Fullerton Stumbles Late and Loses Big

The Fullerton men’s basketball team avoided its usual problem of starting poorly Friday. Instead, the Hornets ended that way.

Fullerton trailed by two points with with nearly seven minutes left but wound up losing to undefeated Santa Monica, 73-59, in one semifinal of the Pasadena tournament at Rio Hondo College.

The tournament is being played in Whittier because a new gym is being built at Pasadena.

Fullerton was done in by poor ballhandling and shot selection and the Hornets finished with 27 turnovers and only eight assists.

Fullerton also shot 35% (20 of 58), including making four of 21 three-pointers.

Fullerton Coach Dieter Horton took a moment to look at the statistics and said: “Let me find the right word.”

Horton then took a long pause and found plenty to say.

“The only word I can use is ‘Unbelievable.’ It’s our immaturity. We have only one kid who played college basketball last year and it shows. We were careless with the basketball.

“We took the ball out of our hands too many times.”

Fullerton’s performance came with added pain for Horton, who had hoped his team had turned a corner the night before when the Hornets were down to Chaffey, 25-4, but rallied for a victory.

This time, Fullerton was down by 10 early but trailed only 29-27 at the half. The score was tied, 31-31, early in the second half and Fullerton was down, 51-49, when Hornet guard Jerry McNair scored with 7 minutes 13 seconds left.

But Santa Monica (11-0) went on a 9-0 run and Fullerton didn’t score until guard Rashaun Thomas made a three-pointer with 3:20 left to cut the lead to 60-52. But that was as close as Fullerton got the rest of the way.

Forward Ronald Strange made nine of 13 free throws and finished with 15 points and Thomas had 12 for Fullerton, which plays Pasadena in the third-place game at 4 p.m. today.

Forward Marrean Robottom had 19 points and eight rebounds for Santa Monica, which plays in the 4 p.m. final.

“We need to be tougher,” Horton said, “We just have to be stronger with the ball.”

In other Pasadena tournament games:

Santa Ana 87, Rio Hondo 85 (2 OT)--Chris Mattice’s two-point shot gave Santa Ana the lead with less than a minute left in the second overtime. Mattice scored a career-high 37 points, including four three-pointers. Mattice, who left the game after he was fouled and cut above the eye, was 11 of 14 from the free-throw line. Jermel Jones and Kevin Johnson each scored 18 points for host Rio Hondo (2-10).

Santa Ana plays Chaffey in the consolation final at 2 today.

Chaffey 102, Golden West 95--Jason Titus had 26 points and Jeff Jensen had 24 for Golden West, which was outscored, 65-50, in the second half. Alex McKie had 24 points for Chaffey, which had four starters, including McKie, foul out.

In the San Bernardino Valley tournament:

Cypress 77, College of the Desert 68 (OT)--Meko Parker scored 25 points and Chris Killens 20 for Cypress, which outscored Desert, 12-3, in overtime. The Chargers (7-7) advance to the championship game at 6 tonight.

In the Simple Green Coast Christmas women’s basketball tournament:

Orange Coast 82, Cuesta 61--Orange Coast went on a 9-0 run to start the second half and took a 53-38 lead. Cuesta rallied to come within nine points, but couldn’t get any closer. Natalie Weeks scored 22 points and Ani Saraydarian had 21 for the Pirates (11-1). Ashley Messer scored 17 points to lead visiting Cuesta (7-6).

Fullerton 70, Southwestern 63--Fullerton rallied from a six-point halftime deficit. Kristi Jepsen had 21 points and six steals for the Hornets, who advance to the championship semifinals against Orange Coast at 7:30 tonight.

Cerritos and Chaffey meet in the other semifinal at 5:30 p.m.