PCAA Roundup : Henderson Hits When It Counts for Titans

Kevin Henderson’s school-record consecutive free-throw string came to an end at 37 Saturday night, but the Cal State Fullerton guard made a pair with the game on the line as the Titans hung on for a 57-54 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. win over San Jose State.

With 4:18 remaining in the first half, Henderson, playing in his fourth game after being out seven weeks with a broken foot, missed the front end of a one-and-one situation. It was his first free-throw miss since Dec. 4.

But with 11 seconds left in the game and Fullerton leading by one, the senior hit nothing but net on both ends of another one-and-one.

The Spartans’ Herb Simon missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer, and for the first time in Coach George McQuarn’s six seasons at Fullerton, the Titans swept a season series from San Jose State.

Fullerton’s win, coupled with Pacific’s upset of New Mexico State, tightened the battle for the last three spots in the PCAA Tournament. Fullerton (13-13 overall, 6-8 in the league) is even with Pacific and UC Santa Barbara in the conference. Utah State is 5-8. Only Cal State Long Beach (2-12) is sure to be left out.

The Titans shot just 35%, but it was enough to beat the Spartans (14-12, 7-8).

“It was very physical game,” Spartan Coach Bill Berry said. “We had a lot of players in foul trouble (starting forwards Reggie Owens and Lance Wyatt both fouled out) and we allowed them way too many second shots.”

Everybody who had access to a San Jose State statistical chart figured the coach’s son, Ricky Berry, would be taking the last shot. But it was Simon, who scored a career-high 18 points, taking an off-balance 22-footer at the buzzer.

“We called two timeouts, trying to figure out where Berry would be shooting from,” McQuarn said. “He’s shooting better from three-point range than we are at the free-throw line.”

Acutally, Berry is a 59% three-point shooter, and the Titans have managed to rattle in 64% of their free throws this year. And Fullerton’s poor free-throw shooting almost cost it this game.

Fullerton was able to pound the ball inside to center Herman Webster all night and the muscular 6-6 1/2 junior finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Webster made 5 of 6 first-half free throws but just 1 of 8 after the intermission.

“With Kevin and Richard (Morton) back in the lineup, teams are trying to deny them the ball, and it opens things up inside,” Webster said. “I missed a couple of those free throws, and then I started thinking about it too much.”

Henderson, however, said that the streak hadn’t crossed his mind and that he wasn’t even remotely relieved it was over when he later went to the line with the game on the line.

“With the momentum we had, I think any one of our players would have made them,” Henderson said with a wink.

--JOHN WEYLER

Fresno State 70, CS Long Beach 59--Brian Salone and freshman Mike Mitchell scored 15 points each as the Bulldogs beat the 49ers at Fresno.

The Bulldogs (15-11, 8-8) built a 40-26 halftime lead and coasted to victory.

Andre Purry scored 21 points for the 49ers (6-19, 2-12).

Pacific 88, New Mexico State 74--Domingo Rosario scored 19 points as the Tigers knocked off the Aggies at Stockton.

The Tigers (13-13, 6-8) piled up a 35-25 halftime lead and added to it in the second half.

Kenny Travis scored 22 points for the Aggies (15-8, 9-5), and Virgil Harris added 20.

UC Santa Barbara 84, Utah State 83--Conner Henry banked in a 10-footer with four seconds left to lift the Gauchos to victory at Santa Barbara.

Henry, who scored 30 points, got 13 in the final 3:32 as the Gauchos climbed back from a 72-58 deficit. UC Santa Barbara had trailed, 62-45, with 11:19 to play.

Scott Fisher scored 24 points to lead UCSB (11-12, 6-8). Kevin Nixon scored 25 points for Utah State (9-13, 5-8).