Titans Play Giveaway Then Hold On to Edge Utah State

Cal State Fullerton missed crucial free throws in the final minutes of a close game. The Titans’ leading scorer and best free-throw shooter, Joe Small, fouled out with 24 seconds remaining.

Fullerton turned the ball over with 12 seconds left and a one-point lead, and then allowed Utah State an open, eight-foot jumper with five seconds to go.

And the Titans still won.

Aggie guard Allen Gordon missed with five seconds left, Kendall Youngblood’s last-second, 50-footer fell short, and Fullerton held on for a 93-91 Big West Conference victory over Utah State Monday night.

“I feel real lucky to win,” said Titan guard Wayne Williams, who had 15 points and nine assists. “(Gordon) was open on that shot, and he had just made a big play before that. It looked like it was going in, and everyone paused for a second, but then Greg (Vernon) got the rebound.”

Vernon was fouled and made one free throw for the 93-91 lead, but forward Bruce Bowen got a piece of Youngblood’s final shot, which barely cleared mid-court.

A Titan Gym crowd of 1,717 endured some tense moments late in the game, as Fullerton let a five-point lead slip away. Aggie guard Jay Goodman, who made six of 14 three-pointers and finished with 31 points, keyed the comeback, but the Titans’ Small, who scored 26 points before fouling out, and Bowen brought Fullerton back.

Small’s off-balance jumper in the key and free throw turned an 84-83 deficit into an 86-84 lead with 2:11 left, and Bowen made three of four free throws in the next 1:19 to keep Fullerton ahead by three, 89-86. Goodman missed a three-pointer, and Small made two free throws with 30 seconds left for a 91-86 lead.

Gordon drove the lane, banked in a shot, was fouled and made the free throw with 24 seconds to go to make it 91-88, and Fullerton’s Agee Ward made only one of two foul shots for a 92-88 lead.

Goodman’s three-pointer from the right corner cut it to 92-91 with 15 seconds left, and the game seemed to be slipping away when the Titans turned the ball over on the ensuing in-bounds play.

Ward threw long to Bowen, who broke downcourt, but Bowen got tangled up with Youngblood while attempting to make the catch. Bowen fumbled the ball out of bounds, and the Aggies retained possession with 12 seconds left.

“I called that pass from the bench because they didn’t have anyone back as a safety valve,” Fullerton Coach John Sneed said. “Bruce was there, but he lost his balance and slid. But you have to do that to keep the defense honest.”

Gordon then penetrated and pulled up for a short jumper that missed. Several players scrambled for the rebound, which finally wound up in Vernon’s hands.

“We had the shot we wanted--it was just as we diagrammed it,” Goodman said. “It just didn’t fall.”

Fullerton, which had five players score in double figures, improved to 9-3, 2-1 in conference; Utah State fell to 5-7 and 2-1.

Ward had 16 points and 12 rebounds, Aaron Wilhite had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Bowen had 11 points as the Titans’ front-court players had a much easier time scoring inside than they did Friday night against top-ranked Nevada Las Vegas.

Small, as usual, was Fullerton’s leading scorer, but he made only one of six three-point attempts. Several of his points came on drives to the basket, and he made nine of 10 free throws.

His teammates weren’t so accurate from the foul line, though. The Titans, who entered shooting a conference-leading 72.8%, made 29 of 42 foul shots (69%) but missed nine of 24 in the final 10 minutes. Utah State made 22 of 29 free throws in the game.

“I was concerned if it came down to a free-throw shooting contest because those were the most key free throws we’ve missed all year,” Sneed said. “And then we lost our best free-throw shooter when Joe went out. I prefer to have him on the floor in crunch time.”

Besides Goodman, Utah State had three other players finish in double figures--Eric Franson (15), Youngblood (14) and Gordon (11)--but four Aggies fouled out, three in the final 1:38.