  The spectrum and wave functions of $^{44}$Ti are studied in oblique-basis
calculations using spherical and SU(3) shell-model states. Although the results
for $^{44}$Ti are not as good as those previously reported for $^{24}$Mg, due
primarily to the strong spin-orbit interaction that generates significant
splitting of the single-particle energies that breaks the SU(3) symmetry, a
more careful quantitative analysis shows that the oblique-basis concept is
still effective. In particular, a model space that includes a few SU(3)
irreducible representations, namely, the leading irrep (12,0) and next to the
leading irrep (10,1) including its spin S=0 and 1 states, plus spherical
shell-model configurations (SSMC) that have at least two valence nucleons
confined to the $f_{7/2}$ orbit -- the SM(2) states, provide results that are
compatible with SSMC with at least one valence nucleon confined to the
$f_{7/2}$ orbit -- the SM(3) states.
