Oct. 29, 2008

IRVINE, CA - The Cal State Fullerton women's basketball team was picked to finish in the middle of the pack in the Big West Conference for the upcoming 2008-09 season, selected to finish fourth by the media and sixth by the league's coaches at the conference's annual media day event at the Irvine Hilton on Wednesday.

The Titans received 34 points to finish one point back of Cal Poly for sixth place in the coaches poll while the media in attendance gave Fullerton 56 points to finish fourth, five points ahead of Long Beach State.

UC Riverside was the unanimous choice to win the conference, picked by both the coaches and the media to take home the title. UC Santa Barbara (2nd coaches, tied for second media) and UC Davis (third coaches, tied for second media) followed in the top three with the remaining squads a jumble according to the two polls.

Cal State Fullerton finished last season 11-19 overall and 8-8 in the Big West for a fifth-place tie, but the Titans return the bulk of their squad for the upcoming campaign, bringing back four starters and their top five scorers from a season ago.

Senior Toni Thomas, a two-time All-Big West First-Team selection who has also led the league in scoring over the past two seasons, was one of six players selected to the league's preseason all-conference team.

Thomas averaged 17.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game as a junior, shooting 47 percent from the field and just under 80 percent from the free throw line. She became the fifth player to lead the league in scoring twice and only the fourth to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.

Fullerton hits the court for the first time in 2008-09 with an exhibition contest against Cal State Los Angeles on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 1 p.m. before opening the regular season on Nov. 14 against Santa Clara at Titan Gym.

2008 BIG WEST BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY
Oct. 29, 2008

COACHES POLL
1. UC Riverside (5 first place votes) - 60 points
2. UC Santa Barbara (2) - 55
3. UC Davis (2) - 47
4. Pacific - 44
5. Cal Poly - 35
6. Cal State Fullerton - 34
7. Long Beach State - 25
8. UC Irvine - 14
9. Cal State Northridge - 10

MEDIA POLL
1. UC Riverside (4) - 89
t2. UC Davis (2) - 83
t2. UC Santa Barbara (5) - 83
4. Cal State Fullerton - 56
5. Long Beach State - 51
6. Pacific - 49
7. Cal Poly - 42
8. UC Irvine - 21
9. Cal State Northridge - 16

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Haylee Donaghe - UC Davis
Karina Figueroa - Long Beach State
Seyram Gbewonyo - UC Riverside
Jenna Green - UC Santa Barbara
Kemie Nkele - UC Riverside
Toni Thomas - Cal State Fullerton