Four Titans Suspended by Holland : Basketball: Three starters, one reserve will be held out of tonight’s game against Houston for breaking team rules.

In the midst of the nation’s fourth-longest home winning streak, Cal State Fullerton suddenly has a few other numbers on its mind for tonight’s game against Houston: Coach Brad Holland has suspended four Titans--including three starters--and the two remaining starters have stress fractures in their feet.

Center Sean Williams, forward Kim Kemp and point guard Aaron Sunderland, along with back-up guard Sharif Metoyer, were suspended for violating team rules--apparently late Saturday night after the Titans’ 72-60 victory over Nevada. Holland would not be specific, though he said there is a chance the four may be reinstated as early as Thursday.

“They violated team rules, and now they have to earn the right to be back on the team,” Holland said. “We will evaluate them on a daily basis. . . .

“It’s our business. There was a violation of team rules, and that’s all we’re going to say about it. The players know how I feel about it, and now they have to pay the consequences for their behavior.”

In addition, forward Bruce Bowen, the Titans’ leading scorer at 17.8 points a game, suffered a stress fracture in his right foot sometime during Saturday’s game. He was held out of practice Monday, practiced some Tuesday and is expected to play tonight as the Titans (12-6) try to extend their home-court winning streak to 13.

Shooting guard Don Leary (12.8 points) has been playing with a stress fracture in his left foot since December.

Williams, Kemp, Sunderland and Metoyer were not allowed to practice with the team Monday and Tuesday and, according to Holland, will not be allowed inside Titan Gym for tonight’s game.

The four practiced by themselves Tuesday afternoon, after the regular team practice.

“If they do a good job up to (Wednesday evening), we’ll see about letting them (practice) on Thursday,” Holland said. “They are not allowed to be around the team for . . . three days; and they are not allowed to play in the game or be present.”

Williams is averaging 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds, Sunderland is averaging 12.3 points and 6.2 assists, and Kemp 10.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. All are seniors.

Metoyer, a freshman walk-on who has lately been the first guard off the bench, is playing about five minutes per game, averaging 0.7 points and 0.7 assists.

Kemp was unavailable for comment; Sunderland, Williams and Metoyer, at the direction of Holland, all declined to comment.

The three starters probably will be replaced in tonight’s lineup by 6-foot-4 junior Greg Vernon (3.0 points), 6-3 junior Dijon Bernard (2.1 points) and 6-7 junior Todd Satalowich (0.7).

The absences also means that Fullerton will have only three players on its bench tonight--6-5 sophomore Andre Toliver, 6-5 redshirt freshman Ray Hooper and 6-2 freshman Casey Sheahan.

“We’re just going to play as hard as we can and as smart as we can and see what happens,” Holland said. “Our guys are excited about playing, excited about defending what we have going.”

The suspensions could be devastating because the five starters have rarely left the court this season. Kemp has played the fewest minutes at 545; the first substitute, Vernon, has played only 189.

And with the stress fractures, the thin bench may be called into action even more quickly than usual tonight. Bowen, whose stress fracture is in his right foot, is listed as day-to-day.

Leary also has complained recently of a sore right foot.

“I’ve been putting all of my pressure on my right foot, and now my left one is healing and my right one is sore,” he said.

Although Leary thought he had stress fractures in both feet, trainer Ivan Pierra said Leary’s right foot is bruised from the added pressure.

“Must be the shoes,” Bowen joked.