Fullerton Beats Fresno State on Tip, 52-51

Cal State Fullerton went almost 14 minutes without making a field goal in the second half and shot just 29% after the intermission but still managed to beat Fresno State, 52-51, on Kerry Boagni’s tip with one second remaining Monday night in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game at Titan Gym.

Boagni had been shoved to the floor on a jump shot attempt with six seconds left, but no foul was called and Fullerton was awarded possession. Kevin Henderson inbounded the ball with a handoff to Tony Neal, who tried a 12-foot jumper that bounded off the rim and well over Boagni’s head.

But Boagni, with his right arm stretched straight out behind him, got the ball on his fingertips and shoved it back up in the air. It went eight feet above the basket and then straight down through.

Many of the 3,722 at Titan Gym swarmed onto the court to celebrate Fullerton’s seventh win in eight games. The win boosted Fullerton’s conference record to 8-3 and 12-8 overall. Fresno State is 8-2 and 13-6.

The last four Fullerton-Fresno State games have been decided by either one or two points, but this one was strange. The Titans shot 61% in the first half and were leading, 29-22, with two minutes left in the first half.

But Fresno, slowing the tempo as much as a 45-second clock will allow, outscored Fullerton, 26-12, in an 18-minute span to take a five-point lead (48-43) with 4:30 to play.

At that point, two Neal field goals and 10 free throws were the extent of Fullerton’s second-half offense. But Henderson drove for a layup, Neal hit a short follow shot and then Henderson drilled home a 21-foot three-pointer to give the Fullerton a 50-49 lead with 1:11 left. “That three-pointer really changed things,” Fresno State Coach Boyd Grant said.

Jos Kuipers, a 6-8 junior from the Netherlands, followed Mitch Arnold’s miss to put Fresno State up by one with 24 seconds left before Fullerton--which lost four games in overtime and four more by one point last year--finally came through in the clutch.

Henderson led all scorers with 16 points. Boagni, who had eight points in less than three minutes after tipoff, finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Neal had 13 points and 7 rebounds.