SAN DIEGO — Cal State Fullerton men's basketball came back in the final minutes to defeat UC San Diego 76-73 Wednesday night at LionTree Arena. The win is the Titans' third straight and improves their record to 15-12 overall and 9-6 in Big West play.
Fullerton trailed for most of the second half until the 4:33 mark, when Latrell Wrightsell Jr. found Max Jones for a corner three to tie things up at 66-all. The Tritons' Roddie Anderson III then hit two free throws, but Wrightsell Jr. drained a three-pointer from the right wing to put Fullerton up 69-68 with 3:18 left.
Trelly time ⌚️ @LJWrightsell #DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/ZgUw2KLDyC
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) February 16, 2023
Jones got a layup to fall while being fouled to give the Titans a three-point lead before a UCSD trey tied things back up at 71. With 27 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, Tory San Antonio drew a foul on a three-point attempt from the top of the key. He knocked down 2-of-3 from the line to put the Titans up 73-71, and Fullerton got a defensive stop on the next possession. Wrightsell Jr. then hit a pair from the charity stripe to give the Titans a four-point lead, 75-71. UCSD scored a layup with less than a second left but Jones added a free throw after being fouled to seal the 76-73 win for Fullerton.
Wrightsell Jr. led all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals. Jones added 12 points and four assists while Tory San Antonio had 11 points and three boards. John Mikey Square contributed nine points and seven rebounds off the bench for the Titans.
The Tritons got out to a quick start in the contest, hitting four three-pointers to take a 20-6 advantage. But Fullerton fought its way back, using a 10-0 run capped by back-to-back triples from San Antonio to come within a point, 23-22. San Antonio found Lee for a dunk and Carper added a three as the Titans trailed 40-35 at the half.
.@Kidxtory ➡️ @vincemikelee ��#DevelopU | #TusksUp pic.twitter.com/npw03M1Hv6
— Titans Men's Basketball (@FullertonMBB) February 16, 2023
Fullerton trailed by eight early in the second period before clawing its way back, with a Jalen Harris triple giving the Titans a 46-45 advantage three minutes in. But the Tritons scored 10 of the next 12 to take a seven-point advantage.
Teams then traded baskets, with a San Antonio three-pointer bringing the Titans within three, 60-57, midway through the half. UCSD led by as many as five, 66-61, before a Wrightsell Jr. driving layup and Jones triple tied things up at 66 with 4:33 to go. Fullerton went on to seal the win by closing the game on a 10-7 run.
The Titans return home for a matchup with Cal Poly on Saturday, February 18th. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PT.
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