King's 3-Point Play Saves Titans Feb. 26, 2005 – San Luis
Obispo, Calif.
Box Score
Senior
forward Yaphett King’s three-point play with 9.1 seconds remaining
lifted Cal State Fullerton to a 78-76 victory over Cal Poly in a Big West
Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night before 2,083 in
Mott Gym.
Cal Poly had rallied from an 18-point deficit to take a 74-73 lead on
Glenn
Jones’ layup and free throw with 1:46 to go. Two free throws by
Dawin
Whiten gave the Mustangs a 76-73 cushion with 1:10 to play.
King scored a layup with 57 seconds to play. Jones missed a three-pointer
with 23 seconds to go and King’s jumper and free throw gave the
Titans the
lead. On Cal Poly’s last possession, Jones stepped on the sideline
in front
of the Mustang bench with one second to play.
King finished with 21 points while Ralphy Holmes led the Titans with 21
points and 10 rebounds. Bobby Brown added 16 points and Jermaine Harper
11
for Cal State Fullerton (17-8, 11-5 Big West), which has won nine of its
last 10
games
The
win gives Fullerton a winning conference road record for the first time
in its Div. I history (dates to 1974-75) at 5-4. Overall, Fullerton has
a winning road record at 8-7(includes 1-1 on neutral site) for the first
time since 1988-89. The 17 wins is the most since the 1986-87 team went
17-13. It also kept Fullerton's chances alive to finish as high as second
place in the Big West Conference.
Cal Poly, which fell to 5-20 and 3-13 with its 14th loss in 16 games,
was
led in scoring by senior forward Mike Titchenal with 20 points. He also
grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. Whiten added 17 points while Jones
scored 16.
Cal State Fullerton outrebounded Cal Poly 41-30 and made 45.2 percent
of its
floor shots, compared to 48.3 percent for the Mustangs. The Titans were
nine
of 20 from three-point range while Cal Poly was just 6-for-24.
The Titans sprinted to a 12-1 lead in the first four minutes. After Cal
Poly
rallied to catch the Titans at 15-15, Cal State Fullerton went on a 12-2
run
and led by as many as 17 points in the first half, settling for a 44-28
advantage at the break. The Titans led 68-50 with 9:46 to go on a
three-pointer by Harper before the Mustangs mounted their comeback.
Cal Poly wraps up the regular season next week with games at Long Beach
State on Thursday and UC Irvine on Saturday. Fullerton hosts Pacific on
Thursday night and Cal State Northridge on Saturday.
