NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Cal State Fullerton men's basketball lost in overtime at CSUN Saturday night, falling to 10-11 on the season and 4-5 in Big West play.
Max Jones paced the Titans with 18 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a pair of blocks, while Jalen Harris had 17 points and three rebounds. Vincent Lee contributed 10 points and six rebounds.
Tory San Antonio hit a jumper in the paint and Garrison Wade knocked down a pair of free throws to put Fullerton up 60-55 with 2:26 left in regulation. But the Matadors fought back, hitting a three-pointer and free throw before a Jones free throw gave the Titans a 61-59 lead with 58 seconds remaining. CSUN hit another pair of free throws to tie things up, and Fullerton turned the ball over on its final offensive possession as the game went into overtime.
.@Kidxtory puts the Titans up three with 3:15 to go!#DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/NUt3VVcO1v
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) January 22, 2023
The Matadors scored the first five points in the overtime period, before a Lee free throw brought the Titans within four, 66-62, with 3:22 left. Grayson Carper added a free throw to bring the score to 66-63 for CSUN with 3:09 remaining. Neither team scored for the proceeding two minutes, until the Matadors hit a pair of free throws with 1:00 left on the clock.
Jones hit a three-pointer to keep Fullerton within reach, 68-66, on the following possession. Both teams missed shots on each of the ensuing two possessions, and the Titans were forced to foul with two seconds left. The Matadors went one of two from the line, but Harris' last-second three-point shot rimmed out as time expired to give CSUN the 69-66 win.
Teams traded baskets to start the game, with triples from Carper and Jones tying the game at 11 early. Harris hit a three-pointer of his own before the Matadors got out to a 25-17 advantage. But the Titans closed out the half on a 16-4 run, highlighted by an and-one from Jones and back-to-back treys from Wade and Harris, giving Fullerton a 33-29 halftime lead.
Another one❕@jalenh2
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) January 22, 2023
Titans close out the half on a 16-4 run ��#DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/tMKUCIGqLu
Jones hit another triple at the start of the second half, but CSUN responded with a 6-1 run to take a 42-41 lead. The game remained tight, with a pair of baskets from Lee giving Fullerton a 49-47 advantage with 9:43 left. Teams traded a flurry of free throws, with a pair from Harris giving the Titans a 54-53 lead with 5:53 remaining.
Harris knocked down another pair from the charity stripe to put Fullerton up 56-55, before San Antonio's jumper and Wade's free throws gave Fullerton its 60-55 lead with 2:26 left. But CSUN finished regulation on a 6-1 run and outscored the Titans 8-5 in overtime to secure the win.
Fullerton returns home Thursday, January 26th, to take on UC Irvine at Titan Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.
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