FULLERTON, Calif. --- Columbia continued its historic start to the season as Camille Zimmerman scored a game-high 20 points and led the Lions to a 61-46 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Thursday night at Titan Gym.
Columbia (9-2) is off to its best start in program history, while the Titans drop to 2-10, currently on a six-game losing streak, with Saturday's home game against Antelope Valley serving as Fullerton's final tune-up before the start of Big West Conference play next week.
The Titans trailed by as many as 21 in the second half after scoring just 17 points in the game's first 24 minutes. Cal State Fullerton was able to cut that lead to eight points, 45-37, on an Iman Lathan drive through the lane in the game's final minutes, but the Titans fell short of completing the comeback.
Lathan recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 points and a team-high as well as career-high 12 rebounds, while Daeja Smith poured in 13 points on a 7-of-10 effort from the free-throw line while totaling a career-best four blocks. Jade Vega added 10 points, five rebounds and a team-leading five assists.
Tori Oliver grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for Columbia to go along with seven points and a team-leading five assists. The Lions totaled 16 assists as a team on 22 baskets.
Columbia held a 48-41 advantage on the boards, scoring 14 second-chance points. The Titans shot just 20.7 percent from the floor (6-of-29) in the first half and 27.1 percent (16-of-59) for the game.
Columbia opened second half on an 8-0 run to take a 21-point, 38-17 lead, as Cal State Fullerton was held scoreless until Lathan converted a three-point play at the 5:34 mark of the third quarter. Cal State Fullerton closed 41-30 at the 2:40 mark of the third quarter after China Henderson buried a three-pointer on the wing as part of a 13-3 run.
In the first half, Lathan's three-pointer gave the Titans a 9-6 lead at the 4:32 mark of the first quarter, but Fullerton was held without another field goal for nearly seven minutes as the junior guard knocked down her third jumper of the night at the 7:50 mark of the second quarter.
The Titans, trailing 17-13 after Lathan's bucket, were held without a field goal until Henderson's lay-up with two seconds remaining in the second half, allowing Columbia to build a 29-17 halftime advantage.
Cal State Fullerton will play its last game of its four-game homestand against Antelope Valley at 2 p.m., Saturday at Titan Gym. The contest will also mark the final non-conference tilt of the season before Big West Conference action begins Thursday at CSUN with a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Notes: Columbia leads the all-time series 3-2…Fullerton's 44 points scored were a season-low for games played at Titan Gym…Iman Lathan recorded her second double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high as well as team-leading 12 rebounds…Daeja Smith blocked a career best and Titan season high four shots.
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