Feb. 6, 2007
FULLERTON, CA - After two straight weeks with only a single game, the Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team (10-12 overall, 4-4 in the Big West Conference) looks to get back to its winning ways this week as the Titans close out a three-game homestand with a pair of Big West contests. Fullerton hosts Pacific on Thursday night (Feb. 8) at 7 p.m. before welcoming Cal State Northridge to Titan Gym on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 10) at 2 p.m.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
LISTEN LIVE
This weekend's contest can be heard live over the Internet by visiting Cal State Fullerton's official athletic website at www.FullertonTitans.com and clicking on the graphic with the microphone on the right-hand side of the page.
BIG WEST TV IS BACK!
Live streaming video for all Cal State Fullerton home games and select road contests will be available once again during the regular season through a partnership with the Big West Conference and CSTV. The subscription video service is \$79.95 for the entire season or \$9.95 per month. For more information, please visit the Big West website at www.bigwest.org/tv.
SERIES RECORDS
PACIFIC: The Tigers hold a 30-15 all-time advantage in the series with the Titans dating back to the 1981-82 season... Fullerton will be looking to avenge a 61-53 loss to Pacific back on Jan. 6 in Stockton, Calif... The Titans are 9-12 all-time against the Tigers at home, snapping a seven-game losing streak to Pacific at Titan Gym with a 72-64 victory on Jan. 9, 2006... CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE: Fullerton leads the series with the Matadors, 27-5, all time dating back to the 1970-71 season - including an 8-2 record since Cal State Northridge joined the Big West in 2001-02... The Titans are 11-2 at home against the Matadors, winning four of the last five meetings... Fullerton won the first meeting between the two schools this season, 78-73, at The Matadome on Jan. 4.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Pacific enters the week with an 8-15 overall record and a 2-7 mark in Big West play - tied with Long Beach State for seventh in the league... one of the Tigers' two conference wins came against Fullerton earlier this season in Stockton... Pacific lost six straight games following that win, snapping the streak with a 77-72 home win over the 49ers on Feb. 3... Karen Dawkins leads the Tigers offensively, averaging 14.3 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 48 percent from the field and blocking 21 shots... Jake Kelly is also averaging double figures at 11.5 ppg to go with 4.3 rpg and a team-high 76 assists (3.30 apg).
SCOUTING THE MATADORS
Cal State Northridge, which faces UC Riverside on Thursday before heading to Fullerton, enters the week with an 11-11 overall record and a 7-2 mark in Big West play for second place - just a half a game back of the league-leading Highlanders... The Matadors have won seven of their last eight since their loss to the Titans on Jan. 4, with the lone defeat in that span coming in a 78-72 defeat on the road at Cal Poly... Northridge features three players in double figures led by senior Ofa Tulikihihifo's 15.0 ppg and 7.2 rpg... She is also shooting .453 from the field... Jamie McCaa (13.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and LaJoyce King (13.6 ppg, 11.1 rpg) are also in double-figures.
FRIAS NETS CAREER-HIGH... AGAIN
Cal State Fullerton junior Dayana Frias poured in a career-high point total for the second consecutive game, putting up 19 points in the Titans' loss to UC Riverside on Saturday. It was the second-straight career night for Frias, who had 18 points in a win over UC Davis on Jan. 27. She has reached double figures in three of her last four games, averaging 13.0 ppg and shooting 41 percent (19-for-46) from the field overall.
ANDREA JUST OFF THE MARK
Senior Andrea Adams missed matching her career-high for scoring by a single point on Saturday against the Highlanders, pouring in a season-high 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting off the bench to lead the Titans. Adams reached double figures for only the fifth time this season and had 20-or-more points for the first time since scoring 20 points against Cal Poly last season.
MOVIN' ON UP
Andrea Adams' 25 points moved her up two spots on the school's all-time scoring list as her 764 career points are tied with Felicia Benson (1985-89) for No. 19. She needs 98 more points to move past Amy Torczon (1984-88) for 18th all-time.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
After losing for the first time at home since the end of December, the Titans will look to get back on track at Titan Gym against one of the league's worst road teams. Fullerton, which is tied for second in the Big West with seven home victories this season, takes on a Pacific squad that has only two wins in 12 games away from the Spanos Center in 2006-07.
BACK-TO-BACK 10-WIN SEASONS
With their victory over UC Davis on Jan. 27, Cal State Fullerton reached double-digit victories for the second straight season. It is the first time since the 1996-97 (10-16 overall) and 1997-98 (10-17 overall) seasons that the Titans have been able to accomplish that feat. The 21 combined wins over the past two seasons are the most in a two-year span for Fullerton are the most since the Titans won 21 from 1994-96 (14-15 overall and 7-20 overall).
UNDERWOOD LOCKED DOWN
UC Riverside held the Titans' Charlee Underwood to a season-low two points and five field goal attempts in Saturday's win - a season-low in both categories for the senior. Underwood hasn't been held to so low a point total since facing the Highlanders on Feb. 9 of last season when she scored only two points, but grabbed 10 rebounds, in the Titans' victory. Saturday's offensive performance snapped Underwood's double-digit scoring streak at eight games.
DIFFERENT NIGHT, DIFFERENT HERO
Andrea Adams became the sixth different player to lead the Titans' offense in single-game scoring this season and the fourth different player in the team's last four games.
TITANS CLOSING IN ON WIN TOTAL
The Titans' 10 victories this season are just one short of their season total from all of last year when Fullerton finished 11-17 overall. With two more wins in the team's remaining eight games, Cal State Fullerton will post the most wins since the 1994-95 team finished 14-15 overall.
DOUBTING THOMAS?
`Cause you shouldn't. With 15 more points, sophomore Toni Thomas will become the first Titan to reach 400 points in a single season since Shayla Bradshaw scored 487 points in 1995-96. Thomas' 385 points are the most for a Fullerton player since Kris Sigg had 392 points in the 1998-99 season.
THOMAS STILL LEAGUE'S BEST
Sophomore Toni Thomas remains atop the Big West scoring race at 17.5 points per game entering Saturday's game - besting second-place Kemie Nkele of UC Riverside by 1.5 ppg. If the season were to end today, Thomas would be the first Titan to lead the league in scoring since Koko Lahanas accomplished the feat in 1994-95 after averaging a nation-high 26.8 ppg. Claudette Jackson (1992 - 20.3 ppg) and Genia Miller (1991 - 29.4 ppg) are the only other Titans to lead the Big West in scoring.
THOMAS KEEPS UP IMPRESSIVE PACE
Should sophomore Toni Thomas keep up her current scoring pace (17.5 ppg) over the Titans' eight remaining games, she would be in line to become the first Titan player to score 500 points in a single season since Koko Lahanas led the nation in scoring with 778 points (26.8 ppg) in 1994-95. Thomas' current pace would put her at 525 points for the year - which would rank 10th on the season list.
THOMAS UPS STREAK TO 11
Sophomore Toni Thomas notched her 11th consecutive double-digit scoring performance with her 12-point, six-rebound effort against UC Riverside on Saturday. Thomas, who has scored in double digits in every game but one this season, is averaging 17.7 ppg and 8.6 rpg over her last 11 games while shooting .438 (67-for-153) from the field.
SOLID AT THE LINE
Saturday's .895 (17-for-19) performance at the free throw line was the second-highest for the Titans this season, trailing only the .941 (32-for-34) shot against San Francisco back on Dec. 18.
STILL NO. 1
Cal State Fullerton continues to sit atop the Big West Conference in free throw shooting at .739 entering this week's games - up eight points after Saturday's performance against UC Riverside. The Titans have shot better than 70 percent from the line in 13 of the team's 22 games this season (and eight times at 80 percent or better), but are only 7-6 in those games.
NOT NO. 1... BUT REALLY GOOD
Cal State Fullerton enters this week shooting a league-high .739 from the free throw line to rank No. 38 in the NCAA behind Northern Illinois' nation-leading .802 from the charity stripe.
THOMAS STILL AMONG NCAA'S BEST
Thomas continues to rank among the NCAA's best in three different categories, entering the week ranked No. 51 in scoring, No. 79 in free throw shooting (.820), and No. 83 in rebounding. She continues to be the lone player from the Big West ranked among the nation's top 100 scorers, one of three in rebounding, and one of only two (Long Beach State's Karina Figueroa) in free throw percentage.
TAYLOR HELPING OTHERS
Senior Audrey Taylor dished out a season-high eight assists in Saturday afternoon's loss to UC Riverside - the most since she had nine in a win at UC Davis last season. The assist total pushed her career total to 349 - moving her past Debbie Ricketts (1973-77) for fifth place all time at Cal State Fullerton, and standing just 33 assists behind Sheryl Jones (1985-89) for fourth.
GOOD HALF LEADS TO WHOLE LOTTA WINS
Fullerton improved to 9-3 this season when leading at halftime with its win over UC Davis on Jan. 27, including the last three straight occurances and four of the last five. Compare that to a 1-9 record when the Titans have a bad first half and trail heading into the lockerroom.