Pepperdine Outlasts Cal State Fullerton in Second Half

Cal State Fullerton had to wonder which Pepperdine team would show up Tuesday night.

Would it be the talented basketball team that had it all together a week ago and surprised Wisconsin? Or would it be the one that fell apart and was easily beaten on the road by Cal State Northridge last Saturday? It turned out to be some of both, but Pepperdine’s second-half defense was strong enough for a 65-61 victory over the Titans in front of 1,323 at Firestone Fieldhouse. The loss ended Fullerton’s three-game winning streak.

The Titans (3-2) had two turnovers in the final three minutes that helped the Waves (4-1) escape a 53-53 tie. “I was disappointed with our execution down the stretch,” Titan Coach Bob Hawking said.

“In this type of game, every possession is a potential four-point swing, and you need every possession down the stretch to be solid. We need to learn from this. We have to learn to execute in that situation.”

Guard Jelani Gardner, the transfer from California, took over for the Waves in the second half, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points. He also had 11 rebounds. “It really helps to have a guy capable of doing that,” Pepperdine Coach Lorenzo Romar said.

Chris Dade led the Titans with 21 points but was only five of 13 from the field.

“They picked up their defense in the second half,” Dade said. “I know I had difficulty getting my shots off. But we have to eliminate those turnovers and execute. That hurt us emotionally.”

Ike Harmon was the only other Fullerton player to reach double figures in scoring with 15 points, 11 in the second half. But Harmon also felt the strain of Pepperdine’s pressure, especially in the second half.

“They’re a strong team, and they’re all very athletic,” Harmon said. “But it was those big turnovers at the end that killed us. We’re only down by two, but they capitalize on those two turnovers and they’re up by six, and the game is over.”

The Titans shot only 33.3% from the field, and Titan forwards Craig Whitehead and Mark Richardson were a combined zero of 10 from the field until Whitehead made a three-point shot in the final seconds.

“They did a good job of defending us inside,” Hawking said. “They played good solid position defense and denied the passing lanes. They’re a talented team.”

But take away Gardner’s performance, and the Waves had their problems on offense. Their shooting was a far cry from their 58.7% effort against Wisconsin, and not even as good as the 38.9% against Northridge.

Pepperdine shot only 37.9% from the field this time, but had 18 free throws to 11 for the Fullerton, and made the most of a 45-38 rebounding advantage.

“The big thing is that we were more focused tonight defensively,” Romar said. “I think the way we played against Northridge had something to do with that.”

Fullerton made eight of 12 shots from three-point range in the first half, but that changed in the second half when Pepperdine added more pressure on defense.

The Waves got away to a nine-point lead in the first seven minutes, but weren’t able to sustain it, and it was tight the rest of the first half. Reserve Dane Plock, who scored nine points, came in to nail two three-pointers that gave the Titans a three-point lead with 3:30 left in the half, and the Titans led 35-34 lead at the break.

Fullerton’s last lead was at 42-41, but Titans trailed by only a point with 3:30 left after three consecutive baskets by Harmon. At that point, Gardner turned back the Titans with a jump shot from outside, and the two turnovers sealed it for the Waves.