Shari Williams, far right, leads Cal State Fullerton's hip-hop team's practice inside the main entrance at Titan Gym. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor.

At 7 p.m., Cal State Fullerton’s campus is much quieter than in the daytime.

Students walk past the Student Recreation Center, bundled up in sweatshirts and pants as a group of girls inside the gymnasium talk and stretch in a loose circle. They flip the switch on the portable CD player they have brought along, and when the music starts, the girls come to life.

This is Elevate, CSUF’s hip-hop team, and they are ready to dance.

So why a hip-hop team?

“Ballroom dancing just didn’t work out,” 21-year-old junior business major Kayla Newte laughs. Elevate meets every Monday and Wednesday to practice for up to three hours and is made up of eight women. Senior public relations major Shari Williams, 21, leads the dance crew with grace and authority.

The team warms up together at the beginning of each practice, chatting and joking until Williams calls them to attention, her voice sharp and crisp as she counts out the beat to a new routine.

“We’ve got a fundraiser coming up at a club called Tia Juana’s that we’re preparing for,” Williams said, as the girls practiced behind her. “We do stuff like this every so often to raise money for things like competitions, costumes and other things we need.”

The school’s hip-hop team is underfunded and does not receive as much attention as other teams on campus.

“What a lot of people don’t know about us is that each of the girls has a long background history of dancing,” senior advertising major Alysha Young said. “TV shows like ‘America’s Best Dance Crew’ showed people that there are different forms of dance besides classical ballet, which is what we try to show people when we perform.”

The ladies perform a routine in unison to prepare for their next event. Photo by Nick Marley/Daily Titan Photo Editor.

Elevate has performed at a variety of events, from campus-sponsored events like basketball games, to opening up for rapper Drake at the ASU Fox Theater in San Bernardino.

The girls get together twice a week to practice new routines and keep their dance moves fresh and have formed a tight bond with each other.

With a total of just eight members, this small group often goes unnoticed until they hit the stage, charming the crowd with their infectious smiles and energetic performances.

“We’ve performed at competitions at USC, The Grove in Anaheim, you name it,” Williams said. “We’ve got a talent show fundraiser on March 19 that is helping support victims of the Haiti earthquake that we’re still trying to put together as well.”

Although the group lacks a permanent dance space and university funding, they have found creative solutions to keep their organization going.

With a Facebook page and links to videos and performances on Youtube, CSUF’s hip-hop team has dedicated a lot of time and effort into doing what they all love most – dancing.

While they may not be the most popular dance team on campus, team Elevate is a strong, organized club that has provided these students a chance to express themselves creatively through dance.

Junior Alaina Baker leaps off the balance beam during her performance at Titan Gym versus Michigan State. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer.

Although Cal State Fullerton’s gymnastics team was defeated Friday night, March 12. Spirits remained high as the seniors were recognized and a Titan junior took first place all-around.

CSUF came in second with a 191.250 while Michigan State won with a 194.850. Scoring first place on floor with a 9.900 and first place on all-around with a 39.075, junior Alaina Baker took individual honors for the Titans.

Baker, 18, has perfected her floor routine over the past two years.

Humbly accepting her accomplishments, Baker honors her fellow Titan gymnasts.

“I am really proud of the whole team and everything they’ve done. And they do their best every time,” Baker said.

Michigan State senior Rochelle Robinson, took first place in vault with a 9.850, bars with a 9.825 and beam with a 9.825 to help push the Spartans ahead of the Titans. But the night was all about Fullerton’s seniors.

Seniors Britni Echeverria, Shannon Kawada and Kori Underhill were praised before the meet for their accomplishments as their last season will soon come to an end.

It was a big night for Kawada who competed in two new events, scoring a 9.625 on vault, 9.675 on bars and a 9.300 on floor.

Echeverria was part of a three-way tie for fourth place on bars with a 9.775.

Senior Shannon Kawada exudes confidence in her floor exercise performance. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer.

Underhill scored an 8.750 on beam and an 8.700 on floor.

“We had a strong start on vault and bars, we didn’t do so well on beam, but made up for it on floor,” Kawada said.

Kawada was seen cheering on her teammates and giving hugs and high-fives to keep their spirits high.

“I cheer as loud as I can hoping the girls will feed off my positive energy and I say positive works to motivate them,” Kawada said.

The Titan gymnasts’ spirits were high, but Titan Head Coach Jill Hicks thought the scores should have been higher.

“Their performance was average,” Hicks said. “They did really good on two events, poor on beam and average on floor.”

Hicks explained that the team experienced some falls on beam and floor that were out of character for the athletes; nerves may have played a part. Overall as a team, Hicks feels they could have done better.

Michigan State took advantage of CSUF’s falls earning a score of 48.575 on beam compared to CSUF’s score of 46.500.

However, Hicks did not hesitate to praise those who strived to keep up the team’s morale.

Apart from congratulating Baker, Kawada and Echeverria for their performances, she was very proud of junior Shelly Cooper’s performance.

Cooper tied for third place on vault, her bar routine earned her a 9.750 and her 9.625 floor routine gave off so much energy that some audience members got up and danced.

“Shelly Cooper did very well tonight,” Hicks said.

The CSUF team lost a couple girls to injury but they are said to be able to compete for next week’s competition at Southern Utah.

Titan gymnastics will be hosting its final meet of the year at Titan Gym for the Western Athletic Conference Championships March 27 at 6 p.m. Last year at Sacramento State, the Titans finished fifth in the WAC Championships.

The Titans gather at midcourt during a timeout in the quarterfinals against UCR in the Big West Tournament. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer.

The Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team couldn’t match the physicality of the UC Riverside Highlanders in their quarterfinal match in the Big West Tournament falling 73-54.

“We’ve played bigger teams and we’ve beat them, I mean we out rebounded them, it’s just the shots didn’t fall for us today,” said sophomore guard Megan Richardson.

That could be an understatement seeing that the Titans shot 32.8 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from the free throw line and missing the front end of one-and-ones three times in the second half.

Freshman forward Mya Olivier was the leading scorer for the Titans with 11 points on 4-7 attempts, one of three Titans in double digits.

The Titans had trouble with physical play from UCR, forcing senior captain guard Jasmine Scott to the bench with two fouls just six minutes into the game.

“When one of your starters gets into foul trouble early it definitely changes your game plan,” Foster said.

UCR kept trying to get the three-ball working early but could only get 2-11 shooting from three-point land, but still held the lead going into the locker room at the half 32-24.

Senior guard Britt Peters drives to the basket in a 73-54 loss to UCR. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer.

Since CSUF lost control of the physical play in the second half, they found themselves on the losing end.

The second half was the same as the first with the Highlanders maintaining a double-digit lead throughout, extending the lead to 23 with 6:04 left, but it just wasn’t there for the Titans after their strong performance Thursday night.

“Riverside was sharp from the start, we weren’t and we couldn’t get back on track,” said Titan Head Coach Marcia Foster.

“We battled the whole game but we put them on the line too much.”

CSUF blew out UCR in their first meeting this year in Titan Gym, and lost a two-point game at Riverside Feb. 6.

Although the outcome wasn’t what the Titans were hoping for, UCR had nothing but good things to say about their conference foe.

“It was a hard fought game, we had to play hard, and Fullerton has a great team and is well coached,” said Highlander Head Coach John Margaritis.

“They have players who can score from all over and we had to make them catch the ball where they didn’t want to and we did that today.”

UCR continued on to win the Big West Tournament over UC Davis on Saturday.

This was the final game of Scott’s career at CSUF; unfortunately, it had to end on a sour note, but what she did for the program is evident.

“I’m going to miss her leadership, her persona, just her,” Foster said.

“I just wish she could have been here and win a championship but that’s where this team is headed and she did her part to get us to where we are today.”

Foster finishes her first year as head coach with a 15-17 record, up from last year’s program 10-20.

She is confident about where the program is headed implying that the program is still young and is heading in the right direction, citing Richardson making all-conference as a sophomore and Olivier on an all-freshman team.

The depth of their roster has proven just that.

Photo by Chad Uemera/For the Daily Titan.

The last ride of a roller coaster season that Titan Head Coach Bob Burton termed as “consistently inconsistent,” has ended for the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team.

In the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament, the Titans lost to UC Davis 68-65 for the third time this season, in a game that went down to the wire.

“I would like to congratulate Davis, they deserve to win,” Burton said. “I thought they really competed and made baskets when they needed to.”

Senior forward Gerard Anderson goes up for the slam. Photo by Chad Uemera/For the Daily Titan.

With 1:07 left in the game, UC Davis redshirt freshman guard Ryan Howley made a layup to break a 64-64 tie, which ultimately decided the game.

On the next possession, senior forward Gerard Anderson missed 1-of-2 free throws.

After an Aggie miss, Anderson took the ball the length of the floor only to be stripped when he took it to the basket.

“It was a tough play,” Anderson said. “I just tried to penetrate and ended up losing the ball and if I would’ve made the free throw the play before that, we probably would have gone into overtime.”

Burton would not have drawn it up any other way.

“There’s nobody else I’d rather have shooting the ball than him in that situation,” Burton said. “That’s why we didn’t call timeout because he’s just been absolutely terrific all year long.”

The difference was free throw shooting.

CSUF shot 58.8 percent from the line, as opposed to the Aggies, who knocked down 14-of-16 from the charity stripe.

In a matchup of polar opposites, the Aggies controlled the second half by playing their style of basketball and it took a toll on CSUF’s defense.

“They just came out and they got it going,” Burton said. “We had huge breakdowns defensively.”

Anderson had another great all-around game with 17 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last game as a Titan.

Redshirt junior Jer'Vaughn Johnson celebrates before going to the free throw line. Photo by Chad Uemera/For the Daily Titan.

Redshirt junior forward Jer’Vaughn Johnson had 15 points and six rebounds.

UC Davis junior forward Joe Harden scored 20 points and matched up with Anderson all night.

“It was a battle,” Harden said. “We’ve gotten after each other for two years.”

Anderson set the tone early with two layups in the early going.

Both teams came out firing and there were six lead changes but the tide changed after Johnson’s layup with 7:14 left in the first period and the Titans did not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the half.

Back-to-back three-pointers by sophomore guard Jacques Streeter pushed the Titan lead to 24-17.

Senior guard Aaron Thompson does all he can to block UC Davis freshman guard Ryan Howley's shot. Photo by Chad Uemera/For the Daily Titan.

CSUF got in a comfort zone and Davis could not gain an edge.

Anderson committed his second foul with 6:24 left in the first half and came out of the game with the Titans only up by four.

That’s when other players stepped up.

After senior guard Aaron Thompson’s layup with 1:24 to go, the Titans jumped out to a 10-point lead.

CSUF committed on the defensive end by only allowing the Aggies to shoot 37.5 percent from the field.

The Titans led 33-25 at intermission.

Anderson continued his aggressiveness as he was fouled three times when he went to the basket in the early part of the second half.

However, Davis countered and caught the Titan defense sleeping with five scores inside to a tune of 11 points in the first five minutes.

The Aggies took the lead back after Harden’s layup with 12:25 left in regulation.

Davis slowed the game down and their backdoor cuts wore CSUF down.

With 5:22 to go, Streeter spiked the ball to redshirt sophomore forward Orane Chin for an uncontested dunk.

Anderson can't hold back his emotions after losing to UC Davis. Photo by Chad Uemera/For the Daily Titan.

Thompson then hit a corner three-pointer to put the Titans up 61-60.

The game was tied at 64-64 with 3:28 left until Howley’s score two minutes later.

After the CSUF’s last effort to win failed, junior guard Eric Williams’ cross court heave nearly went in as time expired.

“Even when it got close at the end, I thought we had a couple of opportunities to really break it and get up two or four at crucial times,” Burton said. “We just didn’t come up with the ball when we needed to.”

This ends CSUF’s season with a 16-15 overall record, with five seniors, including two starters, departing.

“We have great seniors, I loved them and I’m really going to miss them but I’m looking forward to seeing where this guy (Anderson), continues his basketball career,” Burton said.

Anderson shared the same sentiment and broke into tears when reflecting on his three years as a Titan, with his first year as a redshirt.

“I’m happy to be a Titan and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Anderson said. “All in all, a great three years here for me and I’m sad to see it all come to an end.”

“I think we feel fortunate to win and I thought we played very well tonight,” Titan Head Coach Bob Burton said.

In a battle of teams that thrive on transition basketball, CSUF locked down on the defensive end.

CSUN could not overcome the Titans’ swarming pressure, which led to 24 points off turnovers.

“The defense all night was terrific,” Burton said. “Tonight we were all on one keel.”

The No. 5 Titans held the No. 8 Matadors to just 39.1 percent shooting.

Redshirt junior forward Jer’Vaughn Johnson dominated the interior – 20 points and 12 rebounds – with his fifth double-double of the season in large part because CSUN’s leading rebounder, junior forward Lenny Daniel sat out because of academic reasons.

“I take the same approach to every game,” Johnson said. “Him (Daniel) not playing really helped us out.”

Junior guard Devon Peltier made five three-pointers on his way to 19 points.

“He hit some major shots tonight which were important,” Burton said. “V.I. coming in and really made the difference.”

The Matador zone defense put Peltier in a groove offensively.

“My eyes do light up when I see a zone,” Peltier said. “They were face-guarding me most of the night. I just try to find gaps in the zone or get open in the corner and they pop it out to me.”

In the early going, both teams stuck to their strengths, pushing the pace and not allowing the defense to set up.

The game started with CSUN jumping out to an early 9-4 lead.

Peltier’s three-pointer tied the game at 15-15.

The Matadors retaliated with a 6-0 run before Peltier ended it with another shot from beyond the arc.

CSUN’s hopes were diminished when Matador senior forward Willie Galick committed two fouls with 10:55 to go.

“I thought the turning point of the game was when Galick got two fouls because we couldn’t guard him and he was causing a lot of problems,” Burton said.

After an Anderson layup with 6:50 left in the game, the layup put the Titans up 26-25 and they did not relinquish the lead for the rest of the half.

With three seconds left, sophomore guard Jacques Streeter’s layup gave the Titans their largest lead of the half at 12.

The Titans finished the half on a 21-8 run and led 45-33 at halftime.

In the final 4:53 of the first period, the Titans did not allow CSUN to make a field goal.

At the start of the second half, the game was seesawing back and forth with CSUF’s double-digit lead still intact.

With 11:24 to go and the Matadors threatening, the Titans made a couple of key defensive plays that led to a fast break where Anderson jumped over CSUN’s redshirt sophomore guard Vinnie McGhee for a thunderous dunk that had the crowd buzzing.

“Guys always say dunks are only two points are really out of it because that’s a touchdown,” Burton said. “We all love that and it really fired our team up.”

CSUN did not let the momentum shift and cut CSUF’s lead to 57-52 with 8:58 to go.

However, the Titans shook out of their funk and went on a 10-0 run.

Senior forward Aaron Thompson’s three-pointer gave CSUF their largest lead of the game at 70-55.

The Matadors still hung in there and cut the lead down to 10.

Johnson scored five unanswered points before fouling out with 2:25 left in regulation.

For the remainder of the contest, the Titans knocked down free throws to preserve the lead and prevent any Matador comeback.

In the second round, the Titans will face off against UC Davis – the Aggies swept the season series – at 8:30 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“We feel good about this game, we’re really excited to play them,” Burton said. “I like the fact that we played tonight, I think that helps you play the game here in this environment.”

Junior guard Lindsey Grove’s 26 and 2-3 from three-point land led the Titans in scoring as CSUF went 32-38 from the free throw line to beat UCI for the second time in two years.

“We were all really fired up when we came out; we’re notorious for playing well in the tournament, that’s what people know about us. We take it to another level and we wanted to keep that going,” Grove said. “Coach Foster has this saying that when it’s crunch time, making free throws is what we do and we take pride in our ability to close games and knock down free throws.”

UCI’s leading scorer, sophomore forward Mikah Maly-Karros, led all scorers with 41 points on 17-31 shooting and was one of two Anteaters in double figures.

“(Maly-Karros) is a good player, she was on my high school team. She made shots but I think we did a good job shutting down their other players. I mean, she had 41 points but they didn’t win so we had good defense on their other players,” sophomore guard Megan Richardson said.

CSUF (15-16, 9-8) did what they promised, grabbing 50 rebounds to UCI’s 36, and scoring 20 second-chance points.

“We had to defend, which we we’re average at. We had to handle the pressure, which we were good at, but could be better, and we had to control the boards and we did that,” Titan Head Coach Marcia Foster said.

The Titan bench also came to play, scoring 18 points to UCI’s 4, after UCI relied heavily on their star Maly-Karros.

UCI (9-21, 6-11) led one time in the game less than a minute in and the Titans refused to be stopped, earning a 14-point lead with 2:24 remaining in the first half.

All but one Titan was able to get on the board as they took an early lead over the Anteaters and got into the bonus early and capitalized on reaching the bonus within the first nine minutes.

The Titans were able to control the UCI offense, only letting Maly-Karros score 12 points at the ten-minute mark.

CSUF led 45-35 at the half, shooting 44.8 percent from the field to UCI’s 35, and dominated the boards 30-15, something that Foster said would be crucial to their success in the tournament.

The second half saw more of the same as the Titans continued to roll and had their largest lead, 16, with 13:12 remaining in the game.

UCI brought the game to within seven with 3:43 left in the game, but the Titans were relentless and built their lead back up to win by 13.

“I had confidence in our team and we’re getting better at weathering the runs because everybody’s going to have a run,” Foster said.

The Titans return to action at noon at the Anaheim Convention Center against No. 3 seed UC Riverside.

“Riverside’s a different team, we need to run the floor, we need to attack, we know we can beat them,” Foster said.

Galaxy forward Chris Birchall drives down the sideline towards the goal. Photo by Camille Tarazon/ Daily Titan Staff Writer.

Video by Derek Opina

The LA Galaxy earned another preseason victory (1-0) over Costa Rica’s Puntarenas FC Wednesday night at Titan Stadium – keeping a record of 4-0-1 in preseason play.

The Galaxy prevailed when midfielder Chris Birchall scored on the last shot of the game. Birchall, who was assisted by midfielder Michael Stephens, made the only mark on the board from 20 yards out.

“I think the first half we dominated, and the second half they brought on a strong team,” Birchall said.

The entire first half was scoreless, with the Galaxy clearly dominating the game with 10 shots and five corner kicks. The closest attempt to score in the first half was made by forward Tristan Bowen in the 17 minute, though the shot ended up hitting off the goal post.

Before the half, Puntarenas FC had no corner kicks as well as a zero scoring chances.

Puntarenas FC quickly changed the momentum in the second half when a shot was put in the goal by Ricardo Garcia in the 52 minute. However, the shot was not allowed because of an off sides call.

Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts, who got action in the goal as the game continued, had two saves.

LA Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena said that Ricketts came up big for them late in the game.

It was a pleasant homecoming for back up goalkeeper Josh Saunders, who played for the Titans for two years.

Although Ricketts tended the goal the entire game, Saunders said that he enjoyed his time back in Titan Stadium.

“Seeing a lot of familiar faces, being on campus, seeing the buildings, and being back here on the field, it brought me back a little bit,” Saunders said.

Galaxy supporters came decked in blue and gold, chanting and cheering for their favorite MLS team.

Most Galaxy jerseys in the audience sported a number 23 for the absent David Beckham, who is on loan to AC Milan’s Serie A Club.

Arena said that the team is progressing while they continue to prepare for the MLS opener.

“We had some chances obviously, this time of year your timing is not what it needs to be in the last third of the field,” he added.

The Galaxy will return home to the Home Depot Center for their home opener March 27.

Arena was pleased with the Orange County fan base at Cal State Fullerton.

“I think I can speak on behalf of the Galaxy that we’d love to come back and do this again,” Arena said.

Junior goaltender Alex Miller stretches out to make the save against the Northern Arizona University Ice Jacks. Photo by Brian Evans/ For the Daily Titan.

The Cal State Fullerton Titan Ice Hockey club wrapped up their season a few weeks ago, but the team is already looking forward to another hard-working and exciting year.

After finishing their first full season with an 11-16 record, the Titans are optimistic about what is to come.

The team is only getting better as time progresses and gaining confidence every time they step onto the ice.

This past season, the Titans faced tougher competitors than the prior exhibition season, from local teams such as Long Beach State, San Diego State and USC to non-local opponents such as the University of Utah, Northern Arizona University and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

According to a Titan Ice Hockey newsletter, the upcoming schedule for next season is in its final stages and will include new destinations to Washington and San Jose.

“This season is helping us set up for next season,” said sophomore center Dalton Braniff, a 20-year-old advertising major.

Since player chemistry is essential in team sports, he also mentioned that the team is bonding more and getting used to playing as a team.

During the offseason, the team will continue conditioning and weight training in order to stay in shape and to build relationships among teammates.

But as new players may find themselves on the roster this coming season, more bonds will have to be made to ensure that team unity maintains its status quo.

It may sound like taking a step back, but it could be for the better.

The Titans had acquired 14 new players during the 2009-2010 season and doing so helped them elevate their play and compete in the higher level Div. II

Titan junior defensmen Kyle Levindofske picks up the physical play and delivers a big hit on an NAU forward. Photo by Brian Evans/For the Daily Titan.

league.

Fortunately, many of the new skaters were freshmen who would most likely contribute a few more years to the team.

Regardless, next season is not going to be easy.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said junior forward Chad Pelliccioni, a 24-year-old advertising major, “but we’re definitely going to be a lot stronger next season.”

This is true for both the team and the individual.

With spring tryouts just around the corner, this is an opportunity for not only the current players, but all other CSUF student prospects to prove themselves on the ice to represent their university.

“We will be better prepared next season,” said senior forward Blake Dorman, a 25-year-old history major.

With more practice and bringing in more talent during the off-season, this sounds like a likely scenario.

The team is always looking for support, on and off the ice.

Especially when it comes to raising funds to pay for league fees.

This past season, the club offered many different ways to support the team with a booster club offering a free T-shirt with any donation.

For every $100 donated, a season ticket was given for all Titan home games.

Titan home jerseys were also for sale upon order.

Any funds earned will support player equipment, training and travel expenses.

As each season is another step to building their success.

The Titan Ice Hockey club encourages those who have a passion for the sport and want to come out and help the Titan cause as an athlete or supporter.

The spring tryouts for the 2010-2011 season will take place Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at KHS Ice Arena. The season will begin in September.

Anderson has led the Titans with 14.7 points per game during Big West play. Photo by Mark Samala/For the Daily Titan.

Cal State Fullerton senior forward Gerard Anderson’s super athleticism and jaw-dropping dunks have harvested numerous “oh’s and ah’s” for the past two seasons.

Anderson, a 22-year-old communications major, was named to the All-Big West First Team for his stellar play this season, but this only scratches the surface.

What no one sees behind the scenes is the support system that has been there for Anderson even when times were tough.

“My mother taught me and my brothers and sisters to always look out for each other and never to turn your back on family,” Anderson said.

His close-knit family – seven kids in all, with Gerard being the second youngest – has an indestructible bond.

“Playing at the parks with my brother, playing in the rain with my family, being the youngest boy – they roughed me up all the time,” Anderson said. “My family has everything to do with my success.”

The one who has seen it all from day one is his number one fan, his mother, Kathy Houston, who has been to every game since he was five, excluding games that were out of state.

“I remember my first game for the junior Lakers at St. Andrew’s Park, I could remember me and my mom walking to the park and getting food before the game,” Anderson said.

Houston drove him everywhere just so he could ignite his passion and reach his dream of making the NBA.

“Every game that he had, I was always the one driving him to the games. We would get there two or three games before the actual game,” Houston said. “We would sit there from sun up to sun down.”

Playing Amateur Athletic Union ball, going on trips to Nevada and Texas, all came with a heavy financial burden.

“I was working at the time, I wouldn’t take a lunch break so I could leave early and take Gerard to all his games,” Houston said.

Driving up to San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara were just some of the miles the family racked up.

“This has been Gerard’s dream ever since he was five years old,” Houston said.

During home games, who is the first person out of their seat when Anderson makes a play? His mother, whose passion can be spotted from the nosebleeds.

“My mom loves to come support (me), she’s definitely been real supportive ever since I’ve started playing basketball,” Anderson said.

Family and friends attended senior night March 6, in Anderson’s last collegiate home game with posters of support and cameras capturing memories of a terrific Titan career.

An emotional Houston was in tears after Anderson was introduced in a ceremony before the game.

Tears of a mother’s devotion to her son’s dream were being realized in one special moment.

“Everyone used to tell him, ‘Gerard, you could be one in a million,’” Houston said. “I told him ‘Don’t let that stop you, you could be that one in a million.’”

It has not always been easy for Houston, who lost her husband – Gerard’s biological father – to a heart attack before Anderson was born.

Since the age of two his stepfather, Parker Wynn, has been main staple in their household and has had a great influence on Anderson’s life.

“Parker has been there since day one and he is definitely the only father figure I’ve had my whole life,” Anderson said.

After high school, moving away from his family to attend Saddleback College made him put everything in perspective.

“I was in a completely different environment,” Anderson said. “It shows you where you can go as a person, being out on your own and paying your own bills, it really helped me mature.”

Anderson transferred to CSUF but redshirted his first year.

In his first season on the court, he was recognized with an All-Big West Honorable Mention but knew that more work needed to be done.

“I worked on everything all summer. I didn’t go home, I stayed here (Fullerton),” he said. “I basically lived in Titan Gym.”

Anderson has stepped into a leadership role and his family has been far and wide to see him shine in his final year, including his miraculous play against UCLA and Cal State Northridge.

He has carried over his family-first values to his teammates, being a mentor to the younger players.

“He’s just full of energy; he’s always making jokes and he’s always positive,” said redshirt junior center Bryce Webster. “You can always talk to him because he’s a down to earth guy.”

He has put in extra time before and after practice and it has rubbed off on the entire team, Webster said.

“Basketball has always been Gerard’s sport,” Houston said. “He ate and slept basketball.

After the Big West Tournament, Anderson will be ready to embark on a new chapter of his life, actively chasing his dream to play professional basketball.

“I plan on playing professional somewhere, wherever the road takes me,” he said. “I would love to stay in the states, if it takes me out of the country I’m going to pursue that until I can’t play anymore.”

No matter where basketball takes him, his family will be right behind him.

The Titans are now 0-4 in the DeMarini Tournament and 3-17 overall.

“I feel a lot better after this game than I have in the past,” said Head Coach Michelle Gromacki.

Junior pitcher Ari Cervantes started in the circle against the Tar Heels and pitched a scoreless five innings where only two hits were allowed.

“Our defense did a really good job tonight and we’re getting sharper,” Cervantes said. “Our offense needs to improve a little bit but I’m not worried about it. I think it will come around.”

At the top of the sixth inning, the Tar Heels’ junior third baseman Brittany Robinson had a two-run double and senior right fielder Anna Roberts hit a two-run home run making the score, going into the bottom of the sixth, 4-0.

“We have to learn to finish the game,” Cervantes said.

At the bottom of the seventh inning, redshirt freshmen pitcher Katey Laban came in to relieve Cervantes.

“I got too comfortable and my pitches weren’t moving off the plate like they were in the beginning and it showed,” Cervantes said.

Freshman pinch hitter Haleigh Dickey had a two-run double for the Tar Heels in the top of the seventh off Laban.

The scoreboard read 6-0 and the Titans had one last chance to strike back.

Junior first baseman K.C. Craddick was the only Titan to get on base even though it was a walk.

“My goal was to get on base anyway I could, get hit by a pitch, it didn’t matter,” Craddick said. “I wanted to get something going, even if it was late.”

Two flyouts after Craddick’s walk, the game came to an end.

On Friday, the Titans go on to play Santa Clara in San Jose.

“This game is taking us into the weekend feeling good,” Craddick said.

Gromacki said that she was devastated about a particular loss last weekend and that some of the players were also, but that was a problem because some of the players weren’t.

“The problem is getting better,” Gromacki said. “It will reveal itself when the time is right, they’re either going to hop on board or they’re not going to be here.”

The team needs to stay focused on the games and competing that they have coming up and continue to move on and keep going Gromacki said.

“If we focused on winning or losing we’d be in the tank,” Gromacki said.

When Gromacki was asked what the team needed to work on to prepare for Santa Clara, all that was said was “offense.”

“Coach tells us to leave it on the field and the results will take care of themselves,” Craddick said.

Sophomore lefthander David Hurlbut struck out three Waseda batters in two innings. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer

The Cal State Fullerton baseball team hosted the Bears of Waseda University from Tokyo, Japan Tuesday night in an exhibition game where the Titans were able to come away with a 3-0 win heading into the San Diego State tournament that starts Thursday.

Titan senior starting pitcher Kyle Mertins went three scoreless innings, surrendering only one hit and no runs, walking two and striking out two.

“Kyle did a good job setting the tone early by throwing first pitch strikes and that’s what we need to do a better job at is whoever is representing us on the mound needs to go out and get strike one and get the momentum going,” Head Coach Dave Serrano said.

Like Seattle Mariner Ichiro Suzuki, many of the Japanese players have unorthodox approaches in the batter’s box, but Mertins wasn’t fooled by their aggressive nature.

“I just tried to go at it as a normal hitter. They had a lot of guys crowding the plate and I just tried to throw how I throw and pound strikes,” Mertins said.

Another unusual aspect the Titans had to play with is wooden bats. The college ranks in Japan only use wood sticks and the Titans went along with the program, despite the unfamiliar feel of the bats.

“With wood you have to be sure when you swing it, and you have to go all the way or it will hurt and be a chopper and that’s what we did tonight,” junior center fielder Gary Brown said. “We’ve been unsure when swinging, but wood makes you be sure.”

Fullerton got on the board early when Brown laid a bunt down the third baseline and moved to third on a single from redshirt freshman designated hitter Carlos Lopez. The next batter, sophomore first baseman Nick Ramirez, flied a ball to left center that dropped in to score Brown giving the Titans an early 1-0 lead after one.

Waseda starter Yuki Saito pitched four innings giving up one earned run, five hits and no walks.

In the fifth inning, after freshman second baseman Richie Pedroza laid down a perfect bunt that came to a stop on the third baseline chalk as the Bears’ players watched it come to a stop, Pedroza was chased back to the bag on a pick off and Pedroza remained on the ground injured to be replaced by redshirt freshman pinch runner Matt Orloff.

Lopez reached on an error by shortstop Takashi Goto and Lopez drew a walk on a 3-1 count to load the bases for Ramirez, but Ramirez couldn’t cash in striking out on three straight pitches to end the inning.

To the seventh, junior catcher Zach Tanida singled to right field, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Orloff, who also reached base after an error. With two on junior shortstop Christian Colon dropped down another sacrifice bunt and reached first safely after a the throw from the third baseman allowed Tanida to score the second run of the game extending the Titan lead to 2-0.

Brown came to the plate and lined a 3-1 pitch passed the drawn-in infield to score Orloff from third making the score 3-0 and leaving Colon at second and Brown at first with no one out.

But the Titans couldn’t capitalize on the runners in scoring position as relief pitcher Kensuke Ono shut the Titans down to end the inning.

Freshman Dylan Floro came in to close out the ninth and put down the Bears, striking out two in the inning, including the final out looking.

“This was a great example of how to play the game. I have a lot of respect for how the Japanese play baseball; they throw strikes they play defense and put the ball in play and I was surprised we struck out as many as we did. But they play the game with a lot of passion and a lot of discipline,” Serrano said.

(Video by Derek Opina)

The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team was swept by UC Davis, 92-86 in overtime on Saturday at Titan Gym, ending their hopes of obtaining a first-round bye.

On senior night, the Titans dropped their second straight Big West game and fell to the No. 5 seed in the Big West Tournament after starting the week at No. 3.

“I told our guys we have to do a way better job of getting our fire and passion back, we kind of look like a tired basketball team right now,” said Titan Head Coach Bob Burton.

Senior forward Gerard Anderson and sophomore guard Jacques Streeter led the Titans with 23 points.

Anderson was 11-of-11 from the line and Streeter knocked down crucial shots, but none was more important than his three-pointer at the end of regulation.

UC Davis senior forward Dominic Calegari was unstoppable inside and tied his career-high with 28 points.

“Calegari destroyed us in the second half and that was the difference,” Burton said. “We left him for three’s when we weren’t supposed to and he was such a load inside.”

The Aggies set the tone early by contesting shots and not letting the Titans get any easy rebounds on the offensive glass.

CSUF didn’t help their cause by starting 3-of-17 from the field.

“We didn’t show a lot of fire at the beginning of the game and we got ourselves down like we’ve done throughout the year and constantly chasing,” Burton said.

UC Davis sophomore guard Adam Malik made three shots from behind the arc to put UC Davis in control – with their largest lead of 13 with 4:03 left in the first half.

Junior guard Devon Peltier gave the Titans some life with three consecutive free throws – after being fouled on a three-point attempt – and made two treys to spark a Titan run.

However, UC Davis had other plans.

The Aggies drove into the lane aggressively and matched every CSUF point.

Streeter made a jump shot at the buzzer – CSUF made their last 4-of-5 shots to end the first half – but the Titans were still down 38-28 at intermission.

At the start of the second half, CSUF started with a 13-4 run to cut the Aggie lead to one, but Calegari responded with five straight points.

As the teams traded baskets, the Titans got back into the game with key scores inside by Anderson.

“He (Anderson) helped bring us back and defensively too,” Burton said. “The only time we stopped Calegari was when he (Anderson) was guarding him.”

After Streeter’s pass inside to redshirt junior Jer’Vaughn Johnson for a layup, the Titans tied the game for the first time at 64-64.

Peltier’s three-pointer brought CSUF back within one with less than two minutes to go.

A big blow to the Titan’s hopes was when Anderson fouled out with 43 seconds left in the game.

With 22 seconds left in the second half – the Titans were down by three – Peltier hoisted a trey that was off the mark but senior guard Aaron Thompson grabbed the rebound and dished the ball out to Streeter.

Streeter then knocked down a three-pointer with 9.6 seconds left and tied the game at 75-75, pushing the game into overtime.

“I knew that we needed a bucket to send it into overtime and I just came down, gave him a hesitation and pulled up,” Streeter said. “It happened to go in and I’m blessed that it went in.”

Streeter made two free throws with 3:49 left in overtime to give the Titans their first lead of the game.

In the extra period, Calegari hit another big shot to push the Aggies’ lead to 86-81.

After a held ball going Davis’ way, the Titans did not allow the Aggies to inbound the ball on consecutive possessions, which burned two timeouts.

However, Davis knocked down their free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

“Senior nights are always very difficult, I never liked them from the standpoint of winning,” Burton said. “I really liked them for the seniors but it just adds a whole different deal to the game.”

The Titans will start from scratch as they move on to the Big West Tournament.

“Coach talked about a lack of passion on our part,” Anderson said. “I don’t know how to change it, but we know what the problems are, we just have to fix it.”

CSUF will need to figure it out fast, as they will move on to the Big West Tournament on Mar. 10 at the Anaheim Convention Center against No. 8 Cal State Northridge at 6 p.m.

Video by Derek Opina

Junior center fielder Torrie Anderson trots home after her home run against Stanford. Photo by Camille Tarazon/Daily Titan Staff Writer.

The Cal State Fullerton softball team hosted a tough game against the Stanford Cardinal in the 2010 DeMarini Invitational that ended in a 13-1 five inning affair Friday, March 5, at Anderson Family Field.

“It’s not really where you start the season but where you end,” said Titan junior center fielder Torrie Anderson.

With a rough start the Titans allowed two runs in the first inning. The Titan offense wasn’t much help.

With two outs and runners on first and second, senior right fielder Kadie Baldwin popped one out to Cardinal sophomore center fielder Sarah Hassman made a diving catch that stifled the Titans from possibly loading the bases, but instead ended the first inning.

Junior right-hander Ari Cervantes and the Titans continued to struggle in the second inning with a throwing error by freshman shortstop Gabby Aragon which enabled junior designated hitter Jenna Becerra to score for the Cardnials.

The following play, with runners on first and second Cardinal freshman shortstop Jenna Rich blasted the ball just out of the reach of Anderson in center field for a three-run home run. In the bottom of the third inning with the score at 6-0, in favor of Stanford, Anderson slammed her team-best sixth home run of the season over the left field wall for CSUF.

Anderson’s home run went on to be Fullerton’s only run in the game for the Titans.

“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run,” Anderson said. “I just wanted to make a connection and hopefully have it drop in a hole.”

Top of the fourth inning things got more difficult for the Titans as Stanford added on to their lead when Rich homered for the second time.

Cardinal senior catcher Rosey Neill drove in another run on a double.

Sophomore right fielder Maya Burns hit a two-run home run. Stanford came out of the fourth inning with four hits in and four runs, making it even tougher for CSUF to retaliate.

Sophomore pitcher Krystal Heinle came in to relieve Cervantes to try and help the Titans get back in game.

Cervantes allowed nine earned runs in a little over three innings.

“I just wanted to go in there and help my team out,” Heinle said.

Heinle hit a batter and threw an illegal pitch at the beginning of her appearance in the pitcher’s circle. The fourth inning ended with a score of 10-1.

The Titans were unable to respond to the Cardinal’s fourth inning onslaught.

Heinle continued to struggle in the circle in the top of the fifth with wild and illegal pitches which allowed three more runs to score for the visiting Cardinals, because of a home run by left fielder Haber, a sacrifice fly by Burns and a run scoring wild pitch, the game would end in the bottom of the fifth inning 13-1.

Junior pitcher Ashley Chinn earned the win for the Cardinals, only allowing Anderson’s one run and sophomore pinch hitter Morgan LeMond’s single throughout the entire game.

“I think we have to hit the ball,” senior third baseman Sheila Holguin said. “Obviously we are not hitting right now. (We) got to hit the ball and put pressure on the other team.”

Chinn struck out five Titans in her three inning start.

“Every game that we’ve lost is teaching us something,” Heinle said after the game.

With this loss, the Titans’ overall record fell to 3-14.

“I just want to figure out who cares right now really,” Titan Head Coach Michelle Gromacki said. “I’m devastated and think some of our players are devastated and I think some are not and that’s our problem right now.”

(Video by Derek Opina)

The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team’s lost their chance of obtaining the number two seed in the Big West Tournament and were swept by University of the Pacific, 70-64 at Titan Gym on Thursday night.

“I thought our guys really played hard and competed but they (Pacific) just outplayed us, they deserved to win the game,” said Titan Head Coach Bob Burton.

CSUF battled on the interior but could never get anything easy.

“Both teams were playing pretty good defense, but obviously they did better than we did,” Burton said.

Pacific’s stifling defense gave CSUF headaches all game and their second half surge dug the Titans’ a hole they could not get out of.

“We just let it get away from us,” senior forward Gerard Anderson said.

It came down to concentration and execution on both ends of the floor, Anderson said.

Anderson filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Redshirt junior forward Jer’Vaughn Johnson led the Titans with 18 points and eight rebounds.

Pacific junior forward Sam Willard was a force inside with his fifth double-double of the season, with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

However, it was Pacific’s two reserves, junior forward Pat Eveland and freshman guard Allen Huddleston who combined for 28-of-32 bench points to catch the Titans off guard.

After a 7-7 tie early in the game, CSUF held Pacific scoreless for over five minutes, but could only muster two field goals during that stretch.

A 9-2 Titan run made the score 16-9 – their largest lead of the game – but the Tigers would climb back into the game.

Eveland’s jumper gave the Tigers their first lead at 26-25 with 3:43 left in the first half.

The Titans fired back with a layup by sophomore guard Jacques Streeter and back-to-back three-pointers by Anderson and redshirt sophomore forward Orane Chin.

Willard’s three-point play cut into the Titan lead and CSUF went into intermission up 32-31.

After two baskets by Pacific senior forward Joe Ford to start the second half, the Titans went on an 8-0 run.

“We didn’t get enough stops defensively,” Streeter said. “We went on a run, and we just got complacent with ourselves and then they went on a run.”

Pacific took the lead back with 12:25 to go and continued to play swarming defense on the Titans.

We had a nice run and we got a lot of momentum, they took a timeout and all of a sudden we hit that wall and we couldn’t score,” Burton said.

Capped by a 21-5 run, the Tigers wrapped up the game and the number two seed in next week’s Big West Tournament.

This makes it their third straight Big West home loss, with their conference home win coming on Jan. 30 against UC Irvine.

“Defense wins games, we have to go out there and play defense and the offense will take care of it,” Streeter said.

Their next game will be against UC Davis on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. at Titan Gym.