NOTEBOOK / GARY KLEIN : Azusa Pacific Guard Nearing NAIA Record

The Azusa Pacific basketball team shoots free throws in sets of 25 during every practice.

Scott Day has never made more than 23 in a row.

Games, however, are a different story.

Day, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard from Cerritos, entered this week having made 45 consecutive free throws for the Cougars, who play Saturday at Southern California College.

With a free-throw percentage of .933 (56 of 60), Day is second behind Eric Barnett of Arkansas Tech (.962, 51 of 53) among National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics Division I players.

He is 20 shy of the NAIA record set by John Barone of Monmouth, N.J., in 1969.

“As soon as I get fouled and know I’m going to the line, I start thinking about it (the streak),” Day said. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.

“I’m usually about an 80% free-throw shooter. But this year, everything is just clicking.”

Impressive shooting by Day is not limited to the free-throw line. He is averaging 17.5 points a game for the Cougars, who entered the week 11-9 overall and 2-1 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

Making their move: The La Verne University men’s basketball team is making a run at the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title.

The Leopards, under Coach Gary Stewart, entered the week 11-4 overall and 4-0 in conference after a 115-101 double overtime victory over Occidental and an 86-65 victory over Whittier last week.

Jacques Cormier and Matt Hatten are averaging 17 points a game, and Edgar Loera leads Division III with 9.3 assists a game.

La Verne plays at Claremont Saturday.

Big week: Leslie Ellis of the Cal Poly Pomona women’s basketball team was named California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Player of the Week for her performances in victories over Cal State San Bernardino and Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Ellis, a senior forward, scored 32 points and had 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the victories, which improved the Broncos’ record to 15-5 overall and 6-0 in the CCAA.

Pomona, ranked 17th in Division II, plays at Cal State Los Angeles Saturday.

Still unbeaten: The Glendora High boys’ basketball team continues to roll through Baseline League play.

The Tartans, the top-ranked Southern Section team in Division II, were 19-0 entering this week.

Glendora is No. 5 in The Times’ Southern Section poll. The Tartans defeated Upland, 84-58, Friday as Adam Jacobsen scored 26 points and Cameron Murray added 25.

Add still unbeaten: The Rio Hondo Prep girls’ basketball team remained unbeaten and maintained its position atop the Southern Section Division V rankings with a 30-28 Prep League victory over Pasadena Poly.

Rio Hondo Prep improved to 16-0 overall and 6-0 in league.

For openers: The Cal Poly Pomona baseball team opens its season on Tuesday when the Broncos play host to The Master’s College.

And for the first time in 30 years, John Scolinos will not be managing from the Bronco dugout.

Scolinos, for whom Pomona’s stadium is named, retired after last season, when the Broncos finished 27-26 and tied UC Riverside and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. championship.

Chuck Belk is the Broncos’ interim coach.

She’s a smash: Julie Slattery of Cal Poly Pomona won a season-opening tennis tournament last weekend at Cal State Los Angeles.

Slattery, a senior, is the No. 1 singles player for Pomona, the defending NCAA Division II champion.