By Bill Sheehan 

Growing up in Goodyear, Arizona, Raina Perez gravitated toward basketball as a 5-year-old. The fact that she was one of the shortest kids on the court didn't faze her. 

"From the beginning, she has always been very competitive," Jeff Perez said of his daughter, a 5-foot-4 guard on the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team. "People underestimate her because she is so small. She was always undersized, but she has the heart of a lion. 

"She competed with boys until high school. Since they were quicker and stronger, she had to become smarter than them. She learned to develop her basketball IQ as well as dribbling, controlling the ball and making her teammates better." 

A redshirt junior who plays both point and shooting guard, Perez has become a dominating force for the Titans this season. She leads the team in scoring (22.1 per game), minutes (37.1), field-goal percentage (50.0%), 3-point percentage (41.7%) and steals (1.6). She is second in assists (4.1) and contributes on the boards too, averaging 3.5 rebounds. 

"It feels good to be recognized, but I'm never worried about how much I score. I'd rather win with 10 points than lose with 30," said Perez, a two-time Big West Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week in November. 

"Being smaller has always been a challenge, but I can't say it has impeded what I want to accomplish. When you are smaller, you have to be more aggressive, crafty and a bit quicker," said Perez, who dropped a career-high 34 points in a 72-67 victory Saturday at the University of San Diego. She ranks ninth nationally in scoring average. 

California Baptist next up for Fullerton 

Perez and her teammates continue their non-conference season Friday against California Baptist at Titan Gym. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Fullerton will host Air Force (Saturday, Dec. 21, 2 p.m.) and Seattle (Sunday, Dec. 29, 2 p.m.) before opening Big West play on Thursday, Jan. 9, at UC Santa Barbara. 

Jeff Harada, the Titans' third-year head coach, said Perez has always had to outwork people because of her size. "Raina is ultra-competitive and is a complete, well-rounded player who does it at both ends of the floor. She could go down as one of the best players ever at Fullerton. 

"She is more than just a scorer. She has incredible vision and creates shots for her teammates. She is a pest on defense. And she even gets in there and rebounds. She pulled down eight rebounds against San Diego State. At times, I wonder if she realizes she is 5-foot-4." 

As the Big West season approaches, Harada says the Titans' final three non-conference games will be a time of self-evaluation. "Our goal is to see where we are. We want to solidify our rotation and see which players step up as needed. Winning these three home games is very achievable." 

Perez, who played one year at Northern Arizona before transferring to Fullerton in fall 2017, said her she likes the team's progress. "We are pushing the ball in transition and running more this year, and we have a deeper bench. We are a young team with no seniors, and we capable of improving every game." 

Raina Perez on her individual play thus far and on how the team is performing early this season. #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/ixNFWKGYgX

— Titans Women's Basketball (@FullertonWBB) December 12, 2019

Perez, Turney are backcourt duo 

Perez and 5-foot-9 redshirt junior Taylor Turney are handling the backcourt duties. "We are really playing well together and read each other extremely well," Perez said. 

Titan forwards Carolyn Gill, a 5-foot-10 junior, and Joy Krupa, 5-foot-9 redshirt junior, are having in impact in the frontcourt, said Perez. "Carolyn is coming in and rebounding, boxing out and taking charges. Joy is a monster on the boards and has a knack of finding the ball." 

Amiee Book, a 6-foot sophomore swing-player, "can make outside shots and puts us in a good position whether we are running the floor or in a half-court game." And 6-foot-3 sophomore center Janette Mensah "is becoming a force in the post," she said. 

Perez's competitive nature has rubbed off on her teammates, said reserve center-forward Madison Freemon. "When I joined the team, I could easily see she was one of the leaders. She brings that will to win every game," said Freemon, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward-center from Camus, Wash. "Raina leads mostly by example, but she is becoming more vocal this season." 

"She was a good player last year, but she is providing a lot more for the team now. Her energy flows through us. She always wants to win, and that includes scrimmages. If she loses, she is upset for a few hours, at least." 

A four-year starter in high school 

Perez got her start playing youth basketball in Goodyear, a western suburb of Phoenix. She competed for the Arizona Magic club team before enrolling at Millennium High School in Goodyear. A four-year starter and three-time team MVP at Millennium, she holds school records for most points, assists and steals. As a junior, she averaged 14.4 points and was Division 1 Player of the Year as Millennium finished runner-up in the state. 

Cory Rojeck, Millennium's girls basketball head coach, said Perez is a unique talent. "The first thing that comes to mind about Raina is that she is an ultra-competitor in all facets of the game. During water breaks at practice, she and I would have shooting contests. Her passion made me light up as a coach. As long as you were going into battle with her, you had a chance." 

"Even when she arrived as a 14-year-old, I watched her for half a practice and thought, 'She can shoot, finish, has court vision and understands the game,' said Rojeck. "Her anticipation on offense and defense is great. I know her height was a factor, but she was underrecruited in high school. I'm happy to see what she is doing at Fullerton." 

Perez accepted a scholarship to Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. As a freshman, she averaged 10.1 points and 2.3 assists and led all Big Sky freshmen with 11.9 points per game in conference play. But in the wake of the Northern Arizona head coach's firing, Perez began weighing her options. 

One of the Northern Arizona assistant coaches, Karlie Burris, joined the Fullerton coaching staff and before long Perez was also Fullerton-bound. She was required to sit out a year before becoming eligible. 

Raina Perez drives past an opponent during her time at Millennium High School in Goodyear, Arizona. Perez holds Millennium school records for most points, assists and minutes. 

Upgrading her game during redshirt year 

"Sitting out was tough. I was unhappy not playing. But redshirting gave me an opportunity to get better and improve," she said. 

Harada, the Fullerton head coach, said Perez used the time to mature and grow as a person on and off the court. "She was feeling things out and trying to find her comfort zone and how she would fit it in." 

She made a strong debut last season as a redshirt sophomore, starting 28 of 29 games. She and center Daeja Smith each averaged 13 points to lead the team, and Perez earned All-Big West Honorable Mention. She became the first Titan to average 13 points and 5 assists per game in more than 20 years. 

After spending the summer working on her consistency, shooting and coming off screens, she has stepped up her game. In her 34-point game against the University of San Diego, she was 5-for-5 from the 3-point arc, 5-for-5 from the free throw line and notched six rebounds, four assists and three steals. 

A special homecoming before family and friends 

Perez's favorite game of the year, however, was the team's 80-70 win last month against Grand Canyon University. The 21-year-old became quite emotional on her return to the Valley of the Sun. 

"It was a homecoming for me. I felt a little nervous because a lot of my family and friends were there." She quickly overcame her jitters though, scoring 21 points in the first half before finishing with a game-high 26. "I played to my potential, and we ended up with a win," she said. 

Among the Phoenix crowd were her father Jeff, who is a police detective, and her mother Veronica, a homemaker. Her older sister, Gabriella, and younger brothers Jeff Jr. and Izziah also attended. 

Rojeck, her high school coach, took in the game as well. "Raina is a lot stronger now, and her knowledge of the game continues to improve. I wouldn't be surprised if she played beyond college." 

Fullerton guard Raina Perez, a double-major in sociology and criminology, scored a career-high 34 points in a win Saturday at the University of San Diego. 

A pro career overseas is a goal 

A double-major in sociology and criminology, Perez indeed is aiming for a post-college basketball career. "Hopefully, I will get an opportunity to play overseas, perhaps in Europe." 

Perez enjoys travel and has a fondness for jigsaw puzzles, especially one with Disney characters. Freemon, her teammate, said Perez enjoys hanging out with her fellow Titans after practice. "I room with Amiee Book and Janette Mensah, and Raina will come by our apartment to hang out. We are all goofing around, and Raina is very funny off the court. But she has that mad dog in her on the court," said Freemon. 

Perez said Harada has brought "ohana," a Hawaiian term meaning "family," to the Fullerton program. "It's a family atmosphere, but Coach Harada expects a lot out of each individual. He pushes you to play to your potential. If you are falling short, he will let you know so you can fix it. By doing that, he is setting the team up for success."