Dade Is Happy to Put Last Season Behind Him

By LON EUBANKS

Dec. 18, 1996 12 AM PT

For Cal State Fullerton junior guard Chris Dade, last season definitely started on the wrong foot. Or, with a sore knee, to be exact.

Dade struggled through the Titans’ first seven basketball games with nagging tendinitis.

During that time, Dade scored in double figures only once, getting 11 points against San Diego State in the third game.

The low point came when he was scoreless in 26 minutes in Fullerton’s 72-53 loss against San Francisco.

It wasn’t until the eighth game that Dade was back in good health, and it showed. He played 37 of 40 minutes against Montana and scored 18 points.

Through the next eight games Dade averaged almost 17 points and had a career-high 28 in an 81-73 upset victory over UC Irvine.

Dade looks back on the start of last season as a big disappointment, and that’s one reason he’s so pleased about his performance so far this season.

In the first six games, Dade is averaging 18.2 points and shooting 46.8% from the field. He’s also shooting 50% on three-point attempts (19 of 38). He ranks fifth in scoring in the Big West Conference.

And Dade is a big reason the Titans are a surprising 4-2, their best start since the 1992-93 season.

“I still have some problems with my knee at times, as well as some arthritis in my left wrist, but I’m doing everything I can to try to stay healthy this season,” Dade said. “I go to the training room every day before and after practice. If I can stay healthy, I think I’ll be fine.”

Dade’s consistency has been impressive. He has scored 16 points or more in all six games, including 19 at Montana even though he wasn’t in the best of health.

“I had a really bad cold, and the air was really damp there, which didn’t help,” Dade said. “Several of us were a little sick at that time, but everyone pulled together and we still were able to win.”

The Titans have won three of four games on the road this season, and only Pacific, among Big West teams, has done that well away from home.

“We haven’t been intimidated by playing on the road,” Dade said. “That’s been the most important thing. We go into a situation like that knowing that it’s us against everyone else, and we know we have to play well. This year’s team also is really close. We’re more of a family. We all get along well.”

Dade had his best performance of the season Saturday night, scoring 23 points against Loyola of Chicago. He was seven of 14 from the field, including going five for six from three-point range. Normally one of the team’s best free-throw shooters, Dade was four for four from the line. He also had five assists.

Dade believes he has improved since last season. “I think my shot selection definitely has been better this year,” he said. “I’m trying to focus on really being ready for each game.”

Dade says he’s also optimistic the Titans will continue to show improvement after winning only six of 26 games last season. “I think we’re stronger offensively this season,” he said. “Having more experience and depth, especially at both guards, has helped.”

The Titans are averaging 73 points compared to 67 last season. The Titans are shooting 44.6% from the field to 42.9% for their opponents.

The Titan women’s basketball team is the most successful in the Big West so far. Fullerton is 5-1 heading into the Dial Classic at Arizona State this weekend.

Sophomore center Dee Braxton is giving the Titans the same kind of consistency Dade has been providing the men’s team.

Braxton, who was selected women’s player of the week by the Big West, ranks seventh in conference scoring, seventh in field goal accuracy (49.3%), and is tied for second in rebounding with an average of 9.2.

Braxton’s 29 points and nine rebounds in Fullerton’s 86-82 victory over Georgia State was her strongest individual performance of the season.

The Titans are getting good scoring balance. Three other players are in double figures: Kristin Sigg (12.5), Justine McMahan (11.5) and Andrea Thieme (11.2). Thieme leads the Big West in assists with an average of 5.5.

Titan baseball Coach George Horton is hoping to get a regular-season tournament going again for the 1998 season at Titan Field after the Anaheim Hilton & Towers Classic was canceled for this coming season.

“We’d like to have a six-team tournament with three Big West teams, including ourselves, playing three Southeastern Conference teams over three days, but discussions are still in the preliminary stages,” Horton said. “We should know more about the possibilities in the next couple of weeks.

“The Orange County Sports Assn. would help, but at this point we’re not sure about the sponsorship,” Horton said.

Titan Notes

Cal State Fullerton soccer player Sheldon Thomas has been selected to the second team on the National Soccer Coaches’ Assn. of America All-American team. Thomas, a junior forward, led the Titans in scoring with 39 points on 17 goals and five assists.

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Coming Attractions

Here’s a look at key games this week for Cal State Fullerton:

* Men’s basketball against Pepperdine at 7 p.m. Saturday in Titan Gym. The Titans are 4-2 after defeating Loyola Chicago, 89-68.

* Women’s basketball, against Bradley Saturday night in Arizona State Classic. Fullerton (5-1) is off to its best start since the 1991-92 season.