Titans Get a Scare From Pacific : Fullerton Needs Overtime to Top Rejuvenated Tigers

Last season, University of the Pacific basketball meant two things to other teams in the conference.

A victory at home, and a victory in Pacific’s Spanos Center.

The Tigers lost all 18 conference games, finishing with a 5-24 record and a new coach.

This season, under first-year Coach Bob Thomason, the Tigers are no longer the Big West Conference patsy. Cal State Fullerton became the latest team to learn that Saturday, escaping with a 79-75 overtime victory in front of 1,839.

Although Pacific has just one victory in nine Big West Conference games, the Tigers (5-12 overall) recently pushed UC Santa Barbara to overtime before losing by 6 points and fell to UC Irvine by just 2.

“Someone has to lose the close games,” Thomason said. “And right now, it’s us.’

Pacific’s Reggie Ricks made it clear from the start that things are different this year, hitting 3 consecutive 3-pointers to score Pacific’s first 9 points against Fullerton. Ricks hit 4 before he missed, 5 in the first half, and finished with 20 points, including 6 3-pointers. Center Don Lyttle also had 20 points for Pacific.

“I think Pacific is a very underrated team,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said.

Fullerton never led by more than 6 points, and trailed by as many as 5 in a game that was nip-and-tuck all the way.

And but for a couple of well-timed steals by Wayne Williams and Mark Hill and some poor shot selection by Pacific in the late going, the Titans might have lost.

They didn’t, however, which was the fact of essence to Sneed.

“It wasn’t a real pretty win,” Sneed said.

But it was a win, and one that put Fullerton back at .500 for the season with an 8-8 record, 3-4 in the Big West. The Titans had a chance to win in regulation. With the score tied, 68-68, and Pacific working for a last shot after getting the ball with 39 seconds left, Fullerton’s Wayne Williams knocked the ball loose, and teammate David Moody came up with the steal.

Fullerton called timeout with 6 seconds left, and ran a play for Mark Hill. With the distracting sound of a spectator’s air horn blowing throughout the final seconds, Hill put up a jumper from the foul line, but it bounced off the heel of the rim. Moody, uncertain whether the game buzzer had sounded, attempted a follow shot but missed.

“That’s one of the few times I can say that’s exactly what we designed in the huddle,” Sneed said. “It just didn’t work.”

In overtime, after a jumper by Derek Jones gave Fullerton a 1-point lead, Pacific had the ball, trailing, 76-75, with less than a minute left. But as the Tigers worked for a shot, Hill came up with a steal.

The situation seemed to turn back to Pacific’s favor when Williams, a 73% free-throw shooter who was put on the line with 36 seconds left, missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Fortunately for Fullerton, Jones got the rebound. But then Jones--a 76% free-throw shooter--also missed the front end of a 1-and-1, and this time Pacific got the ball.

But after calling a timeout with 26 seconds left, Pacific’s Chris Fox forced a shot from the foul line with 17 seconds left, failing even to hit the rim.

Cedric Ceballos rebounded, and hit both free throw to give him a game-high 24 points and put Fullerton ahead, 78-75.

“We were looking to penetrate and maybe get it inside to Lyttle,” Thomason said. “Chris decided to take the shot, which is something we’d rather he had not done. Dan (Embrick) was wide open. But that’s basketball. You have to make a decision.”

Ricks missed a last 3-point attempt, and Hill, fouled on the rebound, added 1 more point for Fullerton with 1 second left.

Hill finished with 22 points, making 7 of 14 field goals including 3 of 5 3-pointers.