FULLERTON, Calif.— Mya Olivier produced Cal State Fullerton's second double-double of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, as the Titans ended 2012 on a high note, rolling past the Columbia Lions 61-49 Monday afternoon at Titan Gym.
Brittany Simmons poured in 12 points, while Tyler Simpson put up 10 for the Lions in the loss.
Columbia (2-10) kept things close early, and actually led the Titans 11-9 after Simpson knocked down a mid-range jumper with 12:26 left to play in the first half.
After that, the Titans (4-8) suddenly found their offense, as they went on a 22-3 run over four-plus minutes, knocking down a perfect 4-for-4 from beyond the three-point line during that span.
It only got worse from there for the Lions, as Fullerton continued to rack up the points, shooting a season-high 45.5 percent in the first half on 15-of-13 shooting.
The Titans also locked down defensively, as they forced 13 first half turnovers and held Columbia to just two points for the final 6:29 and 25 percent shooting overall for the period.
Fullerton ended the half on an impressive 9-0 scoring run and captured its largest halftime lead of the season at 42-18 going into the break.
It would be more of the same to start the second half, as Fullerton at one point grabbed what was its largest lead of the season, taking a commanding 48-21 advantage with 15:37 left to play in the game.
But then things started to get a little dicey for the Titans, as the Lions started to make a run of their own fueled by a feisty defense, which held Fullerton without a field goal for the final nine-plus minutes of action, while forcing 13 second half turnovers.
The Lions whittled the Titan lead to as close as 59-49 with 2:43 left to play in the game, but it turned out to be just too little, too late, as Columbia's offense struggled to find the bottom of the basket all game long, shooting just 28 percent for the contest.
Cal State Fullerton is getting hot at the right time, now riding a season-high tying two-game win streak, as it begins conference play this Thursday at home vs. Hawai'i at 7 p.m.
Game Notes: Cal State Fullerton shot a season-high 43 percent from three-point land today…Mya Olivier's 14 rebounds today is the most by any Titan this season…Today was only the second time this season three different Titans scored in double figures….Fullerton improves to 4-2 when scoring 60+ points (0-6 when scoring less)….Titans are 3-0 when scoring either 60 or 61 points...Titans have won three straight New Year's Eve games.