DAVIS, Calif. – Corey Hawkins' impressive offensive performance in the second half helped lead UC Davis to a come-from-behind 69-61 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night at The Pavilion.
The Aggies (6-13, 1-3 Big West) shot a staggering 60.9 percent from the floor in the second half, knocking down five three-pointers in the game's final 20 minutes.
Hawkins led all scorers with a 22-point performance, while Ryan Sypkens added 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including three buckets from behind the arc. Iggy Nujic poured in 10 points as the third Aggie to reach double figures in scoring.
UC Davis opened the second half on an 11-5 run and tied the game at 34-34 with 14:19 left to play. The second half continued to go in favor of the Aggies as Davis pieced together a 9-0 stretch to claim a 46-42 lead at the 7:08 mark as Fullerton was held scoreless for over 3 minutes. The run included a Sypkens' three-pointer that issued UC Davis its first lead, 44-42, since the first half.
The UCD lead reached double figures, 58-48, after Hawkins drained a baseline three-pointer with 2:41 to play.
Cal State Fullerton (6-11, 1-2 Big West) was led by a 19-point effort from Alex Harris, who knocked down each of his three-pointers in the first half.
The Titans were held to a .294 shooting percentage in the second half, and turned the ball over 17 times during the game, allowing the Aggies to score 29 points off CSF turnovers.
Michael Williams added 13 points for Fullerton, recording his 17th straight game in double figures while Steve McClellan grabbed a game and career-best 13 rebounds.
The Titans held a 41-28 rebounding advantage.
Cal State Fullerton ended the first half on a 7-1 run in the final four minutes, taking a 29-23 lead into the break.
The Titans shot 50.0 percent (12-of-24) from the floor in the first 20 minutes led by Harris' 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.
UC Davis shot just 36.0 percent (9-of-25) from the floor in the first 20 minutes, and Fullerton held an 18-10 rebounding advantage.
The Titans return to Titan Gym on Thursday hosting Cal Poly at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
Notes: Cal State Fullerton used its seventh starting lineup of the season – Sheldon Blackwell, Michael Williams, Alex Harris, Marquis Horne and James Johnson…Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor returned to his alma mater of UC Davis…Michael Williams reached double figures for the 17th straight game...Steve McClellan recorded a game and career high 13 rebounds…Fullerton lost a halftime lead for the second time this year.