RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Latrell Wrightsell Jr. tallied 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5-of-7 from deep, to pace Cal State Fullerton men's basketball in a 77-62 road win over UC Riverside Thursday night.
"Latrell played great for us tonight," said Cal State Fullerton head coach Dedrique Taylor. "He was extremely efficient with the ball and did a great job at being our floor general. I also thought the edge we had defensively tonight was huge, in terms of us rebounding the basketball and getting out in transition."
Wrightsell Jr. scored 18 of his 29 points in the first half, shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in the first 20 minutes. He finished the night with four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals in the win. Jalen Harris scored 18 points for the Titans to go with three assists and a rebound, while Vincent Lee racked up 11 points, three boards and three steals. Tory San Antonio filled the stat sheet seven points, four rebounds, three steals and three blocks.
Fullerton shot a season-best 61.9% from the floor, including 61.5% from distance. The Titans held UC Riverside to just 38.3% shooting on the night. The win improves Fullerton's record to 8-7 on the year and 2-1 in conference play.
Wrightsell Jr. knocked down the first shot attempt of the night, a three-pointer, before an early 8-0 Highlander run put UCR up 8-3. Wrightsell Jr. and San Antonio later traded jumpers to tie things up at 11 before back-to-back Harris jump shots gave Fullerton a 16-11 advantage.
J Harris is heating up �� @jalenh2
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) January 6, 2023
Timeout UC Riverside.#DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/2MxWYUeezC
Three-pointers from Wrightsell Jr., San Antonio and Harris then gave the Titans a 13-point cushion, 29-16. Wrightsell Jr. continued his hot start to the night, scoring a driving layup and back-to-back threes just before halftime to extend Fullerton's lead, 44-28, at the break.
1⃣8⃣ FIRST HALF POINTS FOR @LJWrightsell
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) January 6, 2023
He's 4-4 from deep ��#DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/pDuD0VY8Uy
Teams traded baskets to start the second half, with a Grayson Carper corner triple off a Max Jones steal putting the Titans up 55-37. Lee scored in the paint and Wrightsell Jr. hit another three to give Fullerton its largest lead of the night, 62-39.
UC Riverside fought back to within 12, 64-52, with 6:44 to go. But a Mikey Square basket and a Garrison Wade baseline jumper kept the Highlanders at bay. UC Riverside managed to cut its deficit to single digits, 69-60, with 2:49 left. But layups from Wrightsell Jr. and Harris iced the game, as the Titans went on to seal the 77-62 win.
Fullerton returns home for a matchup with Hawai'i on Saturday, January 7th. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT.
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