Resurgent Lamar Rolls by CS Fullerton, 95-86

Cal State Fullerton caught a Lamar basketball team on the rebound Monday night and lost to the Cardinals, 95-86, in their season opener at Beaumont, Tex.

Lamar, 7-21 last season, turned eight offensive rebounds into 19 points. The Cardinals were fouled on three follow shots and converted the three-point plays.

A crowd of 2,631 in the Montagne Center saw Lamar make three follow baskets during a 9-4 run late in the game, when the Cardinals increased their lead from 79-78 with 5:28 remaining to 88-82 with 2:41 left.

They held off the Titans despite a game-high, 30-point performance by junior guard Joe Small, the former Bolsa Grande High and College of the Sequoias standout who was playing his first Division I game.

Taking advantage of Fullerton’s foul problems and an injury on the front line, Lamar outrebounded the Titans, 48-39, with 15 coming on offense.

Cardinal center Daryl Reed scored 23 points and had 13 rebounds. Guards Terry Bridgeman (23 points) and Atiim Browne (20 points, eight assists) also led the Cardinals.

Fullerton center Aaron Wilhite, who scored 10 points in the first half, committed his fourth foul with 18:19 left and was limited to 23 minutes. J.D. Green picked up his fourth foul with 14:14 to go and played 19 minutes, and forward Agee Ward, one of the Titans’ strongest inside players, played despite a bruised thigh.

“Agee wasn’t rebounding the way he can,” Titan Coach John Sneed said. “Wilhite does a good job of positioning, but when he got in foul trouble, he couldn’t lay that big body on anyone.”

Monday night’s game was a far cry from last season’s opener, when Fullerton beat Lamar, 104-67. But then, these Cardinals, under new Coach Mike Newell, are a far cry from last season’s Cardinals.

“They have better players, they play much harder and at a different tempo,” Sneed said. “They’re very aggressive and they play fast.”