Fullerton Breaks Five-Game Losing Streak as Pacific Falls

Guard Chris St. Clair made a three-point shot with 31 seconds left, giving Cal State Fullerton a three-point lead, and the Titans went on to score a 69-63 Big West basketball victory over Pacific on Thursday night at Fullerton.

By breaking their five-game losing streak, the Titans improved to 7-15 overall and 5-9 in the conference. Pacific is 12-9, 7-6.

“This was a game we badly needed,” Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said. “It’s real easy for the kids to lose confidence in themselves in a streak like that.”

Center Winston Peterson had 20 points and 14 rebounds, 10 of them on the defensive end, to lead the Titans. St. Clair had 14 points, making six of eight free throws. Chuck Overton scored 10 points.

Hawking said the Titan defensive play was the key. Pacific forward Charles Jones had 22 points, carrying his team in the first half. The Tigers led by 11 points at one stage in the half, but the Titans came back to cut their deficit to 35-30 by halftime.

“They outplayed us down the stretch and deserved to win the game,” Pacific Coach Bob Thomason said. “But as far as I’m concerned, we lost the game in the first half. We played well for about eight minutes, but we played absolutely no defense late in the first half and let them get back in the game.”