Titans Muddle Way to Victory Against Winless Portland

Just when people were getting used to the idea that Cal State Fullerton is going to win a good deal more than five games this season--more than 10, even?--the Titans muddled the picture.

It wasn’t that they played so poorly in their 71-65 victory over Portland Saturday night. It was just the way they did it.

Against the Pilots, who are winless in seven games, Fullerton trailed by 2 points at halftime, built an 18-point lead and then let it dwindle to 2 with 1:33 left in the game.

The Titans made just 4 of 8 free throws down the stretch, but didn’t allow Portland a basket in that time, holding on for the victory in front of a paid crowd of 1,012 at the Chiles Center.

Who can figure the Titans?

This is a team that rallied from double-digit deficits in its first three games, winning twice. Then, against Sonoma State, a Division II team, Fullerton allowed the Cossacks to stay as close as 8 points with 6 minutes left.

The upstart Titans? Better make that the unpredictable Titans.

Fullerton has taken to its role of underdog this season, trying to surprise those who have predicted the Titans to struggle.

If their 4-1 record doesn’t already qualify them as surprising, the swings in their games make them unpredictable at least.

They’ve played come-from-behind games and come-from-ahead games, but they have yet to play a boring one.

“It was another learning experience,” said John Sneed, the first-year coach of a Fullerton team that has no returning starters. “Mainly, I’m happy to win another--and to win another on the road.”

After winning only 1 game on the road last season--a victory over University of the Pacific--Fullerton is 3 for 3 on the road this season.

After getting utterly frustrated by the Titans’ performance against Sonoma State, Sneed was less flustered after the Portland victory.

“We were trying to do the right things,” Sneed said. “We just had a little trouble doing it.”

For the fifth time in as many games, junior forward Cedric Ceballos led the way for the Titans, scoring 26 points and pulling down 9 rebounds.

But another supporting character is emerging. Derek Jones had been providing the secondary scoring, but for the second straight game, Mark Hill played that role, scoring 18 points.

Hill, a junior guard, made 7 of 9 shots, including 3 of 3 three-pointers.

Freshman point guard Wayne Williams had 14 points and Jones added 10.

Ten of Hill’s points came during a stretch that helped put Fullerton ahead by 18.

“Things are changing in me as a ballplayer,” said Hill, who scored no more than 11 points in the first three games. “I’m contributing more . . . I just play my regular game. I’m not trying to steal the spotlight. Ceballos and Jones, they’re our two scorers. I just try to help out. But I can play the game, too.”

Portland took a 35-33 halftime lead, largely behind a fast-breaking offense that Fullerton hadn’t expected.

“They hurt us with the transition,” Sneed said. “That surprised us a little bit.”

The Pilots scored 18 points off layups in the first half.

“We made some adjustments,” Sneed said.

Fullerton built its 62-44 lead with a 19-1 run that was highlighted by 10 points from Hill.. Portland, its fast break stymied, went without a field goal for 5:26.

But the Pilots climbed back with a 12-2 run, finally closing the deficit to 2 points on Steve Hutchinson’s jumper from the foul line.

“We hadn’t quit or anything. We just got the jitters,” Sneed said. “I don’t think they got away from me or away from the system.”

And fortunately for the Titans, the game didn’t get away from them.

They stopped the rally there, and held on.

Titan Notes

Center David Moody returned to the starting lineup, replacing John Sykes, who started Fullerton’s game against Sonoma State last week . . . The Titans open a 6-game homestand Tuesday with a game against Northeastern. Conference play opens Jan. 3 against New Mexico State.