Titans Come up Short in Upset Bid at Utah State Jan. 25, 2003 – Logan, Utah Box Score
Spencer Nelson hit two free throws with 11.5 seconds and Cardell Butler
made two more free throws with 4.5 seconds left to help Utah State to
a 61-60 win against Cal State Fullerton in Big West basketball action.
Butler led the Aggies, who improved to 15-4 overall and 6-2 in conference
play, with 15 points, including 11 in the second half. Mark Brown added
14 and Desmond Penigar 11 for the winners. Ralphy Holmes and Anthony Bolton
scored 18 and 17 points respectively for Cal State Fullerton, which fell
to 5-12 and 3-4.
Utah State led by 10 points (37-27) early in the second half before a
17-5 Cal State Fullerton run tied the game at 44 with 7:24 remaining.
Butler hit a three-pointer and added two more baskets in the next four
minutes as USU led 57-54 with 2:12 left.
Fullerton pulled within two points twice in the final minute of the game,
including 59-57 with 5.4 seconds left before Butler sealed the game with
a pair of free throws. Holmes hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the
Titans to bring them within one.
"Our game plan was sound and we executed it well and we played very
hard," said Titans' coach Donny Daniels. "But they were just
too big and strong inside for us. They got 15 offensive rebounds, which
made the difference. And credit them -- they made some big threes and
their free throws when they needed them"
The Aggies were held to their lowest shooting percentage since shootiing
32.1 percent at Pacific on Jan. 4. The mark was the lowest shooting percentage
for USU in a win since shooting just 34.9 percent in a 50-38 victory against
Pacific in the 2001 Big West Conference Championship game.
Cal State Fullerton shot 61.9 percent from the field, the best allowed
by USU since BYU shot 63.9 percent in the 1997 season.
With the victory the Aggies improved to 92-5 at home in the last six years
and are 56-11 against Big West Conference opponents at any site in the
last four seasons.
