COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Miller’s Free Throws Get Titan Women Back on Track

Genia Miller had a poor game from the free-throw line--until the game was on the line. Her two fouls shots with five seconds left gave Cal State Fullerton a 69-67 victory over New Mexico State in a Big West Conference women’s game in Titan Gym.

The Titans were coming off losses to Nevada Las Vegas and Cal State Long Beach.

The two free throws broke a 67-67 tie and capped a second-half comeback in which Fullerton erased a 13-point deficit. The Titans (17-6, 10-4 in conference) trailed, 40-27, at halftime but outscored the Aggies, 24-6, in the first 10 minutes of the second half to take a 51-46 lead.

Fullerton’s biggest lead was 60-53 after Joey Ray’s three-pointer, but New Mexico State (9-12, 5-8) scored six consecutive points to make it 60-59 with 4:03 left. The game was tied three times in the final 1:40.

The Titans’ Claudette Jackson scored a career-high 27 points, 19 of them in the first half, and grabbed 14 rebounds. She hit a jumper with 1:12 left to give the Titans a 65-63 lead. Heidi James’ jumper with 37 seconds remaining gave Fullerton a 67-65 lead.

Miller, who had three fouls and four points in the first half, finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds but made only seven of 15 foul shots. Ray added 11 points, and Michelle Hennessey had eight assists and four steals for Fullerton.