This Time, Titans Lose to Fresno, 61-54

The Fresno State Bulldogs may not be red-hot, but they aren’t dead yet.

Fresno State, playing what Coach Boyd Grant called “our best complete game of the year,” earned a 61-54 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory Saturday over Cal State Fullerton in front of 2,863 in Titan Gym.

The Bulldogs (13-11 overall, 6-7 in the PCAA), had lost three in a row, including a 67-58 loss to Fullerton Monday night at Fresno and a 60-58 loss at UC Irvine Thursday night.

“Now we have a pretty good shot at getting there (the PCAA tournament),” Grant said.

The Bulldogs’ once-reknowned defense reappeared. Fresno State began to exhibit the intensity Grant exudes from the sidelines and, as a result, the Bulldogs seemed to get every loose ball and more than their share of good fortune.

“Fresno State did everything they had to do to win,” Fullerton Coach George McQuarn said. “They played harder than we did, they played great defense, outboarded us and got the ball inside. And we approached this game much too casually. I guess our kids thought that because we won by nine up there, they could play with less intensity today.”

Fresno State made six fewer field goals, but made 23 of 32 free throws, including 6 of 6 in the final 2:25. Fullerton (12-12, 5-7) made 7 of 12 from the line.

For Fresno, Brian Salone scored 21 points, Jos Kuipers added 20 and freshman Mike Mitchell chipped in 12 points, including a three-pointer that might have been the turning point for the Bulldogs.

With just under four minutes remaining and Fullerton trailing, 47-45, the Titan defense came to life, and it appeared the Bulldogs might not get off a shot before the 45-second clock expired. Mitchell, standing about 25 feet from the basket, looked up at the clock and hit the long basket.

The Titans’ Kevin Henderson took another step down his long road to recovery. Henderson, playing in his second game after breaking his foot Dec. 22, played 22 minutes, made his first two shots from the floor and scored six points. He also sank his only two free-throw attempts to stretch his school-record consecutive free-throw string to 35.

Richard Morton, the other member of Fullerton’s walking wounded backcourt, continued his rehabilitation from ankle and knee injuries, hitting 8 of 19 and scoring a game-high 22 points.

But even a resurrected backcourt wasn’t enough this time.

“They had the same attitude we had Monday,” Titan senior Kerry Boagni said. “I guess we thought they’d come in here and lay down. But they wanted this game more, and they came in with the same attitude Boyd Grant has.”