Holmes 3-Point Play Beats UCI at the Buzzer Jan. 8, 2003– Fullerton, Calif.
Box Score
Ralphy Holmes scored 23 points including a 3-point play with 3/10s of
a second to play in overtime Wednesday night to give Cal State Fullerton
a 66-65 Big West Conference victory over UC Irvine.
The win was the second in a row for the Titans, who are now 4-8 overall
and 2-1 in the Big West. UCI got 25 points and 11 rebounds from center
Adam Parada but fell to 7-4, 1-1.
The Anteaters’ Mike Efevberha made a free throw with five seconds
left for a 65-63 lead but he missed his second try. Holmes came up with
the ball, dribbled the length of the floor and threw in a running bank
shot in the lane while being fouled by Efevberha. He made the free throw
and UCI threw the ball the length of the floor where it was batted away.
UC Irvine had overcome an 11-point deficit in the final three minutes
of regulation behind a blistering perimeter shooting performance. Ross
Schraeder made two 3-pointers and a two-pointer and Efevberha hit a pair
of 3-pointers to key a 16-6 run that made it a 56-55 game in favor of
Fullerton with 21 seconds to go. After Holmes hit one of two free throws,
Jordan Harris hit a jumper with 3 seconds left to force overtime at 57-57.
Another 3-pointer by Schraeder with 1:43 to play gave UCI a 64-62 lead.
Anthony Bolton made only one of two free throws for Fullerton with six
seconds left, setting the stage to foul Efevberha.
The 7-foot Parada hit 8 of 10 shots against the short Fullerton frontline,
which has no one taller than 6-foot-7. Amir Bar-Netzer matched Parada
with 11 rebounds for the Titans and added 8 points. Parada also made 9
of 10 free throws. Fullerton made only 9 of 17, all after halftime/
Fullerton stretched its 5-point halftime lead out to 33-26 with 15 minutes
to play in regulation. Parada responded with 8 consecutive points to give
UCI a 34-33 lead at 12:43, but the Titans came back with 13 unanswered
points for a 46-34 lead with 8:09 to play. Included in the run were a
3-pointer and a basket by Fedi Holm-Hadulla, who made his first two baskets
of the year after playing more than 100 minutes.
Earlier in the afternoon, suspended Fullerton center Pape Sow appeared
before a student-athlete appeals board and plead for the lifting of his
suspension, which stems from a petty theft incident. The board will present
its decision to Sow in the form of a letter, to be delivered by Monday,
Jan. 13.
The win stopped a 5-game UCI win streak over Fullerton including three
in a row in Titan Gym.
