Bakersfield, Calif. - Cal State Fullerton men's basketball picked up a road win on Friday night as it defeate CSU Bakersfield 90-84. Five Titans scored in double figures and those five combined to score 86 of the team's 90 points. Freshman guard Dante Maddox Jr. led the team in scoring with 22 points while junior guard Tray Maddox Jr. had 21. Game two of the series is set for 7 p.m. PT on Saturday on ESPN3.

There were 14 ties and 19 lead changes but, with the game tied at 61 at the 9:32 mark of the second half, Fullerton (5-5, 4-5 Big West) went on a 21-10 run and led 82-71 over CSUB (10-6, 6-3 Big West) with 1:43 left. There were some turnovers and miscues down the stretch but the squad made enough free throws and sophomore guard Tory San Antonio had a big block to preserve the lead and secure the win.

Fullerton lost the rebounding battle, 31-23, but the Titans went 27-37 (73.%) from the free-throw line while CSUB was just 11-14 (78.6%) and that was ultimately the difference in the game. The Titans also tied a season-high in threes made with 11 on 20 attempts (55.0%). Overall, Fullerton went 26-50 (52.0%) while CSUB shot a whopping 33-59 (55.9%). The 'Runners also shot well beyond the arc at 7-17 (41.2%). 

For the Titans, Dante shot 4-7 overall, 3-5 from distance and 11-14 from the line to wind up with his career-high 22 points off the bench. It is the second time in the last three games he has scored 20+ points. He also had three rebounds and two assists. Tray shot 7-10 from the floor, a perfect 5-5 from three and 2-3 at the line. He tied his career-best mark of threes made in a game. He pitched in one rebound and three assists as well.

Freshman point guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. scored a career-high 18 points on 5-11 shooting and 7-7 at the line. The Omaha native played 34 minutes, dished out two assists and did not turn the ball over. Senior forward Josh Hall just missed a double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Tory San Antonio recorded 11 points, one rebound, one assist, one steal and one block.