Film of Titan Game Will Receive No Stars

Cal State Fullertonran into another bump in the road Saturday night.

UC Santa Barbara handed the Titans a 94-69 setback in front of 2,055 at the UCSB Events Center and ended a four-game losing streak.

It was the most points for the Gauchos since they scored 99 in a victory over Nevada in the 1997-98 season, and the most points given up by the Titans this season.

Santa Barbara (6-11, 3-4) shot 55.7% from the field in posting its sixth consecutive victory over Fullerton (3-14, 2-5).

“That was the kind of game where you don’t even want to look at the film,” Titan Coach Donny Daniels said. “There was no effort and we didn’t compete. That was disturbing, especially after the way we’ve played the last four or five games.”

In the Titans’ four previous games, they had outscored the opposition by a combined eight points and won twice.

Titan center Matt Caldwell rejoined the team after missing seven games because of swollen lymph nodes and an inflamed spleen, but wasn’t much help.

Caldwell played nine minutes, primarily to rest Fullerton’s other inside players, and scored three points. Caldwell had not played or practiced with the team since Dec. 22.

Caldwell drove to Santa Barbara to rejoin the team Saturday after being cleared to play following additional tests on Friday. Injured Ike Harmon made the trip with him, but Harmon remains sidelined because of a stress fracture in his left foot.

“Matt played like a guy who hadn’t played in about six weeks,” Daniels said. “But I’m glad he’s healthy enough to play again, and that he’s going to be all right.”

Even with Caldwell back, the Gauchos overwhelmed the Titans with their depth. They had five players in double figures, with reserve forward Casey Cook getting 14. Branduinn Fullove and Mark Hull each had 13.

Guard Kevin Richardson led the Titans with 17 points, with Ryan Dillon and David Castleton each getting 11.

Dillon, who had made six of nine three-point shots in Fullerton’s victory over Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Thursday, was three for 11 against the Gauchos. The Titans were only five for 23 on three-point attempts and shot 42.9% from the field.

After shooting 56.5% in the second half against Cal Poly and winning two consecutive conference road games for the first time in three years, the Titans got off to a terrible start Saturday.

Richardson scored the first field goal of the game, but the Titans didn’t get another until Josh Fischer scored with 6 1/2 minutes gone in the first half. The only points the Titans had in between were a pair of free throws by Babacar Camara, and Santa Barbara was able to build an 18-6 lead.

The Gauchos went on to lead by 21 points with 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half before the Titans cut the deficit to 47-32 at halftime.