Fullerton Bucks Odds, Routs 49ers : Titans’ Defense Proves Too Much for Favored Long Beach, 75-58

Cal State Fullerton’s Titans, even though they are struggling this season, considered it an insult that Cal State Long Beach was favored to beat them Saturday night.

So the Titans channeled their anger into an impressive 75-58 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory before 1,670 at the 49er gym.

“I don’t know what the odds were--I don’t understand betting--but the bookies, or whatever you call those guys, had picked them to win,” said Fullerton Coach George McQuarn. “We talked about that before the game and our kids were irate about it.”

So the Titans went out, got physical and frenzied, and made the night miserable for the 49ers.

Long Beach shot a hard-to-believe 18% in the first half, hitting 4 of 22 from the field, but both coaches said Fullerton’s swarming defense was mostly responsible.

“Our kids played with tremendous intensity,” McQuarn said. “They played great defense.”

Guard Alexander Hamilton, for example, tried to make a steal and his momentum carried him four rows up in the bleachers. Another time, he almost dove out the door of the small gym after a loose ball.

“I’d like to have five guys on the floor playing like that,” McQuarn said.

Most of the time Saturday night, it looked as if he did.

Long Beach Coach Ron Palmer was also impressed by the Titans’ aggressiveness.

“That was the most active defense we’ve seen this season,” Palmer said. “Their defense took us out of the game.”

Kerry Boagni’s shooting and the rugged inside play of Henry Turner and Herman Webster helped Fullerton get off to a 20-7 lead, and they continued as the main offensive factors the rest of the game.

Boagni, who made three three-point shots, scored 19 points. Turner had 16 and Webster scored 12.

Webster, who missed the game Thursday night at New Mexico State because he overslept and missed the bus to the airport, was wide awake against the 49ers. He had 11 rebounds as Fullerton had a 50-39 rebounding edge against a team that usually dominates the boards.

The Titans led, 36-16, at halftime, increased their advantage to 25 and Long Beach never got closer than the final score as both teams spent most of the time watching each other shoot free throws in the second half. There were 71 foul shots attempted.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Fullerton, which is now 11-11 overall and 4-6 in the PCAA.

The 49ers (5-16 and 1-9) lost their fifth game in a row.

Boagni hit a couple of three-point shots early and Fullerton was off to an enjoyable first half.

Long Beach might have had a chance to stay in the game in the first half, but the 49ers couldn’t shoot free throws either, making 7 of 17.

The 49ers were outscored, 16-4, in the last eight minutes of the first half.

It was apparent that it was Fullerton’s night when Turner went up for a rebound and acrobatically jammed the ball through the basket with his left hand.

Stafford Hamlin opened the second half with a three-point play to cut the lead to 36-19 but that’s as close as Long Beach got.

Boagni made sure of that.

He scored nine points in the first eight minutes of the second half and his three-point shot with 12:50 left gave Fullerton its biggest lead, 51-26.

McQuarn, who announced his resignation effective at the end of the season Wednesday, scoffed at a suggestion that he would take it easy now.

“I’m just as intense and competitive as I ever was,” he said. “I won’t sit back and relax. That’s not my makeup. And it’s not in my players’ makeup not to play hard.”

The Titans had certainly taught Long Beach a lesson about playing hard.

“Our team learned what intensity was tonight,” Palmer said. “That’s how we intend to start our practice on Monday.”