Titans Back in Holland’s Favor After Victory

Brad Holland’s love-hate relationship with this city tipped in favor of the love aspect Monday night.

Last February, the Cal State Fullerton coach brought a team on the rise here. The Titans were 12-5, 7-3 in the Big West, but they lost to Nevada and Holland suspended three starters for missing curfew after the game. The Titans fell into a tailspin and won only three more games.

Holland openly campaigned for the Nevada job during the off-season, however. He lost out to former Houston Coach Pat Foster and then lost recruit Eathan O’Bryant--who had orally committed to Fullerton--to Nevada.

But Monday night’s 74-70 victory against the Wolf Pack in front of 5,117 in the Lawlor Events Center--the Titans’ first victory in the Big West and first against an NCAA team--made up for that.

“This was an outstanding, badly needed win,” Holland said, smiling. “I’m just so proud of these guys. We’ve been in the position to win some games but weren’t able to put 40 minutes together until tonight.”

The Titans (3-10, 1-4 in conference) had their lapses, though, and ended up having to sweat out a victory it appeared they had sealed when they went ahead, 66-59, with 2:26 remaining.

O’Bryant’s three-pointer with 36 seconds left cut Fullerton’s lead to only one (70-69), however, and it seemed as if Nevada (6-8, 2-4) might conjure up some of the magic that helped it win six of eight previous home games. But Greg Vernon slipped behind the Wolf Pack press for a layup and then made two free throws.

“We made some foul shots tonight,” Holland said, “and I can think of three or four games that we lost because we didn’t.”

Fullerton made nine of 10 first-half free throws and 18 of 25 in the second half, including two clutch ones by freshman Josh King with 59 seconds remaining to put the Titans ahead, 70-66.

“Those are free shots and you ought to make them,” King said. “I blocked out all that screaming. You know, Coach Holland had me in there at the end and you have to perform if he puts that kind of confidence in you.

“This feels so great.”

King, who scored a career-high 20 points to lead all scorers, had 14 points in the final 12 minutes as the Titans turned a 47-36 deficit into their biggest victory of the season.

“Josh had an outstanding game,” Holland said. “He played more like a junior than a freshman. He was so clutch with those little high-post jumpers. But it was a total team effort.