Titans Take Nevada to Overtime Before Falling

Nevada got much more than it might have expected from last-place Cal State Fullerton Thursday night, but the Wolf Pack squeezed out a victory and stayed in the thick of the Big West basketball race.

It took overtime and some anxious moments, but Nevada finally emerged on top, 71-66, in front of 812 in Titan Gym and kept its hopes up for Saturday night’s key game at UC Irvine.

Nevada made 32 of 41 free throws compared to 12 of 19 for the Titans. Fullerton had seven more field goals.

The victory left Nevada (16-9, 9-6 in the conference) in third, trailing Irvine (9-5) and Long Beach State (10-6).

“That was a tough one,” said Nevada Coach Pat Foster. “You would have thought it might have been a little easier with some of those leads we had, but it wasn’t.”

Nevada led, 65-59, with less than 1 1/2 minutes left in overtime before Chris Dade connected on a three-point shot and Chuck Overton scored to cut the deficit to one point, 65-64, with 41 seconds left.

The Wolf Pack finally pulled away in the final 32 seconds when Damien Edwards and Richard Brown each hit two free throws. Edwards finished with 18 points and Brown had 14 to lead Nevada.

Nevada’s leading scorer for the season, Brian Green, played only 13 minutes. He has the flu and failed to start for the first time in 35 games. He scored only six points and was two for eight from the field.

Fullerton (6-17, 5-10), gave Nevada a run behind the strong inside play of forward John Williams. Williams scored 23 points and had nine rebounds. Dade and Overton each finished with 13 points and Overton also had nine rebounds.

But Titan Coach Bob Hawking thought Nevada’s depth down the stretch was the difference. Three Fullerton players--Williams, Dade and center Dirk Rassloff--fouled out late.

“We had five guards on the floor at the end of the game,” Hawking said.

Nevada center Daniel Watts picked up his fourth foul with 18 minutes 28 seconds remaining in the second half, but didn’t foul out until over four seconds remained in overtime. He finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

“They did a good job of protecting him,” Hawking said. “They went to a zone after he got the fourth and they rotated him out on the defensive end of the floor when they were able to do it.”

The Titans had 28 fouls compared to 17 for Nevada, accounting for the Wolf Pack’s big advantage at the free-throw line.

Neither team could gain much of an advantage early in the second half, and the score was tied, 47-47, with slightly more than four minutes left.

Rassloff made a rebound basket to give the Titans a 49-47 lead, but immediately fouled Brown, who sank two free throws to tie it again. Williams’ turnaround jumper put Fullerton up again by two at 51-49 with 2:47 to play, but Green tied it, working his way inside for an open layup. The Titans then turned it over, and Nevada went ahead on Edwards’ two free throws, but Williams kept the Titans even with a layup with 1:30 to go.

A free throw by Williams, and a steal by Dade gave Fullerton new life. Reserve Kenroy Jarrett made one of two free throws to tie it with 14 seconds left in regulation.