Cal State-L.A.'s Tokoro scores 29 in victory

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

Looks like there will be no sophomore slump for Monica Tokoro of the Cal State-Los Angeles women's basketball team.

Tokoro, a 2001 Iolani School graduate from 'Aiea, scored 29 points and dished nine assists on Saturday as Cal State-L.A. defeated Vanguard (Calif.) in its season opener, 87-62, in Los Angeles.

"Five of Monica's nine assists on Saturday came on 3 pointers," Cal State-LA spokesman Chris Hughes noted. "Her assists were good for a total of 23 points. Add that to the 29 she actually scored and Monica was responsible for 52 of our 87 points.

In her freshman season, Tokoro, who was a three-time Interscholastic League of Honolulu scoring champion at Iolani, averaged 14.0 points and 5.5 assists per game.

Cal State-L.A. will play in the Hoop N Surf Classic in Honolulu Dec. 18-19.

HOOP NOTES

Sophomore Aritta Lane ('Aiea '01) scored 15 points for Fresno State on 6-for-8 shooting in an 82-68 season-opening loss to Michigan State. Lane made two 3-pointers, nearly matching her total last season. ... Sophomore Brandy Richardson (Kalaheo '01) started at power forward the first two games of the season for 25th-ranked UC-Santa Barbara. Richardson got nine rebounds against North Carolina State. ... Junior post Katannya Kapeli (Kamehameha '00 of Kane'ohe) scored 14 as Pacific (Ore.) opened with a 69-61 home victory over Western Baptist. ... Sophomore Keesha Aldridge ('Aiea '01) has cracked the starting lineup at Cal State-Dominguez Hills.

SWIMMING

• U. of San Diego

Five records in three weeks is the remarkable imprint left so far by freshman Ashley Swart (Kaiser '02) on the University of San Diego swimming record book.

In a meet against Pepperdine and Nevada on Nov. 16, Swart:

• Broke the school record in the 400-yard individual medley by nearly a second-and-a-half with a time of 4 minutes, 21.50 seconds.

Her time lowered her own previous personal best of 4:23.15 by nearly 2 seconds and met the "consideration" requirement of the NCAA championships.

• Broke the school record — for the third time in three weeks — in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:19.00 victory. That one made her debut on Taper & Shave magazine's College Top 50 list.

She also has broken the 1,000-yard freestyle school record.

Next up for Swart is her first major collegiate meet, the Speedo Cup, Dec. 5-7 in Long Beach.