Marshall, who leads the way with 16.8 points per game while pulling down an average of 5.8 rebounds a game.
Freshman Michelle Berry is currently on pace to break a few single-season freshman records, including the overall points record of 445 (Berry 166) set by Nancy Ratliff in 1980-81, the points per game also set by Ratliff of 14.8 (Berry 15.1), and free throws made set by Toni Thomas in 2005-06 of 94 (Berry 35).
DOUBLING THE DOUBLES
Michelle Berry also recorded her second double-double of the season in a 14 points, 10 rebounds effort against San Diego on Wednesday night.
Last week, Jade Vega posted back-to-back double-digit scoring games against San Diego and Eastern Washington to record her fifth and sixth double-digit games of the year.
CONSISTENT IN THE POST
Transfer center Karima Gabriel has proven to be consistent in the post for the Titans, recording an average of 10.3 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game while also recording a team-high 20 blocked shots.
The Titans have broken from their usual starting five in the last three games to see both Amanda Tivenius and Lauren Nubla break their ways into the starting lineup.
DEFENSE CALL
The Titan defense stepped up last week, allowing an average of 60.5 points in the last two games. In the previous four games prior to that, the Titans allowed an average of 80.25 points in four games.
Freshman Michelle Berry set a program record by scoring the most points by a freshman in history after posting 38 against Portland State. The performance earned her the first Big West Athlete of the Week honors, which also is the first time a Titan freshman has earned the accolades.
CONFERENCE CALL
Cal State Fullerton is 49-72 all-time against the Mountain West Conference and 2-2 all-time against the Ivy League Conference.
In his second season at the helm of the Titans, Park led them to the program's fourth Big West Conference Tournament semi final in the last nine years while producing Big West Conference First Team selection, Chante Miles. The Titans finished with an overall record of 13-19 and a Big West Conference record of 5-11. The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team worked their way into the record books on various occasions, setting records in fewest points allowed in a half, most three-point field goals made in a game, most three-point field goals made in a season, and most three-point field goals attempted in a season.
Park is the first male head coach in Cal State Fullerton women's basketball history and recorded his first win as the head coach of the Titans on Nov. 22, 2013 versus Columbia.
Prior to joining the Titans' staff as the associate head coach, Karen Middleton spent six seasons at the helm of the Western Carolina women's basketball program, leading the Catamounts to a semi-final appearance in the Southern Conference Tournament in 2014.
Before her stint at Western Carolina, Middleton was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Washington University (1994-97), was an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina (1992-94), spent two years as an assistant at the University of Illinois (2007-2009), and was an assistant coach at Stanford University for ten years (1997-2007).
The Big West Preseason Media Poll was released on Oct. 27 with the Titans picked to finish seventh during the 2015-16 season. After posting 23 wins and claiming the 2014-15 regular season crown, Hawai'i was deemed the favorite with 13 first palce votes. Checking in right behind Hawai'i was UC Riverside in second, earning 2 first place votes followed shortly behind by Cal Poly. CSUN, the two-time defending Tournament champion rolled in at fourth place, while Long Beach State, UC Davis, Fullerton, Irvine and Santa Barbara rounded out the poll.
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
Cal State Fullerton's 2015-16 schedule slates many competitive games, including games against teams that found themselves in the post-season last year.
"Our goal is to hopefully challenge our team appropriately in the non-conference to ultimately prepare us for the difficult Big West Conference schedule," Park said. "To have a early stretch of 5 out of 6 conference games on the road is a tough challenge for even the most experienced teams so it will be important for us to prepare accordingly and be ready to compete every time we step on the court."
The Titans welcome eight new faces to the squad for the 2015-16 season. Here is more on the transfers and true freshmen ready to make an immediate impact this season:
Iman Lathan • G • 5-9 • University of Nevada
Played two seasons at the University of Nevada… Academic All-Mountain West honoree ... appeared in 20 games for Nevada during her rookie season ... logged 82 minutes of playing time, averaging 4.1 minutes per game ... totaled 34 points in her 20 games, 1.7 points per game average ... grabbed 17 rebounds, dished out five assists and collected six steals ... shot 49 percent (16-of-33) as a freshman from the field, going 2-for-7 from the free throw line ... scored a season-best eight points during an overtime win at Air Force (2/1), on perfect 4-of-4 shooting ... posted season-high four rebounds during the second game of the season versus Long Beach State (11/15) where she also scored four points and registered her first career assist ... scored at least two points in 11 games ... recorded her first collegiate point, rebound and steal in the season opener at Utah Valley (11/8) ... played a season-best nine minutes in three separate contests, Long Beach State (11/15), San Jose State (1/1) and at Air Force (2/1)
A 2015 graduate and a two-year basketball letter winner for the Spartans… Also played varsity soccer where she was named First Team all league…. In her junior year she averaged 12 points and 11 rebounds per game… Her senior season she averaged 14 points and 13 rebounds per game.
Dani Craig • G • 5-8 • Iowa City West HS • Coralville, Iowa
Played four years on the varsity squad for head coach BJ Mayer… As a senior she was named First Team All Mississippi Valley League honors while slating her name in the record books in assists with 121 and three-pointers with 51… She was a part of the Trojans squad as a freshman when they played in the State Championship… Dani was also a part of the National Honor Society and played varsity soccer as well.
Was a four-year starter on the varsity basketball team under head coach Stacey Henson… Was named to the All-District Second team in her freshman and sophomore seasons before being named to the All-District First team her junior and senior campaigns…. Was named the Offensive Player of the Year three times in her career while being named team MVP her junior season when she averaged 13 points and had a career high 30 point game.
Karima Gabriel • C • 6-2 • Boston College • Manchester, N.H.
At Boston College Karima played in 29 games, started 10 ... Averaged 5.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 15.9 minutes per game ... Scored in double-figures in five games .... Had a career-high 12 rebounds vs. Notre Dame on Jan. 11 ... Had a season-high 14 points vs. Pitt on Jan. 24 ... Finished the season with 45 blocks, most by a BC player since the 2010-11 season ... Led the team in rebounding in six games and in blocks 11 times. At DePaul as a freshman she played in 18 games for DePaul University...Averaged 4.2 minutes and 1.1 rebounds a game...DePaul advanced to the NCAA Tournament and lost to Tennessee in the 2nd round.
Jordan Jackson • G • 5-8 • Central Florida • Pasadena, Calif.
Played two seasons at University of Central Florida… As a Sophomore in 2014-15 she appeared in 21 games, averaging 1.2 points in 6.4 minutes per game…Provided a boost off the bench in UCF's win over Jacksonville, recording 6 points, 3 rebounds in 10 minutes, including a buzzer-beating jumper before halftime… Clocked season-high 16 minutes in conference-opening win at Houston, tallying 2 points and 2 rebounds… Shattered career-high with 8 rebounds against Memphis (2/18)
Played four years on the varsity squad for head coach Jessica Kunisaki… named Second Team All Metro League in her sophomore and junior seasons… During her senior year she led the McClatchy Lions to the CIF Division I Championship title while earning First Team All Metro League honors…. Was also named Athlete of the Year and won the CIF sportsmanship award her senior year with 246 points and 14 three-pointers as a senior.
Jade Vega • G • 5-5 • Cardinal Spellman HS • Bronx, N.Y.
Played three years of varsity basketball under head coach Jane Morris… while playing for the Pilots, she led them to their second straight CHSAA championship…. earned Daily News Player of the year and was named to the Daily News First and Second teams throughout her career… Was named Bronx Player of the year and was named to the All Bronx First Team.