This Time, Fullerton Upsets Las Vegas

Cal State Fullerton Coach John Sneed had a job interview Thursday, and it ended most unusually, with pandemonium in Titan Gym.

Sneed’s team, picked to finish ninth in the Big West Conference, pulled off an upset of 19th-ranked Nevada Las Vegas on Wayne Williams’ 25-foot three-pointer at the buzzer--a shot that gave the Titans a 93-92 overtime victory, only their third ever against UNLV.

Sneed, who was named acting coach when George McQuarn resigned Nov. 3, is trying to earn the job permanently, but Fullerton is openly accepting applications.

But this victory, coupled with an upset of UC Santa Barbara Saturday night, really boosts Sneed’s chances.

“This is definitely the most exciting win ever in Titan Gym,” Sneed said. “With the overtime and dramatic finish--it was a great one. There is a no-quit attitude on our team and it really carried us through tonight.”

Fullerton had not beaten UNLV in its past 15 attempts, the last victory coming in February of 1983 when the Titans upset an undefeated and No. 1-ranked UNLV team, 86-78.

With Thursday’s victory, the Titans have three victories in 23 tries.

For UNLV, it was the second stunning upset in Orange County in a week. Last Saturday, UC Irvine upset the Rebels, 99-98. UNLV beat UC Santa Barbara on Monday night before traveling to Fullerton, but it has lost four of its past six games.

Fullerton allowed a 13-point lead in the first half to disappear, and trailed, 43-39, at halftime.

It had taken a remarkable play even to force the overtime.

Fullerton trailed, 83-80, with 28 seconds left after Greg Anthony made one of two free throws.

After a timeout, Fullerton pushed the ball upcourt, and Mark Hill tried a three-pointer. He missed, but Fullerton rebounded. Cedric Ceballos tried a three-pointer, but he too missed. But once again Fullerton got the rebound, and in desperation, forward Derek Jones scooted out beyond the three-point line, a distance from which he had attempted only two shots all season. But Jones sank this one, tying it, 83-83.

Not only was it Jones’ first three-pointer of the season, it also was the first of his career.

“That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced, inside or outside of basketball,” said Jones, who has returned for his senior season after being critically wounded in a drive-by shooting in 1987.

After Jones’ basket, UNLV tried to push the ball upcourt, but Anthony tripped with a second remaining and was called for traveling. Ceballos put up a desperation attempt at the buzzer, but it didn’t draw iron.

In the overtime, Fullerton fell behind by two points several times, but took the lead, 90-89 on Hill’s baseline three-pointer with 55 seconds left.

UNLV went ahead, 91-90, with 39 seconds left when John Sykes was called for goal-tending on David Butler’s shot.

Fullerton’s Hill missed the front end of a one-and-one with 26 seconds left.

But then Stacey Augmon missed the second of two free throws with four seconds left, and Fullerton rebounded. Williams pushed the ball upcourt and let it fly.

It was turnabout from the Titans’ first game against UNLV this season, when Anthony banked in a three-pointer with three seconds left for a 66-63 win at Las Vegas.

“What a way to lose, huh?” said UNLV Coach Jerry Tarkanian, whose team made only 25 of 42 free throws. “We just wanted to keep them in front of us and not foul anybody.”