It’s the Bald Truth: Titans Win Opener : Basketball: CS Fullerton celebrates Holland’s first game, beating St. Mary’s, 82-62.

It started with a haircut gone awry and ended up with 11 bald heads, each belonging to a member of the Cal State Fullerton basketball team.

When Titan point guard Aaron Sunderland figured no hair was better than an unshapely flat top and had his head shaved Thursday night, all but one of his teammates, in a show of unity, decided to follow suit.

“We thought we’d look more intimidating and that it would make us play harder,” Fullerton forward Kim Kemp said.

“We wanted to start something new, turn over a new leaf.”

If the Titans’ performance in Friday night’s season opener against St. Mary’s is any indication, they apparently have. Fullerton beat the Gaels, 82-62, in first-year Coach Brad Holland’s debut before 1,020.

There were no full-court presses or half-court traps, simply a half-court, man-to-man effort in which each Fullerton player constantly harassed the player he was guarding.

The Titans helped force St. Mary’s into 24 turnovers and a 39.6% shooting night from the field. They grabbed 19 offensive rebounds to offset their sub-par shooting--40.6% from the field.

Junior guard Don Leary, a transfer from Mt. San Jacinto College playing his first Division I game, scored 17 points, including three consecutive three-pointers during the second half that pushed Fullerton’s lead to 58-35.

Leary also had four steals and three assists.

Kemp added 17 points and nine rebounds; senior center Sean Williams had 17 points and six blocked shots; senior forward Bruce Bowen had 12 points and 11 rebounds, despite three for 14 from the field, and Sunderland, a senior, had eight assists.

“I thought the guys did a nice job setting the tone with defense,” Holland said.

“We were up in their faces and extended well.”