Titans Have Chance at Upset but Last-Second Shot Misses

A last-second, 12-foot jump shot by Kenroy Jarrett missed the mark, and Cal State Fullerton had to settle for a heavy load of might-have-beens Saturday night.

Boise State held on for a 67-66 Big West Conference victory over the Titans that could just as easily have gone the other way.

As it was, Boise State (11-3) stayed unbeaten in four conference games, winning its 24th game in its last 26 in the Pavilion, in front of a crowd of 7,492.

Jarrett had given the Titans (7-7, 1-3) a one-point lead on two free throws with 11 seconds left.

But Boise State got the deciding points on a pair of free throws by high-scoring Roberto Bergersen five seconds later when he was fouled driving into the key.

Jarrett pushed the ball downcourt in time for a final shot, but it bounced off as he fell to the floor. “We were in the alignment we wanted, but you’re never sure what you’re going to get in that kind of situation,” Titan Coach Bob Hawking said.

Jarrett said he thought he was fouled on the play.

“It was one of those moments when you have all your adrenaline going, but I thought the shot was going in,” Jarrett said. Jarrett’s left eye was swollen and partially shut after the game from a fall on the earlier play when he was fouled by C.J. Williams.

“Kenroy turned in a gutsy effort,” Hawking said.

Ike Harmon scored a season-high 21 points, and Mark Murphy had 16 to lead Fullerton. Both had key three-point baskets to keep the Titans in contention in the final two minutes. Mark Richardson had 10 points, going five of five from the floor, and Jarrett finished with seven.

The Titans lost despite shooting 59.5% from the field, including a torrid 68% in the second half.

Bergersen, the nation’s second-leading scorer, finished with 17 points, 12 of them coming on four three-point shots. It was only the fourth time this season Bergersen has been held to fewer than 20 points. Richardson and Jason Cunningham shared time guarding him.

“We held him to five for 13 and he only got to the free throw-line three times, but those last two free throws he made were huge,” Hawking said.

Bergersen said he was determined to take the ball to the basket himself after Jarrett’s free throws put the Broncos behind by a point.

“I told my guys to give the ball and I would take it in,” Bergersen said. “They either had to let me score or foul me, and that’s what happened.”

The first of the two free throws spun around the rim before falling back in.

“I didn’t like the matchups coming into this game,” Boise State Coach Rod Jensen said. “We were fortunate to beat a good team. We knew they were good defensively, and then for them to shoot the way they did tonight made it very difficult for us.”

Fullerton shot 50% from the field in the first half and still trailed by 11 points at the break.

The Titans held Bergersen scoreless in the first 13 minutes, but he connected on three consecutive three-point shots to help the Broncos to 38-29 halftime advantage. Fullerton lost a basket just before the first half ended when referees ruled that Cunningham’s shot came after the shot clock expired.

The Titans outscored Boise State, 13-6, in the first nine minutes of the second half to get back in the game, and tied the score, 55-55, with slightly more than five minutes left. It was tight the rest of the way.