LAS VEGAS – Senior Lionheart Leslie poured in a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds but Cal State Fullerton could not overcome a season-high 17 turnovers in a 77-68 nonconference loss against UNLV on Saturday night at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Leslie was 5-for-11 from the field and made nine of his 12 free throw attempts on the night. His double-double was the first by a Titans player this season and was the second of his career. His 10 boards tied his career high, which he set against Hawai'i on Feb. 20, 2016.
Tre' Coggins added 17 points and five boards in 36 minutes for the Titans (2-2) while Jackson Rowe and Austen Awosika each had seven points.
For the Runnin' Rebels (2-1), they had five players score in double figures, led by Jalen Poyser's 14. Kris Clyburn added 13 and four rebounds while Jovan Mooring scored 12 off the bench.
The Titans struggled offensively to start the game, falling behind 14-3. But Fullerton mounted an 8-0 run and eventually took the lead at 21-19 thanks to a Coggins 3-pointer. It was a back-and-forth affair in the first half from then on as the teams were tied three times and traded the lead on four occasions with UNLV taking a 30-28 lead into the break.
Leslie came out of the gate with a 3-pointer to put the Titans ahead 31-30 but UNLV answered with a trey of its own and the back-and-forth action continued. Overall, the teams were tied five times and traded the lead eight times. Awosika hit a floater in the paint with 10:29 left to tie the game for the fifth and final time at 46-46. But Uche Ofoegbu sank a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, contorting his body to avoid the defender and hitting the shot as the shot clock expired to ignite a 18-8 scoring run to put the game away for the hosts.
Fullerton will return to Las Vegas on Friday to face Jacksonville State in the final rounds of the Global Sports Classic.
Notes: Leslie recorded the first double digit rebound performance of the season and his 10 boards were a new team season high, surpassing Davon Clare's nine-rebound performance on Nov. 13 against Portland State… The Titans recorded seven assists on Saturday night, a season low… Arkim Robertson made his debut on Saturday night, scoring four points and grabbing four rebounds in six minutes of action… Fullerton outrebounded UNLV 40-27 on the night including a 12-2 edge on the offensive glass but only recorded six second-chance points… Fullerton's 17 turnovers matched a season high set against Portland State in double overtime. UNLV scored 14 points off Titans turnovers on Saturday night.