CAL STATE FULLERTON NOTEBOOK : Missed Free Throws by Titans the Difference in Overtime Loss

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, two coaches watched videotapes.

Jerry Pimm wrapped up his session around 3 a.m. in Santa Barbara.

“One of those unbelieveable comebacks,” he said.

John Sneed didn’t turn off the machine until nearly 5 a.m., almost three hours after his team arrived back at Cal State Fullerton after a game in which his team had an 11-point lead with 2:20 left and ended up losing to UC Santa Barbara in overtime, 72-64.

“I’ve got it memorized,” Sneed said. “Cedric (Ceballos) misses a one-and-one; they knock down their first three . . . “

He continued for a moment, but spared himself the full recitation.

“Under three minutes with an 11-point lead . . . you definitely take time off the clock,” Sneed said. “There’s no other way.”

But you have to make free throws and the Titans didn’t. They missed six in a row in the final 7:20, including overtime.

With the bonus shots, that was a possible nine points.

“Nine points,” Sneed said. “You knock down one (and you win).”

Instead, Fullerton missed six free throws--including the front end of two one-and-ones by Wayne Williams, who hit 10 in a row down the stretch against Cal State Long Beach. Including the front end of a one-and-one by Ceballos with seven seconds left in regulation.

And the Titans watched as Idris Jones made three three-point shots in the final 2:24--his entire scoring output. He missed his other seven shots.

They watched while Santa Barbara did everything right.

“Everything had to fit together,” Pimm said. “It happened. We were lucky.”

Deja Utah State: The overtime at Santa Barbara Monday was a lot like the Titans’ overtime loss at Utah State Jan. 6. The Titans had a 13-point lead with 8:46 left, but Utah State forced an overtime and eventually won, 83-82.

Downhill battle: Mark Hill’s shot has been off lately--way off. His six points on one-for-15 shooting from the field Monday were a career low.

Over the past five games, he has made only 22 of 77 shots (29%). From three-point range, he has made only five of 29 (17%).

Sneed watches Hill struggle and tries to encourage him.

“The only way he can get out of it is to shoot the ball and knock some down,” Sneed said.

Hill’s struggle to break out of the slump has made him somewhat tentative, Sneed said.

“He’s not getting his shots out of the flow of the game,” Sneed said. “He’s setting up.”

Softball ranked fourth: Led by two returning first-team All-Americans, the softball team is ranked fourth in the preseason poll.

Missy Coombes, who plays first base, and Carey Hess, an outfielder, are the top players back from last season’s 47-15 team. The Titans open their season Feb. 6 against Cal State Northridge.

UCLA, the defending national champion, is ranked first and one of four teams in the top five that will play in the Big West-Pacific 10 challenge Feb. 10 and 11 at Titan Field. Fresno State, the No. 2 team, Fullerton and No. 5 Oregon are the others. No. 11 Cal Poly Pomona and No. 15 Arizona State are the other teams in the tournament.

Titan Notes

Heather Thomas of the women’s gymnastics team has competed in two meets this season, and has won the all-around competition both times. Thomas beat all gymnasts in a dual meet against Arizona State, and in a meet that included defending national champion Georgia. . . . Wrestler David Jones is ranked seventh nationally among heavyweights. . . . Genia Miller of the women’s basketball team is being nominated for All-American status. Teammate Jill Matyuch is being nominated as an academic All-American.