Titans Get Close but Can’t End Their Skid

Cal State Fullerton had a shot at ending its losing streak Thursday night, but the Titans let it slip away.

UC Santa Barbara made four free throws in the final 14 seconds for a 74-71 Big West Conference victory at Titan Gym. It was the Gauchos’ first victory on the road this season in six games.

Ike Harmon scored on a layup off a steal by reserve guard Chris Smith with 38 seconds left to give the Titans a one-point lead, but the Gauchos got two free throws each from Mark Hull and Branduinn Fullove to turn back the Titans.

The victory left Santa Barbara (5-7) with a 2-0 record in the Big West while Fullerton fell to 1-12 and 0-3 in the conference with its ninth consecutive loss.

“It was a toughness issue,” Titan Coach Donny Daniels said. “We battled back, but it came down to toughness, and we didn’t have it. It would have been nice if we could have gotten one tough defensive stop late when we needed it.”

After Hull’s free throws gave Santa Barbara a 72-71 lead, Fullerton took a timeout with 14 seconds left. Smith, a 5-foot-9 point guard, dribbled the length of the floor only to have two shots from close range blocked. Fullove made two final free throws with a second left.

“I couldn’t tell if I was fouled on the first block, but I thought I was on the second,” Smith said. “I was a tough loss. We should have won that game.”

Santa Barbara made 28 of 34 free throws with Fullove, a freshman, making 13 of 14. Fullove finished with a game-high 22 points and the Gauchos had three other players in double figures. Guard Nick Jones connected on five of eight shots from the field and had 15 points. Hull had 13 and Mike Vukovich, who played at Mater Dei, finished with 10.

Harmon led Fullerton with 17 points. David Castleton finished with 13 and Kevin Richardson had 11.

The Titans again were troubled by a lack of depth. Titan center Matt Caldwell remained sidelined at his family’s home in Peoria, Ariz., because of swollen lymph nodes, and freshman forward Joe Travis, who had started the last three games, didn’t play because of problems with his left knee.

“[Travis] came to me at 6:30 and said he couldn’t go,” Daniels said. “He diagnosed himself. I didn’t know he was a premed major. In the shoot-around earlier I asked him if he could give me 10 or 15 minutes and he said he could.”

Santa Barbara led, 34-31, at halftime. Fullerton had seven turnovers in the first half to 12 for the Gauchos. However, Santa Barbara shot 61.1% from the field to 42.9% for the Titans.

The Gauchos shot 48.8% from the field to 42.6% for the Titans, but it was Santa Barbara’s free-throw shooting that was the difference. Fullerton made 19 of 27 at the line.

The Gauchos went out to a 44-34 lead in the second half, but the Titans scored 10 consecutive points for a 61-61 tie with 4 minutes 24 seconds left. It was tight the rest of the way.

“It’s tough to lose one like that when you need a victory so desperately,” said Richardson.

Castleton said the Titans went into the game with a positive attitude despite the losing streak.

“We knew this was a game we could win, but it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to at the end,” Castleton said.

Fullerton’s next game is Saturday at Idaho.