Titans Unable to ‘Take Care of Business’ at Home

Cal State Fullerton’s home-court magic this season disappeared Thursday night when the Titans really needed it.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo wiped it out in a barrage of three-point baskets. The Mustangs made 11 of 23 three-point shots and won, 90-80, to stay in the running for the final spot in the Big West postseason tournament that Fullerton could have clinched with a victory.

It was Fullerton’s second loss in 12 games this season in Titan Gym and the first road victory for Cal Poly since Jan. 23. The Mustangs had lost five of their last six games.

Fullerton (13-12, 7-8) is still a game ahead of Cal Poly (11-15, 6-9) in the Western Division going into the each team’s final regular- season game Saturday. Fullerton is at home against UC Santa Barbara, the top team in the Western Division, and the Mustangs play at last-place UC Irvine.

If Fullerton and Cal Poly finish in a tie, the Mustangs would get the tournament berth on the basis of their two victories against the Titans.

“It’s tough to lose one like that, when it’s one you need,” Titan senior forward Mark Richardson said. “You’d think when you outrebound a team by seven you should win, but Cal Poly had too many guns for us.”

The Mustangs shot 46.9% from the field, overcoming Fullerton’s 42-35 rebounding advantage. Jabbar Washington led the way with 19 points, and center Chris Bjorklund and Ross Ketcham each had 14. Ketcham was four of seven on three-pointers and Washington three of five.

Ike Harmon led the Titans with 22 points, with guard Mark Murphy getting 16. Murphy was the only Titan player to make a three-point shot, and he was four of 11.

Titan Coach Bob Hawking said he did not start Harmon because the forward had been ill a day earlier with the flu. Harmon played 27 minutes and made eight of 16 from the floor.

“Their three-pointers were enough to make a difference,” Hawking said. “We came into the weekend needing one of two, but we didn’t take care of business tonight. They’re a good shooting team, and I thought our guys knew that. But we didn’t guard them well enough to win.”

Cal Poly Coach Jeff Schneider was pleased that five different players had three-point baskets.

“Ketcham got four threes and he was the screener,” Schneider said. “We ended up getting a lot of threes like that. Our big guys got six of our 11 threes. “

Fullerton didn’t score from three-point range in nine attempts in the first half while the Mustangs made six of 13 three-point shots to lead 39-32 at halftime. The Titans shot only 34.3% from the floor despite Harmon going five for eight for 12 first-half points, and finished at 40.9%

The Mustangs led by 11 at one point early in the second half, but the Titans came back to tie the score at 66-66 when Murphy connected on a deep three-pointer with slightly less than eight minutes left.

Ketcham responded with a three-pointer to turn back that surge, but Fullerton tied it again at 72-72 with 5 1/2 minutes left. The Titans faded after that. Harmon lost a basket on an offensive foul that could have cut the deficit to two points with four minutes to play and Cal Poly took control.

“We seemed to have some momentum then, but they seized the opportunity down the stretch,” Hawking said. “You have to give them credit for that.”

Schneider also gave a lot of credit for his team’s success to the zone defense the Mustangs used the entire game. “It’s hard to press the whole game and then play good man-to-man defense, but the zone worked well for us,” he said.

Schneider didn’t start Mike Wozniak, normally one of Cal Poly’s best three-point shooters. “We decided to put our best defenders on the court,” Schneider said.

Wozniak was two of four from the floor, and finished with six points.