New Mexico State Holds Off CS Fullerton

It didn’t matter that Cal State Fullerton forward Bruce Bowen played one of his best offensive games of the season Tuesday night, scoring 22 points against New Mexico State.

The shot that most will remember was Bowen’s last, a 22-foot air ball from the top of the key with two seconds left.

That miss and Aaron Sunderland’s missed free throw with 17 seconds to play left Fullerton with a 69-67 loss to the Aggies in a Big West Conference game before 1,824 at Titan Gym.

The Titans (7-11, 3-6) led by eight midway through the second half and by two, 63-61, before New Mexico State’s William Benjamin and Sam Crawford made three-pointers to put the Aggies ahead, 67-63, with 2:21 remaining.

Crawford’s long fall-away shot from the left wing banked into the basket as the 45-second shot clock wound down.

“That was so lucky--did you believe that?” Crawford said.

Fullerton pulled to within two, 69-67, on Bowen’s follow shot with 58 seconds left and got a break when Crawford lost the ball out of bounds with 34 seconds to go.

Crawford fouled Sunderland with 17 seconds left, but the Titan point guard missed the front end of a one-and-one. Fullerton forward Agee Ward forced a jump ball on the rebound, though, and the possession arrow favored the Titans.

Then Fullerton spread its offense and Bowen missed everything.

Cliff Reed scored 14 points and had eight rebounds for New Mexico State (14-3, 6-2). Joe Small had 16 points for the Titans.