Instead, that ship went far, far astray, as the previously winless Titans pulled a remarkable upset.

Bobby Brown scored 22 points on 7-11 shooting, and Pape Sow added 18 points and eight rebounds, as the Titans (1-3) overcame a nine-point first-half deficit to defeat the flat and hapless Waves before 1,129 stunned fans at Firestone Fieldhouse.

Alex Acker had his best game of the season to date with 18 points for Pepperdine. Glen McGowan chipped in 14, and Shaun Davis added 11 points and four assists.

Coming off a two-point defeat to Oklahoma State that was very difficult to swallow, the Waves returned home on just 48 hours' rest and came out uninspired. Still, they were able to build a nine-point lead late in the first half before the Titans rallied to within 39-36 at the buzzer.

The game remained close, tied at 48 with 13:00 to play, when Fullerton suddenly went on a terrific tear. Over the next seven minutes, they outscored the heavily favored Waves 24-9 and built a 15-point lead.

Faced with embarrassment, the Waves awoke. Terrance Johnson ignited the crowd with seven consecutive points on a three-pointer, a layup and a dunk, and thanks to pressure defense that forced Titan turnovers on five consecutive possessions, the Waves found they had scored 14 in a row to pull within one, 72-71, with 2:37 left.

Randy Asprilla extended the lead with a layup, but McGowan answered with a three-point play and the Waves had caught up, 74-74.

Remarkably, it was the lowly Titans who found the resolve they needed in the final minute. Four free throws sandwiched between three Wave three-pointers that weren't close provided the winning margin.

The Waves will have to look long and hard at the reasons for this loss, both mentally and in basketball terms. The emotional loss at Oklahoma State and quick turnaround after a long flight may have been a factor. Overconfidence against a foe that doesn't hold a candle to the Waves' previous three opponents has to have played a part.

But the Titans deserve tremendous credit. They stubbornly remained in a 2-3 zone that frustrated the Waves' offense all night. Davis has shown that he can beat anyone off the dribble, but against the zone, he was unable to penetrate effectively and create easy looks, a staple of the offense in the first three games. When the Waves' inside players got the ball on the blocks, they immediately faced triple-teams, especially McGowan, who frankly was not prepared for the extra attention and couldn't create much offense.

Defensively, the Waves didn't fare much better. Their inability to close out on shooters allowed Fullerton to shoot 61% for the game, and Brown was able to use screens or simply take an extra step back behind the line to sink five three-pointers over whomever the Waves threw at him. Sow dominated inside as expected, and the Titans outrebounded their hosts 33-25.

It was just a miserable night for Waves fans.

This heralded Pepperdine team now finds itself sitting at 1-3 with a loss on the books to one of the lowest-rated teams in the nation. An RPI of 18 they owed to the tough early schedule will drop like an anchor. With this home loss stamped on the ledger, it is difficult to imagine an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament if the Waves do not rally for about 25 wins and/or beat Maryland or Gonzaga on the road.

Most importantly, the Waves cannot be caught doing just that: looking ahead to their later high-profile opponents. First, they must rally to salvage their season in games against UCSB, Long Beach State, and Lipscomb over the next two weeks.