Williams Gets Save; Fullerton Wins in Overtime, 90-84

Time was running out on Cal State Fullerton Thursday night for what seemed like the umpteenth time in Wayne Williams’ career.

With his team trailing San Jose State by two points with less than 10 seconds left, Williams had the ball near the top of the key.

Five times in his two-year career, Williams has hit desperation three-pointers, twice winning games with them. But this time, Williams drove for a scooping layup with two seconds left, forcing an overtime period that ended in a 90-84 Fullerton victory in front of 2,201 in Titan Gym.

“It was a prayer,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said. “But his prayers have been answered so many times.”

In overtime, Fullerton (11-8, 5-5 in the Big West) took the lead and held it, and Williams hit four consecutive free throws in the final 28 seconds to clinch the victory.

As regulation time ran down, there were those in the crowd who thought Williams might try a three-pointer.

“I didn’t want him to get into that buzzer-beater thing,” Sneed said.

Williams said it crossed his mind.

“Just for a second I started to take a long shot, but when I saw how much time was left I thought I could get a little closer. . . . Really I was trying to draw the foul, but I got the bucket.”

Williams’ latest last-second heroics took a bit of the spotlight away from Cedric Ceballos, who for the second game in a row played every minute of an overtime game, finishing with 31 points and 16 rebounds, eight offensive.

Ceballos played one of the finest games of his career Monday night against UC Santa Barbara, scoring 33 points in a game Fullerton lost in overtime after holding an 11-point lead with 2:20 left.

“I’m playing great,” Ceballos said. “Things are just flowing. It’s that time of year to get a run going. This is the homestretch. I’m just putting my head down.”

Andre Brooks scored 27 points for San Jose, including five three-pointers, and Troy Batiste added 21 points. San Jose is 5-14, 2-8.