PLNC, UC San Diego Win in Tourney

Rusty Fallen made two free throws with two seconds left to lift Point Loma Nazarene to a 69-67 men’s basketball victory over Pomona-Pitzer in the first round of the Triton Tip-Off Tournament Friday night at UC San Diego.

UCSD won the other game, 82-74, over Christian Heritage and will play PLNC in the tournament championship at 8 tonight.

Fallen’s clutch free throws not only gave PLNC (1-2) its first victory, it was No. 299 for Crusader Coach Ben Foster.

Fallen finished with a game-high 22 points. Teammate Mark Bolgin added 18 points, and Donnie Buettner had 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds.

John Spence paced UCSD (2-0) with 18 points. Teammates Erik Johnson, Chris Moore, Andy Swindall and Rick Batt added 12 each. Jim Hill’s 23 points led CHC (1-2).

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Michelle Suman hit two free throws with one minute, 24 seconds left to pull San Diego State even with Georgetown and teammate Kieishsha Garnes later hit a basket to pull within two, but the Hoyas hit two more free throws to defeat the Aztecs, 78-74, in a first round game of the Titan Gatorade Classic at Cal State Fullerton.

Garnes led the Aztecs (1-1) with 19 points and eight rebounds, Suman added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Christina Murguia and Falisha Wright had 11 each. Kris Witfill’s 19 points topped Georgetown (3-0).

San Diego State will face Gonzaga, an 80-57 loser to Cal State Fullerton, in the consolation game at 6 tonight.

Jill Shaver’s game-high 15 points weren’t enough as an evenly-balanced Louisiana Tech handled the University of San Diego, 77-59, in the opening round of the Wahine Classic in Hawaii.

Five players scored in double digits for 18th-ranked Louisiana Tech (1-1). Chris Enger contributed 13 points and seven rebounds as the Toreras fell to 0-2.

Point Loma Nazarene dropped an 88-73 decision to Central State Ohio, 17th-ranked in the NAIA, in a consolation game of the Plainview Queens Classic in Texas.

Rochelle Lightner’s 23 points and eight rebounds and Christy Stevens’ 18 points led the Crusaders, who dropped to 2-2. Antionette Vinson led Central State (5-1) with 36 points. PLNC plays David Lipscomb Nashville at 8 a.m. today.

GOLF

After two qualifying rounds, San Diego’s Michael Ruiz made the championship cut of the 14th Rolex Junior Classic in Tucson. Ruiz shot a 81-76--157 at the par-72 La Paloma Country Club. He is nine strokes behind Gilberto Morales of Venezuela.

SWIMMING

Lars Jorgensen of the Blue Fin Swim Club finished sixth in the 400-meter freestyle at the U.S. Open Championships at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center in Minneapolis.

Rancho Bernardo’s Jorgensen swam a 3:57.60, well off the winning time of 3:50.04 by Australia’s Kieren Perkins, which set a meet record. Perkins broke the old record of 3:51.21, set by Florida’s Matt Cetlinski in 1985.