Fullerton Falls After Poor Start

Cal State Fullerton hit another low Saturday night, and this one was particularly painful.

The Titans lost their seventh consecutive game--their longest losing streak since the 1989-90 season--and dropped into last place in the Big West Conference’s Western Division.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo made its last 18 free throws, 14 in the final three minutes, to hold off the Titans for an 87-83 victory in front of 1,004 in Titan Gym.

Fullerton guard Mark Murphy connected on three consecutive three-point shots in the final 51 seconds, but Cal Poly’s clutch free-throw shooting was the difference. Guard Jason King dropped in six consecutive free throws in the final 40 seconds for Cal Poly.

The victory was Cal Poly’s second over Fullerton in two weeks and sixth without a loss to the Titans in three seasons.

It left the Mustangs (9-15, 4-8) tied for fourth place in the Western Division with UC Irvine.

Fullerton (8-15, 3-9) fell a game behind both teams with four games to play.

“That was tough, real tough,” Fullerton’s Ike Harmon said. “If we had played 40 minutes, instead of 20, it might have been different. I guess we were sleepwalking in the first half and playing with no emotion.”

The Mustangs overwhelmed the Titans in the first 10 1/2 minutes of the game. A 17-0 run over 3 minutes 45 seconds produced a 31-10 lead.

The Titans spent the rest of the game trying to catch up.

Center Chris Bjorklund led Cal Poly with 22 points. King and Jeremiah Mayes each had 18, with King going nine of 11 on free throws.

Harmon led the Titans with 21. Murphy finished with 18 on six of 13 three-point shots.

“We played half a game,” Titan Coach Bob Hawking said. “We didn’t seem to have the energy we needed to have in the first half. You can’t dig that kind of hole.”

The Mustangs led, 47-32, at halftime, but Fullerton battled back to within five points less than seven minutes into the second half, helped by a full-court press. The Titans cut the lead to 81-80 with 40 seconds to go on one of Murphy’s three-pointers.

King was immediately fouled by Josh Fischer, and he made two free throws to keep the Mustangs ahead.

Fullerton hurried back downcourt, but the Mustangs knocked the ball away from Kenroy Jarrett.

“I was trying to go to the basket, but two guys came at me and then one jumped back,” Jarrett said. “It was a good defensive play.”

King added two more free throws. Murphy hit another three-pointer to close the gap to two points, but King was perfect at the line again with nine seconds left.

“We were in a no-win situation with having to foul,” Harmon said. “It seemed like no matter who we fouled they put in both shots.”

Fullerton made 12 three-point shots (in 26 attempts), tying a school record, but was only nine for 12 at the free-throw line. The Mustangs were 22 of 30 at the line.

The loss left Fullerton in danger of not making the conference tournament for the first time since the 1995-96 season.