She Wasn’t Passing the Sands of Time : Basketball: Pomona-Pitzer’s Caryn Cranston took her game to the beach last summer to toughen up for her final season.

Caryn Cranston needed a change of scenery.

During the 1990-91 school year, Cranston led the Pomona-Pitzer women’s basketball team to a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, finished eighth in doubles at the NCAA Division III tennis championships and completed her third year of study toward degrees in psychology and English.

So, like thousands of students, Cranston headed for the beach last summer.

Cranston, however, did not go searching for relaxation on the sand. She did not care if she tanned a golden brown.

The 5-foot-11 Cranston sought blacktop. Specifically, outdoor basketball courts in Newport Beach where some of the best men’s players in Orange County wage daily battles under the sun.

Cranston’s goal was to toughen up for her final collegiate season. Catching rays, therefore, became secondary to catching--and throwing--a few elbows.

“I knew I was going to play inside this season,” said Cranston, a San Marino High graduate. “I had to learn how to fake shots and use my feet. I needed to play against people who could help me move quicker, pass quicker and shoot quicker.

“It took a little while for the guys down there to accept me. But after I played well and showed up all the time, it was no problem.”

Cranston’s self-prescribed summer tutorial is paying dividends. She is stronger, quicker and seems to have Pomona-Pitzer primed for a run at its ninth SCIAC title in 11 years. The Sagehens are 8-2 entering Friday night’s game against Plymouth State (Mass.).

Cranston, 21, is third in Division III scoring with an average of 28.5 points a game. She is 15th in rebounding at 14.6.

Cranston set a Pomona-Pitzer single-game record with 42 points in a Dec. 9 victory over Cal Baptist. She set a single-game record for rebounds with 23 against Colorado College.

“Most of the 6-foot and 6-foot-1 kids (Cranston) plays against are not as quick or as strong as she is,” Pomona-Pitzer Coach Nancy Breitenstein said. “Her hand-eye coordination is good. And her quick hands allow her to tip balls and get to balls other kids her size can’t get to.”

Cranston’s physical size and role with the Sagehens has continually changed since she arrived from San Marino, where she was named most valuable player of the Rio Hondo League after leading the Titans to the 1988 championship.

UC Davis had been Cranston’s college choice when Breitenstein first called.

“At first, I thought she was calling from Cal Poly Pomona,” Cranston said.

But after hearing that she could play two sports and visiting the campus of the five Claremont colleges, Cranston said she knew it was the place for her.

As a 5-8 freshman guard, Cranston had difficulty adjusting to the physical demands of college basketball. She injured her knee, and an orthopedist suggested she lose 10 or 15 pounds to aid her rehabilitation.

Cranston, who is studying to become a special education teacher, reported for her sophomore season an inch taller and 30 pounds lighter.

“The reaction (from teammates) was amazing,” Cranston said. “Their jaws were on the ground.”

Cranston went on to average 19.9 points and 7.4 rebounds her sophomore season. She also teamed with Shelly Keeler to win the doubles title at the NCAA Division III tennis championships.

Cranston returned for her junior season having grown to 5-10. Breitenstein moved her to forward and she averaged 18.7 points and 9.9 rebounds for a Sagehen team that finished 17-9 and won the SCIAC championship.

Pomona-Pitzer, however, did not participate in the Division III playoffs, an invitation-only tournament that is heavily weighted with teams from the East. That slight, and Cranston’s desire to correct it this season, was one of the motivating factors that led her to undertake her summer program competing against men.

“I kind of had to force myself to get out there,” Cranston said. “There were no major conflicts or anything like that. I just wanted respect as an athlete.

“I think it worked out great. My footwork, quickness and quickness getting off my shot really improved.

“It made me a complete player because it forced me to use all my skills at once.”