Sonoma State

Cal State Fullerton, off to a surprising 2-1 start, will play Sonoma State at 7:35 tonight at Fullerton. The Titans, with a 10-man roster and no returning starters, have trailed by 13 or more points in all 3 games but they came back for a pair of 2-point victories over Utah and San Diego. In the other game, Pepperdine held on for a 4-point win. Cedric Ceballos, a 6-foot 7-inch junior forward who is averaging 22 points a game, has led Fullerton scorers in all 3 games.

Chaleo Yoovidhya Billionaire developed Red Bull energy drinks Chaleo Yoovidhya, the self-made Thai billionaire who introduced the world to "energy drinks" and co-founded the globally popular Red Bull brand, died Saturday of natural causes in Bangkok, according to local media reports and state television broadcaster MCOT, which cited the Thai Beverage Industry Assn. Forbes magazine, which ranked him the 205th-richest man in the world this year with a net worth of $5 billion, said he was 80. Several Thai media outlets cited his birth date as Aug. 17, 1923, however, indicating he was 88. It was not immediately possible to explain the discrepancy.

Freddie Bradley's return to the football field has been stalled, at least for another year. The record-setting running back from Hueneme High and Moorpark College did not meet NCAA academic eligibility requirements to play for Sonoma State this season, Coach Frank Scalercio said. Bradley, 23, sat out last season while recovering from a knee injury he sustained during a pickup basketball game and aggravated during spring practice.

Strike from the list of state workers' perks a free cellphone on which to gab. Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday ordered tens of thousands of state employees to turn in their mobile phones. Brown, a notorious tightwad, says he can't imagine that their 96,000 cellphones are necessary for the people's business, and he wants the number cut in half. "It is difficult for me to believe that 40% of all state employees must be equipped with taxpayer-funded cellphones," Brown said in a statement.

Milton A. Gordon, a mathematician and high-ranking California university administrator, Tuesday was named president of Cal State Fullerton. Gordon, 54, who now is vice president for academic affairs at Sonoma State University, beat out two other top educators in the California State University system for the Fullerton post. "This is a very happy occasion for me," said Gordon, a finalist for the Cal State Hayward presidency earlier this year and now the fourth black president in the CSU system.

Gene West scored a goal in the first half and Kevin Smith added another in the second half as UC Irvine defeated Sonoma State, 2-0, in a nonconference men's soccer match Sunday at Irvine. Tres Martin had three saves for Irvine (1-2).

It took longer than expected for Pepperdine to get going before the Waves scored an 89-64 victory over Sonoma State in their home opener at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu on Saturday night. The Waves didn't take the lead for good over the NCAA Division II Cossacks until guard Damin Lopez made two free throws for a 21-19 lead with 7:16 remaining in the first half. The Waves then outscored Sonoma State, 17-5, in the final seven minutes of the half to take a 38-24 halftime lead.

Cal State Northridge, which has scored more than 100 points in each of its 3 victories, will try to avenge its only loss of the season against Sonoma State at 7:30 tonight in a nonconference men's basketball game at the CSUN gym. The Cossacks (3-4) defeated Northridge, 96-90, in overtime last week at Sonoma. CSUN forward Leroy McCullough is 16 for 16 from the field in 2 home games this season. He scored 26 points in Northridge's 118-79 win over Bethany Bible on Tuesday.

In the space of a game, the Cal State Fullerton basketball team went from overachievers to underachievers Saturday, struggling to beat Sonoma State in a a game Coach John Sneed called "an embarrassment." The Titans, who surprisingly started with a 2-1 record, led by only 8 points with 6 minutes left but finally beat Sonoma State, 90-64, before 1,210 fans at Titan Gym. The Cossacks, a Division II team, had lost to Cal State Northridge, 106-80, Thursday.

Chapman rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit and defeated Sonoma State, 90-84, in a nonconference men's basketball game Saturday at the Hutton Center. The victory, in the Panthers' home opener, was a nice rebound for a team that was easily handled by Claremont-Mudd in its season opener Tuesday. Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said he hadn't prepared his team properly for its first game, but he apparently solved the problem Saturday.

An invitation to former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to speak at Cal State Stanislaus' 50th anniversary gala is generating controversy and raising questions about the foundation that is paying her. The nonprofit is refusing to divulge her speaking fees. The foundation's secrecy has raised scrutiny over the financial dealings and clout of that group and scores of others like it that are associated with California's public universities. The foundations raise billions of dollars for scholarships and other programs, run student organizations and bookstores and perform other crucial campus functions.

What the money players couldn't deliver for UC Irvine Saturday, the bargain-rate guys did--a little offense. Guards Jason Flowers and Brian Scoggin, neither of whom have ever taken a recruiting trip, kept the Anteaters from losing to Division II Sonoma State. They had half of Irvine's points, some at key moments, in a 51-41 victory in front of 746 in the Bren Center.

SONOMA STATE (4-6) at UC IRVINE (2-7), 7, KUCI-FM (88.9 Irvine)--Another Division II confidence builder for Irvine, which has already beaten Chico State. Sonoma State, though, played St. Mary's tough, losing in overtime, 88-84, in November. John McCoy averages 12.3 points to lead the Cossacks.

Without Darnell Morgan in the backfield, Chapman lacked its usual explosive running game. But who needed a running game? Quarterback Curtis Robinson, inconsistent in the first four games, got going in a big way, passing for 203 yards and four touchdowns in the Panthers' 45-7 victory over Sonoma State Saturday night at Chapman.

Opponent--Sonoma State. Site--Chapman stadium. Time--7. Records--Sonoma State (1-4); Chapman (4-0). Sonoma State update--The Cossacks won for the first game since 1994, defeating Humboldt State, 24-10, in a Northern California Athletic Conference game last week. Quarterback Mike Nelson has thrown for 779 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Receiver Coco Brayer has caught 30 passes for 332 yards.

Being the polite host, Loyola Marymount Coach John Olive waited until the second half Friday night to exploit his team's height advantage in an 85-66 victory over Sonoma State at Gersten Pavilion. Ime Oduok, playing a limited role, had a game-high 16 points and Jim Williamson and Ben Ammerman each added 15 in the Lions' season opener before 1,004. Olive said he had two objectives against Sonoma State (1-2), a Division II school.

Quarterback Danny Calcagno completed 7 of 11 passes for 119 yards to lead Sonoma State to a 17-9 victory over Cal Lutheran on Saturday at Rohnert Park, Calif. Calcagno's pass of 11 yards to Keven Restani put Sonoma State, scoreless until the third quarter, ahead for good. Sonoma State (1-0) also scored on a 50-yard field goal by Ed Beaulac and a 42-yard punt return by Anthony McPherson.

After starting the previous five seasons with losses, Cal State Fullerton finally won a season opener, defeating Sonoma State, 38-24, Saturday in front of 2,091 at Santa Ana Stadium. But at what price victory? The Titans lost their starting tailback, Deon Thomas, who suffered severe ligament damage to his left knee and, according to team trainers, will be out for the season.

Chapman rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit and defeated Sonoma State, 90-84, in a nonconference men's basketball game Saturday at the Hutton Center. The victory, in the Panthers' home opener, was a nice rebound for a team that was easily handled by Claremont-Mudd in its season opener Tuesday. Chapman Coach Mike Bokosky said he hadn't prepared his team properly for its first game, but he apparently solved the problem Saturday.

Shaun Coleman is the living, breathing--and for a moment, stumbling--embodiment of what the Cal State Northridge backfield will look like the rest of the season. With the clock winding down in the fourth quarter Saturday, Coleman took a handoff, almost fell before he took his second step, then bounced outside. A moment later, Coleman surprised everybody by bolting down the left sideline for a 49-yard touchdown, one of three scores he managed in the game. All thanks to fresh legs, he said.