UC Santa Barbara Holds Off Titans, Claims Co-Title Mar. 6, 2003– Fullerton, Calif.
Box Score
Branduinn Fullove scored 19 points and Nick Jones added 15 Thursday night
as UC Santa Barbara held off Cal State Fullerton, 63-60, to claim the
No. 1 seed in the Big West Conference post-season tournament and a share
of the regular season championship.
The win improved the Gauchos to 16-12 overall and 13-4 in the Big West.
Fullerton got 15 points from Ralphy Holmes and 14 points and 14 rebounds
from Pape Sow in falling to 9-18, 7-10.
UCSB has a 1-game lead over UC Irvine with one game to play for each.
The Gauchos swept the Anteaters earlier so they have the tie-breaker for
the No. 1 seed in the tourney that begins Mar. 13 at the Anaheim Convention
Center.
UCSB had to survive a 3-point attempt at the buzzer by Fullerton’s
Ralphy Holmes, who made a similar shot at Santa Barbara on Jan. 4 to force
an overtime period with which the Titans beat the Gauchos.
Jones hit a pair of free throws after an intentional foul was called on
the Titans’ Fedi Holm-Hadulla with 12 seconds remaining. UCSB got
the ball back but Sow stole a cross-court pass and the Titans pushed the
ball up to Holmes.
Holmes had hit a 3-pointer at 1:03 and Sow made a layup at 0:16 to whittle
all but a point out of what had been a 61-55 UCSB lead after a Chrismen
Oliver free throw at 1:10.
Fullove hit 5 of 6 3-point tries and Jones was 3 of 4 as UCSB hit 8 of
16 from behind the arc. Fullerton managed only 4 of 13 from outside and
also missed four free throws on one trip down the floor with just over
a minute to play.
UCSB had the biggest lead of the game at 39-29 after back-to-back treys
by Fullove in the opening three minutes of the second half. Fullerton
caught up at 42-42 on an Anthony Bolton 3-pointer at 11:55 but the Titans
never could take the lead. UCSB got it back up to as many as 8 points
at 57-49 at 4:50 before Fullerton rallied.
UCSB wraps up the regular season Saturday night at UC Riverside. Fullerton,
in a tie for sixth place with Pacific and Cal State Northridge, hosts
Cal Poly.
