COLLEGES:

The Vanguard University women’s basketball team returns to its home away from home this week, when the Lions visit Jackson, Tenn. for the Rotary Classic.

The Lions, who annually return to Jackson to compete in the postseason NAIA Championship tournament, are ranked No. 2 in the NAIA heading into their season opener Thursday against No. 11 Lambuth (Tenn.) in the Rotary Classic, hosted by Union University.

Vanguard, which lost five of its top seven players from last year’s 31-1 squad that was upset for the second straight season in the national semifinals, has a talented new cast to go with returners Jessica Richter, the reigning National Player of the Year, Melissa Cook, Lindsey Rinke and Jaclyn Blied.

Coach Russ Davis, however, is unsure what to expect in his team’s three games in Jackson, including dates with No. 8-ranked Freed-Hardman (Tenn.) Friday and top-ranked Union Saturday.

“We could go 3-0, 0-3, 1-2 or 2-1,” said Davis, who believes a handful of minor injuries that have carried over from last season and occurred early in preseason practices, could lead to a slow start.

Whether the Lions win or lose, Davis will surely enjoy his time in Jackson, where his frequent visits have prompted some locals to nickname him the Mayor.

The Lions don’t play their first home game until Dec. 1 against Golden State Athletic Conference rival The Master’s.

Vanguard open’s conference play Nov. 27 at Cal Baptist.

 The UC Irvine men’s basketball team faces two former Big West Conference rivals this week in Nevada (tonight at the Anaheim Convention Center) and Utah State (Saturday night at the Bren Events Center).

The suspension that kept senior center Darren Fells on the bench for Friday’s season-opening win over Loyola Marymount will end after the Nevada game, Coach Pat Douglass said Friday. That means Fells is set to make his season debut Saturday against the Aggies.

 The UCI women’s soccer team had the lead in the 81st minute of regulation, but lost in double overtime, 2-1, to Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals of the Big West Conference Tournament Friday at Cal State Fullerton.

The Titans went on to defeat Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 4-3, in penalty kicks after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer in Sunday’s final to earn the conference’s one and only bid into the 64-team NCAA Tournament.

First-year coach Scott Juniper’s Anteaters finished 11-7-2, matching or topping the victory total of 16 teams in the NCAA Tournament field.

 Cal Poly’s season-ending loss Sunday ended the collegiate soccer career of Costa Mesa High legend Sharon Day.

Day, the 2005 NCAA high jump champion, led the Mustangs in goals (three) and points (seven, with two for a goal and one for an assist), this season. She finishes a brilliant four-year career with 27 goals and 14 assists.

Day converted on her penalty kick Sunday, which pulled Cal Poly even, 3-3.

 Jasmin Day, Sharon’s younger sister, led Arizona with nine points as a freshman this season (four goals and one assist), though the Wildcats finished the women’s soccer campaign 6-13-1.

 UCI senior two-meter man Tim Hutten set a school record with nine goals in Wednesday’s 18-6 nonconference men’s water polo win over visiting UC San Diego.

Hutten, heading into Saturday’s regular-season finale at USC at noon, has 58 goals in the 16 games in which he has played this season. His 3.63 goals per game lead the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

UCI senior Colin Mello ranks fifth among conference scorers with 40 goals in 16 games (2.5 per contest).

 Freshman Kari Pestolesi leads the UCI women’s volleyball team in kills (434), kills per game (4.1) and service aces (37).

Not bad, considering the 5-foot-11 outside hitter has played the entire season with a fractured right big toe that will require surgery after the season.

“In the beginning of the season it was pretty tough,” Pestolesi said of the injury. “But I knew it wasn’t going to get any better and it wasn’t going to get any worse.”

She said she experiences pain in the toe while warming up, but the adrenaline that comes with a match allows her to hardly notice it.

UCI (20-9, 10-5 in conference) closes the conference season Friday (at UC Santa Barbara) and Saturday (at Cal Poly).

Coach Charlie Brande’s Anteaters need every win to help make a case for an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.