Ailing Titans Fall to Sluggish UNLV : Basketball: With top scorer Peterson out with the flu, Fullerton unable to muster much offense in 77-66 loss.

Cal State Fullerton left its offense on the bench while Nevada Las Vegas stumbled by the Titans, 77-66, Wednesday night.

Specifically, the Titan offense was wearing a black leather jacket, a green shirt and blue sweat pants.

Winston Peterson, with the flu.

It wasn’t exactly the news Fullerton Coach Brad Holland needed an hour before tipoff--Peterson is the Titans’ leading scorer and rebounder. But, then again, this wasn’t exactly the UNLV team of years past.

Indeed, this could be the year that Big West teams get revenge on the Rebels (5-3, 1-0). After scoring a mere 39 points on Monday against Virginia, the lowest total in school history, UNLV couldn’t put Fullerton away on Wednesday--and the Titans started one walk-on and suited up only eight players.

Rebel Coach Rollie Massimino’s personal entourage is larger than that. Still, Fullerton was within 65-62 when Darren Little (16 points) dunked with 5:24 left and within 69-64 when James French (11) drove the lane for a bucket with 3:01 remaining.

But Kebu Stewart, who finished with a game-high 23 points, scored after a key offensive rebound on UNLV’s next trip down. French turned the ball over after that, and a few minutes later, the Titans (2-8, 0-2) were still zero-for-Division I opponents for the year.

By the end, Peterson was long gone. He sat on the bench during the first half but went home at halftime.

“He hasn’t been feeling well the last couple of days,” Holland said. “He told me before the game he couldn’t go. . . .

“Winston is a strong inside player. He would have given us an inside presence we probably didn’t have.”

Without Peterson’s nine rebounds per game (he is also averaging 17 points), the Titans were outrebounded, 46-38. Walk-on Fred Amos, who got his first start of the season, finished with four points and 10 rebounds in 32 minutes.

“We’ve never played against (Peterson), so it’s tough for me to make an analysis,” Massimino said. “I’m sure he’s a very good player. Their subs did a very good job, I thought.”

After the Virginia debacle, Massimino was just happy to get a victory. Things have been anything but nirvana for the former Villanova coach. He got into a shouting match with a booster after Monday’s game--the booster just happened to be the cousin of Jerome Mack, one of the people for whom UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center is named.

So maybe it was a bad idea for Massimino to challenge the guy to come down to the floor and fight.

“This was a very good win for us after the Virginia game,” Massimino said. “It’s a nice feeling because this shows we have some character.”

Yes, but despite shooting 31% from the field--and 14% from three-point territory, Fullerton actually led for an eight-minute span in the first half.

This also despite the fact that Peterson is the only Titan that can consistently bang under the boards.

But UNLV, it turns out, doesn’t have much firepower, either. The Rebels spent at least half the game in a two-three zone and that enabled them to regain the lead they had lost during an exceptionally sluggish first half.

After French made two free throws with 6:09 left before the half to make it 22-18, the Rebels scored 10 consecutive points before Greg Vernon (16 points) swished in a three-pointer at the 2:54 mark.

That made it 28-25, but, by halftime, the Titans trailed by six, 34-28.

In the second half, 11 points from substitute guard Ken Gibson--who made three three-pointers--was the main ingredient in the Rebels’ avoiding a second consecutive loss in Titan Gym.

“Our guys were ready to play,” said Holland, who has suffered as the Titans have come out ice-cold in the first half of nearly every game this season. “You could see it from the start.

“I just told our guys that the greatest thing is to improve while you’re winning. But I think we’re improving while we’re losing.”

Game summary C11