Titans Put Pacific to Sleep, 79-59

If those fan-participation halftime free-throw contests really get your blood pumping, then Monday night’s Cal State Fullerton-Pacific game was college basketball at its best.

If not, the Nerfball dunking display by a group of 2-year-olds at halftime provided more drama than the main event, which was won by Fullerton, 79-59, before 2,150 yawning fans at the Spanos Center.

This game was supposed to be crucial for Pacific (9-17 overall, 5-12 the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn.), which could have all but clinched eighth place in the PCAA and the league’s final post-season tournament berth with a victory.

The Tigers looked like they had sleep, not fire, in their eyes, however. And by the time they woke up, Fullerton was leading, 21-4, and the rest of the evening was little more than a chance to break a sweat, and practice shooting free throws.

Fullerton (14-12, 10-7), a team battling the flu and a slump, was already assured of finishing somewhere in the middle of the PCAA pack. The Titans had two freshmen starting and little incentive, but they easily won their 10th straight over UOP. Fullerton clinched at least a tie for third in conference.

“They came out a little complacent,” Titan guard Kevin Henderson said. “Maybe they thought we gave up after (Saturday’s) loss to Fresno State. They came out lax and we played an artistic game.”

That might be pushing it a bit, but Fullerton Coach George McQuarn, who is never easily pleased, seemed downright happy after this one.

“We got such a tremendous start; that was the difference in the game,” McQuarn said. “We were beating ourselves by sending them to the (free throw) line so much, but we played through that.

“We shot well (53% from the floor) and played smart when we had to. It was a good team effort, we had seven or eight guys play well tonight.”

Pacific Coach Tom O’Neill, whose team upset San Jose State Thursday, sat slumped in a sofa in his office, sipping a soft drink and spitting out answers to the media’s postgame questions. Clearly, this is a tormented man.

“Certainly, I don’t know what happened (at the outset),” he said. “They shot the ball in the basket and we didn’t. We obviously weren’t ready to play.

“I don’t have any answers.”