Fullerton’s Caldwell and Irvine’s Korfman Return to Court

Senior Matt Caldwell rejoined the Cal State Fullerton’s basketball team Saturday after missing seven games because of swollen lymph nodes and an inflamed spleen, and junior David Korfman, UC Irvine’s 7-foot-2 center, returned to practice last week. Caldwell played nine minutes in Fullerton’s 94-69 loss to UC Santa Barbara, scoring three points.

“I had lost about 12 to 15 pounds, and I was a little tired in my first game back,” Caldwell said. “I’ll just have to work my way back into it and get in better shape.”

Doctors told Caldwell that they think he had a viral infection similar to mononucleosis.

“My spleen still has some scar tissue, but it’s not inflamed, so they said I could try to play again,” he said.

Korfman, who had started five games for the Anteaters, had two steel plates inserted in his skull during emergency brain surgery, the result of a New Year’s Day fall that happened after he passed out while lifting weights.

Korfman wore a thin cloth cap and a protective rubber helmet to cover the eight-inch scar on the back of his head last week in practice. The helmet is similar to those used in karate competitions.

“I think I’ll enjoy it more when I’m playing again,” he said. “Being with my teammates in practice, it’s lovely.”

Korfman must wear the protective head gear for the rest of the season.

“I think I can get into the game [tonight] if [doctors] let me,” he said. “But only the doctors know what’s best for me.”

Korfman said doctors believe he may have passed out because he had low blood sugar and over-exerted himself in the weight room after a three-hour basketball practice. He’ll be examined again this week.

KNIGHT PLEASED

The Cal State Fullerton women’s gymnastics team competed in meets at San Jose State Saturday and at UCLA Sunday, and Coach Julie Knight said she was pleased with the Titans’ effort.

The Titans won their first dual meet of the season against San Jose State and finished third behind national powers UCLA and Alabama in a four-team meet at UCLA. Southern Utah was fourth.

“We were happy with that,” Knight said. “We were especially glad to beat Southern Utah. They had been ranked ahead of us frequently in the past, but we suspected that they weren’t better than us. This was the first time we were on the same floor with them, and we beat them by about three points.”

Defending national champion UCLA had 197.5 points, Alabama 196.975, Fullerton 194.4 and Southern Utah 191.525.

Junior Katie Antolin competed for the first time since injuring her shoulder last June, and junior Megan Berry competed in floor exercise for the first time this season since breaking a bone in her foot about eight weeks ago.

“Before this weekend, Megan had been able to compete only on bars, so we hope she will be able to start doing more now,” Knight said.

Berry was eighth in the all-around at the Big West Conference championships last season.

“I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made,” Knight said. “We’re deeper this season than we have been.”

The Titans’ next meet is at home Saturday night against California.

CHAPMAN ALIVE

Chapman is still in the hunt for an NCAA Division III at-large playoff berth in men’s basketball. But it would behoove the Panthers (14-5) to win their final six games to make a good impression on the selection committee, according to Coach Mike Bokosky.

“The teams we play the rest of the way are like us,” Bokosky said. “We have a chance to win. But last year we were 18-5 going into our final two games and lost both of those by a basket and we didn’t get a chance to go to the playoffs,”

The Panthers travel to Phoenix for games at Southwestern College Thursday and American Indian College Saturday. Tim Werdel (14.2 points) leads Chapman in scoring.

NOTABLE

UC Irvine’s women’s water polo team will conduct an intrasquad scrimmage at the campus pool at 1:30 p.m. today. The event is open to the public. The Anteaters open their first season Feb. 8-9 at the UC San Diego Tournament. . . . Defending Golden State Athletic Conference champion Vanguard (13-6, 6-4) is in fourth place in the women’s basketball race. Azusa Pacific (14-5, 10-0) is in first and Westmont (15-7, 8-2) is in second. Vanguard lost to Azusa Pacific Tuesday, 76-68 . . . . Women’s tennis player Darian Chappell and men’s soccer player Tyler Reid were named UC Irvine’s Big West Conference scholar-athletes of the year. Chappell earned All-Big West honors in singles and doubles each of her three years at Irvine and was ranked as high as No. 12 in the country in doubles last season. Reid, a goalkeeper, started all 21 games for the Anteaters, posting 87 saves and six shutouts. He had a 1.40 goals-against average.

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Times staff writer Paul McLeod contributed to this report.