SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Titans were unable to overcome a short-handed lineup Thursday night as they fell to UC Santa Barbara 78-59 at the Thunderdome for their eight consecutive loss.
With center Daeja Smith (injury) and forward Carolyn Gill (illness) out of the rotation, the Titans struggled to find its rhythm in the first half, falling behind by as many as 20 points.
However, the Titans (7-17, 2-9) didn't make excuses. They once again showed their resilience as they battled back to bring the score within eight points in the second half. Ultimately, the absence of two starters and the second leading scorer on the team in Smith was to much to overcome.
Four players scored double figures for the Titans, led by freshman Triann Thompson who scored 14 points off the bench on 5-of-13 shooting. Thompson added on assist and four rebounds, two of which were on the offensive glass.
Hannah Thompson chipped in 11 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field while going 1-of-6 from deep. H. Thompson now has 63 made three-pointers on the year, tying her for 6th most in a single season in program history.
Point guard Jade Vega and forward China Henderson added 10 points each. Henderson neared a double-double as she grabbed eight rebounds to go along with two assists, two steals and two blocks. Vega started to heat up from behind the arc in the fourth quarter, finishing the game 3-of-6 from deep.
UCSB's Drew Edelman led the way offensively with 20 points on 6-of-11 while Sarah Bates added 13 points on 5-of-11.
With the loss, Fullerton (2-9) remains one game ahead of rivals Long Beach State (1-10) in the Big West Standings.
The Titans now turn their attention to the 49ers as they head to the Pyramid Saturday with tip-off at 4 p.m. for what may decide who will clinch a berth in the Big West Tournament.
SUPPORT THE TITANS!
Fans can purchase tickets for various Cal State Fullerton athletic events by visiting FullertonTitans.com/Tickets. The Athletic Ticket Office can also be contacted by phone at 657-278-2783 or by email at athletictixs@fullerton.edu. The Ticket Office is located at the Titan House off of Gymnasium Drive at the eastern end of the Intramural Fields and is open from 10 am – 4 pm PT, Monday – Friday.
FOLLOW THE TITANS!
Fans can keep up with the latest in Titans athletics by following us on Facebook (@FullertonTitans), Twitter (@FullertonTitans), and Instagram (@FullertonTitans) and Snapchat (FullertonTitans). In addition, the women's basketball team has established its own official Twitter page (@WBBTitans) and Facebook Page (@WBBTitans).