Fullerton Avoids Road Sweep, Beats Nevada : College basketball: Titans win at Reno, 72-60, after beginning their trip with an embarrassing loss at Utah State.

It wasn’t as dramatic as winning at UC Santa Barbara earlier this season, but Cal State Fullerton’s 72-60 victory over Nevada on Saturday night let the Titans avoid a zero-for-two road swing.

And after a 25-point loss at Utah State on Thursday, Fullerton (12-6, 7-4) is alone in third place in the Big West Conference.

Forward Bruce Bowen, who finished with a game-high 18 points, said: “We got embarrassed Thursday night. You can really tell a team’s character by how they come back.”

Fullerton went on a 9-0 run near the end of the first half to take a 33-21 lead. Guard Aaron Sunderland made a shot from the top of the key with 4:10 remaining in the game to put Fullerton ahead by 56-51, and then the Titans made eight of 12 free throws over the next three minutes to seal the victory.

“Before the game, Coach said, ‘There’s nothing to say. We need this win,’ ” Sunderland said. “Everyone produced.”

Sunderland had 16 points and center Sean Williams added 12. Eric Morris led Nevada (7-11, 2-9) with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The Titans made 22 of 33 free throws, and Nevada made eight of 11.

It was the Titans’ third conference road victory in seven attempts. As a result, they are ahead of Cal State Long Beach (6-4 in the Big West) and Pacific (6-5).

Even Coach Brad Holland didn’t expect that from a team picked in the preseason for ninth in the conference.

“I would say the kids aren’t surprised . . . the coaching staff is probably a little,” Holland said. “More than anything, we’re just pleased. If I had penciled this out before the season, I probably wouldn’t have had us 7-4.”

Nevada, in last place in the conference, was without its second-leading scorer, center Ric Herrin, who was suspended for one game because of an ejection after a fight during the Wolf Pack-UC Irvine game on Thursday.

Said Bowen: “We had one of our toughest practices in a long time on Friday. Coach was strictly business. We knew that when we got on the bus in Utah (Logan, for the Salt Lake City airport).

“Nobody wanted to test him.”