Woman Player on Cal Team Dies

Alisa Lewis, a reserve on the California women’s basketball team, died Monday morning at Kaiser Medical Center in Oakland after apparently contracting bacterial meningitis.

Lewis, a junior from Spokane, Wash., died after being taken to the emergency room Sunday night with a severe headache, rash and flu-like symptoms, the university said. She was 20.

“Our hearts go out to Alisa’s family following this horrible, devastating news,” Cal Coach Caren Horstmeyer said. “Alisa was one of the nicest, hardest-working players I’ve had the opportunity to coach. We’re all in a complete state of shock.”

A team spokeswoman said that doctors believed Lewis probably died from bacterial meningitis, an infection of the covering of the brain and spinal cord that spreads through saliva and mucus.

University officials have notified local public health authorities about Lewis’ apparent case of the disease, which won’t be confirmed until further tests are done. Her teammates and some staff were given a precautionary treatment of antibiotics.

Lewis played in 10 of the Golden Bears’ 16 games this season, averaging 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds a game. She started six games during her first two years at Cal.

She played three seasons of high school basketball in Fairfield, Calif., before attending Gonzaga Prep in Spokane for her senior season.

From Times Wire Services

*

Three Cal State Northridge men’s basketball players -- junior forward Chris Davis, junior guard Joseph Frazier and freshman forward Andre Foy -- were suspended indefinitely by Coach Bobby Braswell for “violations of unspecified team rules” on the team’s Big West Conference trip last weekend.

Braswell levied the suspensions Friday, and the three did not practice that day or play in the Matadors’ 83-57 loss to Utah State on Saturday night. He said Davis, Frazier and Foy would not practice with the team this week and would not be available for games Thursday at UC Santa Barbara and Saturday at home against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The suspensions do not involve a legal matter and are not related to academics, Braswell said.

“Sometimes they make mistakes and discipline has to be meted out,” the coach said. “We move on. Will it affect our team? No question about that.”

Braswell said the players have not been removed from the team and their suspensions are under “an ongoing review.”

Frazier is the Matadors’ third-leading scorer at 12.1 points a game, and Davis averages 11.1 points and 4.6 rebounds. Foy has had limited playing time in seven games.

-- Eric Stephens

*

USC junior power forward Jeff McMillan, who is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds, sat out practice because of swelling in his left knee but expects to practice today.

-- Paul Gutierrez