Fullerton Just a Little Less Ugly Than UCI

The unforced turnovers. The blown shots. The questionable play-making decisions. Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine were alike right up to the bitter end Thursday night.

The difference was Fullerton made five of six free throws--three by Kenroy Jarrett--in the last 21 seconds for a 51-48 victory. It was the Titans’ best 21 seconds of the game.

It was certainly an improvement over their five consecutive turnovers that allowed Irvine to get close in the final minute. The Anteaters closed to within 49-48 on Junior Bond’s three-pointer with two seconds left. But Jarrett’s two free throws with one second left put the Titans over the top.

“We feel like the ugly duckling, but we’ll take it,” Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said.

There were some positives.

The victory kept the Titans (8-11, 3-6) from falling too far off the pace in the Big West Conference Western Division. Then again, that seems impossible, as one game separates second and last place.

The Anteaters (7-12, 4-5) missed a golden opportunity to virtually assure themselves a spot in the conference tournament. Then again, they are still tied for second place.

So the only real losers might have been the 1,770 in attendance who chose to come to the Bren Center rather than stay home and watch No. 1 North Carolina play No. 2 Duke.

“At least we and North Carolina have something in common,” Hawking said. “We both won [tonight].”

The Titans won, yes. They did so despite going scoreless between Ike Harmon’s two free throws with 3 minutes 34 seconds left and Chris St. Clair’s two free throws with 15 seconds left.

And still Irvine lost. But, then, that’s going to happen when you miss nine of your last 11 shots.

“All through the second half, I thought we were going to win the game,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said. “Every time we would get a lead or tie the game, Fullerton would get an offensive rebound or a deflection. I thought we would pull it out.”

There was reason to hope, then it dissipated.

Matt Willard’s layup with 4:39 left gave Irvine a 40-39 lead. It was then that the Titans made their biggest run--two free throws by Chris Dade, followed by a three-pointer and two free throws by Harmon.

With Irvine struggling just to hit the rim, that 46-40 lead seemed insurmountable. The Titans did try to lend a hand, but the Anteaters refused the help.

Harmon charged. Ben Jones missed a three-pointer. Jarrett threw the ball out of bounds. Adam Stetson missed a three-pointer.

St. Clair threw the ball out of bounds. Bond missed a three-pointer. Mark Richardson threw the ball away. Malachi Edmond air-balled a three-pointer.

“It was all mental,” Stetson said. “The coaches prepared us. We knew everything we had to do. We didn’t put into it into play.”

They didn’t from the beginning. But then, neither did Fullerton.

The Titans led, 20-14, at halftime, the lowest point total for a half for both teams this season.

“Both teams played hard defensively; that halftime score says it all,” Hawking said.

Sure, you could put that down to good defense. But anyone in attendance, except maybe Hawking, knew the real reason.

Fullerton shot 31% and Irvine 30%. Fullerton had 19 turnovers and Irvine 17.

Dade, Fullerton’s leading scorer, scored 13 points for the game, but made three of 10 shots. Harmon, the second leading scorer, had eight points, but was two of 10 from the field.

Stetson was the lone bright spot. He finished with a game-high 20 points and hit five of 10 three-pointers.

He got little support. Jones, who didn’t start for the first time this season, was scoreless in 11 minutes. Guard Lamarr Parker, who had scored in double figures five consecutive games, scored four points.

“We had some good shots, we just never got in a rhythm,” Douglass said. “When you can’t make easy shots, it gets frustrating.”