Titans’ Prayer Is Answered : Basketball: Thomas’ 35-foot shot as time expires in overtime gives Fullerton an 83-82 victory over San Diego State.

Guard Brian Thomas called it his “prayer” shot.

The 35-footer banked in with no time left on the clock Tuesday night to give Cal State Fullerton an 85-83 overtime victory over San Diego State at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The Titans were down, 83-82, after San Diego State’s Chad Nelson drove the lane to score with four seconds left.

“Brian really had a long way to go in a short amount of time,” Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said. “We had three guys set up for the shot, but by the time Brian got it down, he had to go for it.”

The victory was Fullerton’s first of the season after two road losses and enabled the Titans to avert their first 0-3 start since the 1974-75 season. The loss was San Diego State’s second in four games after a 2-0 start. Fullerton also won last year’s game between the teams in overtime.

“We were very fortunate this time,” Hawking said. “Sometimes I guess it’s better to be lucky than good.”

While Thomas, a junior transfer from Navarro College in Texas, was the late hero, teammate John Williams, another transfer, sparked a strong second-half surge.

Williams finished with a game-high 25 points, hitting eight of 13 from the field and nine of 12 free throws. At one point in the second half, Williams scored 18 of Fullerton’s 21 points.

“John finally came out and played like we’ve been expecting him to play,” Hawking said. “He sort of came out of his shell.”

The Titans had a chance to win the game in regulation, leading, 74-72, but Thomas was called for reaching in with two seconds remaining as Chad Nelson pushed the ball downcourt. Nelson hit both free throws to send the game into overtime.

“I thought I got my hand back in time when I was called for the foul,” Thomas said. “I guess I got a chance to make up for it. I knew I didn’t have much time, and when I saw one second on the clock I put up a prayer, and it went in.”

Thomas finished with 12 points. Senior Chuck Overton had 16 and sophomore Chris Dade had 11, hitting eight of nine free throws. Nelson led the Aztecs with 21, and Paul Jarrett, the transfer from New Mexico State, had 15.

The game was a homecoming for Dade and Titan point guard Ali Nayab. Nayab played at Kearney High and Southwestern College in San Diego. Dade starred at El Camino High.

The last few minutes of the overtime were filled with frenzy.

Fullerton led, 81-77, with slightly more than two minutes remaining, but the Aztecs scrambled back for an 81-81 tie with 17 seconds left on a free throw by Leon Carter. He missed the second attempt, Fullerton rebounded and Chris St. Clair was fouled with 11 seconds to go. St. Clair missed the first free throw, but hit the second for an 82-81 Titan lead. That evaporated on Nelson’s score.

The Titans, who had only five three-point baskets in their first two games, appeared determined to change that from the start and hit six of seven from long range in the first half and took the halftime lead for the third time in three games.

Fullerton went ahead, 36-33, at the break by outscoring the Aztecs, 8-2, in the final four minutes. Overton, who had 14 points in the first half, had five during the run, including one three-point shot.

Fullerton, which shot 55% from the field for the game, was seven for 12 on three-point shots.