Kansas State Leaves Titans Far Behind

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Playing Kansas State in Bramlage Coliseum was a big challenge under the best of circumstances for Cal State Fullerton in its season opener.

But for the rebuilding Titans to have to do it without Ike Harmon, their top player, seemed to border on cruel and unusual punishment at times Monday night.

Harmon, a 6-foot-7 forward, sat out the game because of a sprained ankle, and Kansas State coasted to a 72-51 victory in front of 8,695.

“We expected it to be a tough game, playing a good Big 12 team, and that’s what it was,” Titan Coach Bob Hawking said. “Obviously, not having Ike is going to impact us.”

Sitting out was a big disappointment to Harmon, who was injured in practice Saturday night.

“This is a game you work so hard in the preseason to be ready for, and then something like this happens,” Harmon said. “It was a real tough situation for me. I would have liked to have given it a try. I’ve played through so much. But everyone said that would be stupid.”

Without Harmon, the Titans were out-rebounded, 58-35, on a night when they shot 27.5% from the floor. Fullerton was credited with only four offensive rebounds.

“The big difference was that rebounding,” Hawking said. “It took its toll on us, especially in the second half.”

Fullerton struggled on offense with only guards Kenroy Jarrett and Mark Murphy reaching double figures in scoring, each with 11. Kansas State shut down the Titans inside with Mark Richardson, Matt Caldwell and Jason Cunningham held to a combined 19 points.

It wasn’t a good night on offense for Kansas State either. Two of the Wildcats’ top players, forward Manny Dies and center Shawn Rhodes, were each held to seven points. Freshman guard Josh Kimm was five for eight on three-point shots to lead the Wildcats with 15.

“You figure if you hold Dies and Rhodes that well, you’ve done your job defensively,” Hawking said. “There are a lot of Big 12 teams who would like to hold them to that. But we didn’t play a solid offensive game. Our execution on offense wasn’t what we would have hoped it would be.”

Kansas State shot only 28.1% in the first half, but improved to 53.1% in the second half and finished with a respectable 40.6% from the floor. Kansas State made only 12 of 33 free throws.

Neither team scored in the first three minutes and the Titans took a 21-17 lead, but Kansas State went back on top at halftime, 32-28. The Wildcats scored the the first seven points of the second half to take control.

“I don’t know what happened to us, but we had trouble running the offense,” said Caldwell, a 6-8 sophomore center. “But it’s tough when you practice every day with someone like Ike, and then he’s not there.”

Caldwell sprained his ankle a week earlier and had only returned to practice full time Saturday night. Freshman Josh Fischer, who also has missed several weeks of practice because of mononucleosis, also was needed with Harmon out.

“I don’t think they were sure I was going to be ready to play until Saturday,” Caldwell said. “With Ike out, they really needed me.”

Hawking said he is hopeful that Harmon might be available to play in Fullerton’s home opener Saturday night against San Diego State. “But he’s going to need a lot of treatment and a lot of therapy for that to happen,” Hawking said.

Kansas State’s victory gave Hawking’s son, Butch, an assistant for the Wildcats, the advantage over his father, but he was more conciliatory than in a mood to celebrate. “If Fullerton had more than eight players tonight, they might have beaten us,” Butch Hawking said. “They ran out of gas.”

With Harmon, at least, it might have been more competitive.