March 8, 2007

Final Stats

Anaheim, Calif. - The Pacific men's basketball concluded their 2006-07 season with a thrilling 100-92 loss to Cal State Fullerton in double overtime on Thursday, Mar. 8 in the second round of action at the Big West Tournament.

Following the loss, the Tigers finish the season 12-19. Cal State Fullerton, meanwhile, moved to 20-9 on the season and will fa The double-overtime game was the first in Big West Tournament history, while the 100 points for the Titans were the most scored by one team since UNLV netted 115 against Cal State Fullerton in 1990. The 192 points between the two teams were the second-most combined points for one tournament game.

Pacific was led by sophomore Anthony Brown (Sacramento, Calif.) who had a career-high 26 points. Senior Michael White (Capitola, Calif.) added 20 points, while sophomore Steffan Johnson (Kent, Wash.) netted 16 and senior Anthony Esparza (Bakersfield, Calif.) scored 15 for the Tigers.

Bobby Brown led the Cal State Fullerton with 30 points, while Frank Robinson added a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Burns (13) and Marcus Crenshaw (11) also scored in double figures for Fullerton.

In the first overtime, neither squad led by more than two, with the teams combining for four ties and five lead changes during the five-minute session. With Pacific leading 86-85, Robinson drained a three to give the Titans an 88-86 advantage with 24.2 seconds left. On the next trip down, Anthony Brown scored on a layup with 2.9 left to even the score at 88 and send the game into the double overtime.

Anthony Brown scored the first basket of the second OT for the Tigers, but it was one of only two baskets for Pacific in the second extra period, with Brown netting both. Trailing 90-88, the Titans scored eight in a row to take a 96-90 lead with a minute to go. The Tigers would get no closer than four the rest of the way, as Fullerton crossed the 100-point mark with four free throws in the final 26 seconds.

In the first 7:30 of the game there were four ties and four lead changes. With the Titans leading 14-11, the Tigers netted 10 straight in a two-minute stretch to go ahead 21-14. Pacific still led 30-26, but six straight by Fullerton, including five by Crenshaw put the Titans back up at 32-30 with four minutes remaining. Pacific came back though with seven straight points to go up 37-32 and kept the advantage heading into the locker room, taking a 39-37 lead to the break.

The Tigers maintained their lead until the Titans tied the game at 48. Pacific still held a lead at 52-50, but a three-point play by Burns started a 9-0 run for Cal State Fullerton to give the Titans a 59-52 advantage midway through the second half. Fullerton's lead grew to as high as nine, but Pacific again stormed back, netting 10 in a row during a four-minute run to re-take the advantage at 67-65.

A free throw by Scott Cutley cut the Titan deficit to one, while a trey by Robinson put Fullerton ahead 69-67 with three minutes to go in regulation. Back-to-back treys by Johnson put the Tigers back up by four at 73-69. Still leading 75-71, a three by Crenshaw made it 75-74 with 28.5 seconds left. Johnson made a free throw on the next trip down for the Tigers to put the lead at two, but Bobby Brown's basket with 19.7 remaining evened it at 76 to send things into overtime.

The Titans shot 51.3% (39-of-76) for the game and won the rebounding battle 52-37. Pacific made 46.6% (34-of-73) from the field. Neither team shot well from the line, with Fullerton shooting 59.3% (16-of-27) and Pacific netting 47.1% (16-of-34). The Tigers missed their first four shots from the line in the second overtime.