Dec. 2, 2003
The San Diego women's basketball team plays a pair of non-conference home games this week beginning with New Mexico State Thursday night at 7pm. Big West Conference member Long Beach State visits San Diego on Saturday for an afternoon game slated to tip at 2. San Diego's overall record slipped to 1-3 on the season, losing to UNLV 78-64 and Georgia Southern 71-55 at the Lady Rebel Shootout last weekend.
San Diego led a UNLV team that finished 17-12 last year by 14-points at halftime before surrendering 53 second half points. The Toreros trailed Georgia Southern by just five points at the break, but would make just five field goals in the final twenty minutes. Don't expect more of the same from the home version of the Toreros who have won 20 games in the Jenny Craig Pavilion over the past two seasons.
San Diego is one week removed from San Diego blowing out Nevada 96-74 in its home opener. USD senior center Marta Menuez (Bodega, CA) was the catalyst against the Wolfpack, totaling 23 points connecting on 9-of-13 shots from the floor. In all, five Toreros totaled double figures in scoring and USD's 96 points was the most scored by a San Diego team since putting up 97 in a rout of UC Riverside during the 2000-01 campaign.
The Toreros are under the direction of two-time WCC Coach of the Year Kathy Marpe, who ranks fourth all-time among league coaches with 111 conference victories. Marpe and her staff have brought in a host of talented young players the past two seasons, highlighted by current sophomore starters Tiara Harris (Colorado Springs, CO), Polly Dong (Auburn, CA) and Jamie Corwin (Renton, WA), along with young reserves, freshman Ashley Voisinet (Irvine, CA) and sophomore Lindsay Helvey (Anaheim, CA).
The young players complement San Diego's senior star Menuez, who has established herself as one of the best low-post players in the West Coast Conference. As a junior last season, her scoring and rebounding numbers ranked among the league's best. Menuez cleared 83 offensive boards last season, third-highest among all WCC players.
THE OPPONENTS
New Mexico State improved its record to 3-1 with a 68-59 win over Alcorn State during Tournament play in Houston, Texas. The Aggies play in the Sun Belt Conference, a league that produced three postseason teams in 2002-03. Thursday's game is a homecoming of sorts for first-year Aggie Head Coach Darin Spence who hails from Escondido, California. Spence amassed a 317-87 record as a head coach at the junior college and NAIA levels before taking on the role of head coach at New Mexico State on April 15th. Spence is armed with the nation's best three-point shooter in 5-11 senior guard Sinnamonn Garrett (13.5ppg/4.3rpg). Garrett finished her junior campaign with a 49% shooting clip from behind the arc- ranking her first among all Division I players. Along with Garrett, Spence receives double digit scoring numbers from Princess Moore (15.0ppg/7.3rpg), a 5-9 senior guard out of Irving Texas. Despite her stature, Moore is the team's leading rebounder at 7.3 per contest.
Long Beach State plays West Coast Conference member Loyola Marymount Tuesday night before making the trip down to San Diego for a Saturday afternoon game with the Toreros. Long Beach State entered the week 1-3 after being drubbed by both Alabama 84-66 and Colorado State 67-49 at the Coors Rocky Mountain Tournament hosted by Colorado State. The 49ers lone win this season came against Eastern Washington at home by a score of 74-66. Petra Glaeser (11.5ppg/6.3rpg), a 6-6 junior center from Germany is one of three Long Beach players to enter the week averaging double figures in scoring. Sophomore's, center Jayme Connors (11.3ppg/6.3rpg) and guard Crystal McCutcheon (11.3ppg/3.5rpg) are the other two. Connors has done most of her damage from the free-throw line (15-of-19) while McCutcheon comes off the bench to put up her numbers.
