Cal State Fullerton's Amir Bar-Netzer scored a career-high 10 points,
including a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining, as the Titans
clinched a berth in the 2003 Big West Conference Tournament with a 55-52
defeat of Pacific on Thursday night at the Spanos Center.
The Titans improved to 9-16 overall and 7-8 in the Big West Conference,
snapping a 13-year losing streak to the Tigers on the road. Pacific fell
to 11-13 overall, 6-9 in league play.
With the Tigers leading 30-27 late in the first half Cal State Fullerton
closed the half with six straight points to take a 33-30 lead into the
break. As the second half started, the Titans continued their run as Cal
State Fullerton scored the first ten points of the half to build a 43-30
lead with 15:50 remaining in the game. The Titans 16-0 run spanned a total
of six minutes and 25 seconds.
Down 13, the Tigers fought back into the contest the rest of the second
half and drew within one point at 52-51 with 1:41 remaining. After each
team made one of two free throws to make the score 53-52, the Titans took
a three point edge with 11 seconds left as Bar-Netzer made two free throws.
Bar-Netzer also led also rebounders with nine.
Trailing 55-52, Pacific had two opportunities to tie the game, but three-point
attempts by junior Miah Davis (Bremerton, Wash.) and sophomore Matt Kemper
(Fresno, Calif.) were off the mark.
Junior Tom Cockle (Raymond, Neb.) led the Tigers with nine points in the
contest, while the Titans were led by 15 points from Fedi Holm-Hadulla.
Jamal Forcheney scored 9 points, all in the first half, for his second
best total of the year. The Titans played without the Big West Conference's
leading scorer, Ralphy Holmes, who was left home for disciplinary reasons.
Cal State Fullerton returns to action on Saturday (March 1) at 7 p.m.
when the Titans travel to Cal State Northridge for a match-up at The Matadome.
