COLLEGES:Lions put streak on the line

The Vanguard University women’s basketball team is hoping what went around two seasons ago, doesn’t come back around tonight.

Coach Russ Davis’ Lions (12-0, 7-0 in the Golden State Athletic Conference), ranked No. 1 in NAIA Division I, put their unbeaten record on the line when they play host to No. 13-ranked Point Loma Nazarene (12-3, 7-0) at 5:30 p.m.

Vanguard has won 45 straight regular-season games heading into the contest against Point Loma, which was the last team to hand the Lions a regular-season loss.

The Sea Lions defeated Vanguard, 69-64, in San Diego, on Feb 8, 2005.

The Lions are the only unbeaten team in the top 25, after No. 2-ranked Oklahoma City (15-1) lost at Lubbock Christian, 68-61, Thursday, and No. 11-ranked Carroll College of Montana (19-1) was defeated, 74-51, by Montana Western Saturday.

Lubbock Christian is the school that upset Vanguard in last season’s NAIA semifinal in Jackson, Tenn.

Coach John Speraw’s Anteaters take a 6-0 record into Wednesday’s match at Cal State Northridge.

BYU, which swept two home matches against No. 3-ranked UCLA on Friday and Saturday, is No. 2 in Monday’s NCAA poll. UCI meets the Cougars in back-to-back matches Feb. 1-2, in Provo, Utah.

Seniors Matt Webber and David Smith, as well as sophomore backup setter Ryan Ammerman, debuted their Mohawk haircuts before the home fans against Hawaii.

Webber, a second-team All-American opposite, said he started the trend, when he shaved all but a patch of hair down the middle of his scalp to resemble ultimate fighting champion Chuck Liddell for Halloween.

“[Coach John Speraw] saw me the next day and said ‘You’re keeping that,’ ” Webber said.

Coach Molly Tuter’s Anteaters, who begin a stretch of five straight road games Thursday at UC Riverside, have won three of their last six, including a 2-2 start in Big West Conference play.

Kronemann, a four-time All-American at UCI from 1987-90, is a first-year coach at his alma mater. He guided Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to a 64-65 mark the last four seasons.

By contrast, the men’s basketball team has averaged 1,974 for its first six home games, though at least half of those were when school was out.

Speraw said Saturday that the 6-foot-7 Osborn, has been practicing with the Anteaters and he has a future in the program, despite having no previous organized volleyball experience.