Titans Find Cure for What Ails Them

Cal State Fullerton’s Agee Ward stood on the court of the Bren Center after the Titans broke a losing streak at four games with an 86-83 victory over UC Irvine Saturday. He put it in perspective.

“Tonight was just like a penicillin shot, just like coach said. It cures everything,” Ward said.

Fullerton Coach John Sneed would know. He was so ill with an intestinal disorder last week that he spent several hours in a hospital after one of Fullerton’s losses.

Fullerton’s first victory since Dec. 28 didn’t come easily at the end, even if it was over a team that has lost six games in a row.

The Titans (5-8, 1-3) had a 13-point lead with 1:40 left before a furious Irvine comeback brought the Anteaters as close as three points with 51 seconds remaining. Four times in the final minute, Irvine pulled within three points, partly with the help of two botched inbounds plays by Fullerton and the clutch outside shooting of Keith Stewart.

The Anteaters probably lost their best opportunity to get closer when Fullerton got its own rebound after Aaron Sunderland missed two free throws with 39 seconds left.

Irvine then had to put the Titans’ Joe Small on the line, and he made both for a five-point lead.

Irvine (3-11, 0-5) cut the deficit to three points a final time with 6.6 seconds left, but Small took the ball out of bounds and let seconds tick away before flinging it into the air.

Sunderland led Fullerton with 23 points and five assists, and Agee Ward scored 19, making eight of 11 shots. Small scored 16 points.

Irvine’s Elgin Rogers had a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds. Jeff Von Lutzow had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Gerald McDonald scored 15 points, including five three-pointers.