Small Is on Target as Fullerton Cruises Past Chapman

Cal State Fullerton found the perfect remedy for its flu-stricken basketball team Saturday night: Take five Panthers and call me in the morning.

With Division II Chapman College providing little resistance in the last 10 minutes of the first half, the Titans opened a huge lead and cruised to an 86-66 victory before 1,722 in Titan Gym.

Junior guard Joe Small scored 29 points, making five of seven three-point shots, to help Fullerton (6-2) increase its winning streak to six games, the longest since the 1986-87 team sandwiched seven victories between one-point losses at Texas Tech and UCLA.

Senior forward Ron Caldwell added 16 points, junior point guard Wayne Williams had 12 points and eight assists, and sophomore center Aaron Wilhite added 12 points, giving him double-figure scoring in every game this season.

Junior forward Roger Middleton led the Panthers (6-5) with 18 points, 16 of them in the second half, before fouling out with 6:20 remaining. Senior forward Zlatko Josic added 16 points.

Fullerton put the game away in the first half, outscoring Chapman, 30-9, in the final nine minutes to take a 49-26 lead. Small shot an air-ball from the right corner at the 10-minute mark but didn’t miss much the rest of the half.

He hit four three-point shots and scored 14 points in the Titans’ run. Fullerton maintained a comfortable lead throughout the second half, and Titan Coach John Sneed was able to use his bench.

“Our goal was to have a good first half, get everyone in the game and have a Merry Christmas,” Sneed said.