Feb. 14, 2009
Davis, Calif. - Josh Akognon scored 29 points and Aaron Thompson added a season-high 19 points Saturday night to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 106-95 shootout victory at UC Davis in a Big West Conference game.
The Titans made 20 of 30 shots in the second half to pull away after trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half. The win improved Fullerton's record to 13-12 and 7-6 while the Aggies fell to 11-14 and 6-6 despite 32 points from Vince Oliver.
Fullerton's 106 points were its most in a Big West Conference game since a 110-98 win over Cal Poly on Feb. 27, 1997. The 58-point second half was a season high and more than it scored in Thursday's loss at Pacific (70-51).
Akognon, playing before a host of fans from his nearby native Petaluma, Calif., matched his career high with 7 3-point field goals in 15 attempts but he had plenty of help besides Thompson, who got 14 of his points in the first half. Gerard Anderson came off the bench and just missed a double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Marcio Lassiter, who had fan support from friends from native San Francisco, scored all 15 of his points in the second half and Jacques Streeter had 9 assists, all in the second half, to go with 11 points.
"It's a really good road win," said Head Coach Bob Burton. "This makes it a good trip for us. We played really hard and shot the ball well. That was the best offense we've had. The 20 assists and going to a 2-3 zone were the two key things. The zone brought us back."
Fullerton trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half at 28-15 but fought back to lead by as many as 4 points at 43-39. Streeter's only first-half basket was a trey in the final minute for a 48-45 lead but Oliver hit a running jumper to beat the buzzer and draw the Aggies within a point at the half at 48-47.
The Titans made only 4 of their first 16 shots but finished up making 13 of their final 20 led by Thompson with 5 of 7 shooting. Davis shot 56 percent for the half and outrebounded Fullerton, 21-19, but committed 8 turnovers to 2 for Fullerton, which finished with a season low of 7.
The Titans broke from a 52-51 lead at 18:25 to a 73-58 advantage at 10:31.
In the 21-7 run, Lassiter had 8 points, Akognon had 6 and Anderson had 4. The biggest lead was 94-75 with 3:40 remaining.
Fullerton has not suffered an 0-2 road trip since January, 2005. The win avenged an 85-74 loss to the Aggies in Titan Gym on Jan 15.
The Titans host Long Beach State on Wednesday night and travel to New Mexico State on Saturday night in the ESPNU Bracket Buster series.
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