Titans Fall to 1-8 With 65-52 Loss to Valparaiso

Valparaiso defeated Cal State Fullerton, 65-52, in front of 2,712 Friday night at Valparaiso, Ind.

Raitis Grafs had 17 points and eight rebounds, Jason Jenkins scored 14 points and Lubos Barton added 13 for the Crusaders (8-3), whose four-game winning streak ended last week in a loss to Purdue.

“They have five guys back from last year’s NCAA [tournament] team and are one of the finest teams we’ll play this year,” Titan Coach Donny Daniels said.

Both teams shot poorly in the first half, with Fullerton (1-8) connecting on five of 21 field-goal attempts. Valparaiso wasn’t much better, hitting nine of 28, but the Crusaders managed to build a 31-18 halftime lead.

The Titans shot 12 for 28 in the second half, including four of nine from three-point range.

Valparaiso was also more accurate from field in the second half--12 for 23, including five of nine three-point tries.

Babacar Camara led Fullerton with nine points, Ike Harmon had eight and Joe Travis seven off the bench. The Titans shot 34 percent from the field, hitting only 17 of 49.

“Their three big guys [Barton, Jenkins and Grafs] are their top three scorers and we knew that going in,” said Daniels, whose team is off to its worst start since the 1995-96 team also started 1-8. “We just couldn’t doing anything about it.”

Long Beach State 86, Texas A&M; 73--Brad Smith’s three-point basket with 3:15 remaining gave Long Beach State its first lead of the game and the 49ers held on to defeat Texas A&M; at the Pyramid for their fourth consecutive victory.

WOMEN

Katrissa O’Neal and Plenette Pierson each scored 20 points as No. 11 Texas Tech defeated USC, 85-59, at Lubbock, Texas.