By Stephani Bee

For the Daily Titan

Heading North following the Thanksgiving holiday, Cal State Fullerton’s women’s basketball team was one of four teams who took part in the World Vision Invitational hosted by the University of Oregon.

The team emerged from the tournament with a 3-3 overall record and a 1-2 performance during the tournament.

On Friday evening, the Titans opened the tournament on McArthur Court by taking on tournament host Oregon, a team they had never faced.

Putting their 2-1 record on the line, the Titans stumbled out of the gate, converting only 16.2 percent of their shots in the first half, though they were a perfect 14-for-14 in free throws.

On the other side of the court, the Ducks were putting on a clinic, finishing off 52.5 percent of their shots, including 53.3 percent of their 3-point attempts.

The damage was done by the end of the first half because the Ducks had already scored 56 points, and the Titans only scored half that total.

The second half didn’t get any easier for CSUF.

Oregon continued to push through the defense, netting 61 more points, despite shooting only 38.8 percent. With 3:12 on the clock, Oregon led by 52 points.

The Titans tried to chip away, adding 41 more points to their total, though it was not enough to overcome the Ducks, who blew out the Titans 117-69. Junior guard Lyndsey Grove led the Titans with a season-high 20 points in the game.

“I think we did really well,” said Marcia Foster, first-year head coach, after the tournament. “The first game against Oregon was tough. They’re hosting the tournament and had a nice crowd, and the shots didn’t drop for us in the first half. If we had kept it closer, I think we could have done better.”

Looking to bounce back against Portland State, a team they hadn’t met in nine years but who CSUF held a 0-2 record against, the Titans tipped off against the Vikings on Saturday afternoon trying to move their season record above .500.

The Titans led throughout the first half, extending their lead to 15 points with five minutes remaining in the half. The Titans went into the locker room ahead 33-25.

Portland State came out with a vengeance in the second half, hitting a 45.7 percent clip on field goals, going on a 7-1 run and rallying to tie the game at 64 as the final seconds wound down.

Junior point guard Lauren Chow attempted to end the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer, but it was off the mark, sending the game into overtime.

A minute and a half into overtime, Chow made up for her shot by nailing a three-pointer that sent the Titans on a 10-0 run, putting them up by nine points. The team continued their hot shooting and finished the game with a 79-72 victory.

CSUF took advantage of Portland’s miscues throughout the game, as the Titans scored 24 points off of turnovers while Portland only responded with 12.

Grove scored a game-high 18 points and junior center Jenna Breite recorded her first career double-double as a Titan, snapping a two-game losing streak and bumping their record to 3-2 on the season and giving them a 1-1 record in the tournament.

Senior guard Jasmine Scott, a captain who scored 14 points in the game, was pleased with the team’s performance.

“I believe we did really well,” she said. “We got better from the night before against Oregon. We worked good as a team.”

The Titans took on the University of Wisconsin in their first-ever meeting in their final game of the tournament on Sunday afternoon.

The first half featured a back-and-forth affair that included five lead changes, but as the Titans and Badgers headed to the locker rooms, Wisconsin held a one-point advantage, leading 25-24 thanks to four free throws.

CSUF looked sharp at the start of the second half, scoring four straight points and going up 28-25. After a back-and-forth rally, Alyssa Karel of the Badgers hit a three-pointer, giving Wisconsin a lead they would not relinquish.

With nine minutes remaining, the Badgers went on an 18-6 run, part of the 32 points that they scored in the second half. CSUF battled, adding 20 points to their total in the second half, but they ultimately fell to Wisconsin, 57-44. Grove again led the team with 16 points.

Moving to 6-1 on the season and going undefeated in the tournament, Wisconsin was named the winner of the World Vision Invitational title.

Foster was impressed with Grove’s performance in the tournament, as she led the team in scoring in each of their games.

“She was outstanding,” Foster said. “She was solid. You always have to have someone step up, and when they’re feeling it, then it’s up to them to perform at that level, and she did.”

Despite the two losses, Foster was proud of her team’s performance.

“After less than 24 hours, we were back on the court and the kids continued to compete and played hard,” Foster said. “The game was actually closer than the score indicates. A couple of things didn’t go our way, but I’m very glad with getting one (win).”

The players echoed her sentiment.

“I think, as a team, we came up here and accomplished what we wanted to do, which was getting better,” Grove said. “We knew we were going to face some tough competition.”

“Each day we got better,” Scott said after the tournament. “We learned more about ourselves as a team.”

The Titans will play on their home court for the first time this season on Dec. 7, as they look to take on the University of San Diego at 7 p.m., ending a six-game road trip to start the season.