FULLERTON, Calif. – Led by returners Alex Harris and Jared Brandon, Cal State Fullerton's offense ran on all cylinders as the Titans defeated Redlands, 108-77, in an exhibition game at Titan Gym on Saturday night.
The contest was the first and final tune-up for the Titans, who open the 2103-14 season with first-year head coach Dedrique Taylor on Saturday at Montana State.
Harris led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 10-of-12 from the floor as his only two misses were from three-point range (2-of-4). The junior guard also found his way to a game-high 13 rebounds.
Brandon poured in 20 points on a 7-of-9 shooting performance, while also knocking down 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, dishing four assists and grabbing three steals.
In his first action as a Titan, Josh Gentry added 19 points off the bench on a 7-of-10 shooting performance.
As a team, Fullerton shot an astonishing 56.6 percent (43-of-76) from the floor.
Ten of the 11 players that saw action for Fullerton got on the scoreboard. Michael Williams and Chris Collins finished the game with nine points apiece.
Redlands, the defending Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions, was led by Ricky Peetz's 21-point effort as the guard drained five three-pointers to lead the Bulldogs.
Fullerton took a healthy 44-25 lead into the half, as Harris led the Titans with 14 points in the first period. The Titans shot 47.4 percent (18-of-38) during the first 20 minutes of action, and knocked down three buckets from long distance.
A 17-2 run pushed the lead up to 21, 40-19, with 2:38 left in the half as Gentry drained a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with the shot clock winding down.
Freshman Sheldon Blackwell showed his agility in the first half converting a three-point play after driving through the lane and dropping in lay-in despite being fouled with 9:12 left in the first to give Fullerton a 28-17 lead.
Cal State Fullerton officially opens the 2013-14 season at on Saturday at Montana State as tip-off is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. PT. The Titans play four of their first five games on the road, and return to Titan Gym on Saturday, Nov. 16 to host Santa Clara at 3:00 p.m. in Titan Gym.
Notes: Saturday's exhibition was Dedrique Taylor's first contest as head coach at Cal State Fullerton.
