Cal
State Fullerton senior Jaime Wagner was just 1-for-5 from the field on
Saturday night, but her lone basket was perhaps her biggest of the season.
Wagner's three-pointer with 1:02 to play broke a 65-65 tie and gave the
Titans a 68-65 victory over host Idaho on Saturday night in a Big West
Conference women's basketball contest in Moscow, Idaho.
With the victory, Fullerton swept its two-game road trip and improved
to 4-12 overall, 4-3 in Big West play. Idaho fell to 13-3, 5-2 in league
play, snapping its 11-game home winning streak dating back to last season.
The Titans won back-to-back games for the first time this season and the
first time since Jan. 23 and Jan. 30, 2003 (vs. Idaho and at Cal State
Northridge). The back-to-back victories were also the first for Cal State
Fullerton on the same road trip since the 1996-97 season when the Titans
defeated New Mexico State and North Texas.
Senior
Tamara Quinn, whose jumper tied the score at 65 with 1:54 left, led the
way with 22 points, and is now 22 points shy of the 1,000-point plateau
for her career. Senior Rochelle Ortega and junior Meghann Keathley each
chipped in 10 points for the Titans in the victory.
Idaho's Emily Faurholt, who entered the week leading the nation in scoring,
scored a game-high 30 points in the losing effort. Leilani Mitchell added
16 points and Heather Thoelke had a double-double with 10 points and 10
rebounds.
Twice in the final two-and-a-half minutes, Quinn hit game-tying jumpers
and her pass led to the eventual game-winning basket.
With the score tied and a minute remaining, Quinn drove past two Vandal
defenders and dished to guard Jaime Wagner, who was waiting alone on the
left wing. Wagner broke the tie and effectively ended the game with her
three-pointer.
Mitchell then missed a long, open three-point attempt on the next possession,
sealing Idaho's fate.
Cal State Fullerton opened the game strong, shooting just under 52 percent
in the first half to open a 10-point lead, 36-26, at halftime. Idaho did
not wilt under the pressure however, mounting a comeback in the second
half, opening the period with a 23-4 run and shooting 50 percent from
the floor in the half.
The Vandals, who took the lead on a three-pointer by Mitchell at the 12:36
mark, did not trail again until Wagner’s game-winner.
The Titans shot .492 from the floor for the game to the Vandals' .451.
Idaho held a significant advantage at the free throw line, but could not
capitalize on 19 fouls called against Cal State Fullerton. The Vandals
were just 12-of-19 (.684) from the stripe. The Titans went to the line
just five times and made all five.
Fullerton returns home next weekend to host a pair of games at Titan Gym.
The Titans open the short two-game homestand on Thursday night (Jan. 29)
at 7 p.m. against Cal Poly before hosting defending conference champion
UC Santa Barbara on Saturday (Jan. 31) at 7 p.m.
