SoCalHoops College News

San Diego State Loses Again. . .
To Fullerton This Time--(Nov. 22, 1998)

We weren't there, but we've received several reports about Fullerton's victory by three points over San Diego State on Saturday night.   Ike Harmon (6'-7" Jr. F) played for 18 minutes, even though his left ankle was still taped and swollen due to a sprain he suffered a week earlier, but he still managed to score 14 points, shooting 3 for 6 from the field and a perfect 7-7 from the line.   He also grabbed three rebounds and four blocked shots. Not bad for 18 minutes. Fullerton won 79-76, and there's either two things to conclude from this game:  a) Fullerton is better than San Diego,  and b) that's not saying much at this point.   Or maybe it's just that Ike Harmon is better than anyone else on the Aztec team.   "Ike Harmon on one leg is better than a lot of other players on two," Titans coach Bob Hawking told the Register after the game.

"I didn't want to sit out another game if I thought I could help my team win," Harmon told a reporter from the Orange County Register after the game. Harmon didn't practice all week and was still doubtful early Saturday and was not cleared to play until the beginning of the game.

This was a pretty close game most of the way, a rare occasion for the Aztecs.  David Abramowitz (6'-0" Fr. PG) did not play and sat on the bench in street clothes, nursing a sore hamstring.  Jeffrey Berokoff came in off the bench and played pretty well, other than his game high three turnovers, but his shooting was decent,  2-6 from the field, and 3-6  from the line.  He moved pretty well, but needs to put the ball on the floor and create more, and he just seemed to get tied up every time he put it on the floor. Fullerton opened up a 50-41 lead after the half, and with just 13 minutes left to play, Fullerton began to crumble as Myron Epps and Walter Small started to score. But ultimately in the last 2:21 it was the free-throw shooting of Fullerton that won it, with Harmon shooting all four, and Mark Murphy hitting three, Matt Caldwell two,  and Brandon Campbell one.  Which meant that the Aztecs just did a ton of fouling during the final minutes of the game. Overall from the line, Fullerton shot 26 for 33, a very impressive figure.  For Fullerton, Murphy split his time between the one and the two spots, and led all Titan shooters with 16 points, while Caldwell had 13 points and 12 rebounds before.

Aztecs freshman Myron Epps led all scorers with 18 points, while fellow freshman Walter Small, at times looking a bit dazed given the lack of direction in the offense, still managed to hit for 11. Trenkle's patience with some of the older players was obvious. Or he showed he'd lost his mind:  In the game's final minute, with the Aztecs trailing 75-74, guard Matt Watts, the team's top senior player and scorer, was sat down.  And he probably deserved it, having committed a turnover with only 25 seconds on the clock, which probably cost them the game. 

After scoring 29 points in SDSU's opening loss to Nevada, Watts has just disappeared, scoring just 7 points against USC and only 9 against Fullerton. Saturday,  Watts committed a team-high three turnovers.  And if you think what we're saying about Watts is bad, then you haven't read the San Diego Union-Tribune.  Here's what they said:  "Asked if Watts' play in the final minute contributed to his benching, Trenkle said: "Of course it did. Matt's out of control half the time. When you shoot 4-of-16 and 1-of-4 with three (turnovers) and one assist, why should I have him in? He's got to show some leadership and get under control. (Shooting) 4-of-16 isn't leadership.'" 

Ouch.

And Trenkle was not just content to slam Watts.  No, here's what he said about Marcelo Correa (6'-9" So. C)  who also fouled out with 5:01 left to play:   "Marcelo was worthless all night," Trenkle told the Union-Tribune.

Yeow.

The Tribune didn't have a choice quote by coach Trenkle about his son, Brady, but it should have, as he  missed a critical three-pointer that could have tied the game with 10 seconds left, and with 58 seconds remaining in the first half he fouled Fullerton guard Mark Murphy who was in the act of shooting a three-pointer, and he calmly proceeded to sink all three of the ensuing free throws.

San Diego State  will play Utah State this Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Cox Arena, and then will take on Long Beach State next Saturday at Cox at 1:00 p.m.

Fullerton gets the rest of the week off, and the will face Pepperdine next Saturday at the Titan Gym at 7:05 p.m.

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