The game marked the end of the Titans (3-10) non-conference schedule as Fullerton will open Big West Conference play at CSUN on Thursday before returning to Titan Gym to host UC Santa Barbara at 5 p.m., Saturday, as part of a doubleheader with the men's basketball team.
The Titans were led by sophomore center Daeja Smith, who scored a career-high 18 points and added seven rebounds, while junior guard China Henderson scored a career-high 13 points off the bench, also getting to seven boards.
"Daeja is the biggest player on the floor," Cal State Fullerton head coach Daron Park said. "She does a great job posting up, sealing and being physical. After being out for a year, she is slowly getting back to feeling confident and understanding just how good she can be. I think she has the chance to be an exceptional basketball player."
Sophomore guard Jade Vega matched a career high and set Titan season and game highs dishing eight assists to go along with 11 points and five rebounds, while Jordan Jackson also added 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior center Dhanyel Johnson matched a career high with a game-high 12 rebounds.
"We are a team that is still learning what it is like to win and we have to have tests like this," Park said. "Don't get me wrong, I love 40-point blowouts, but our players will learn a lot more from this. I thought we did a great job sharing the basketball today. We talk about making one more pass. I thought Jade was exceptional with that."
The game was a tale of two halves as the Titans saw their one-time 26-point lead quickly diminish in the game's closing moments.
With 3:56 left to play in the third quarter and Fullerton leading 45-21, UAV produced a 16-2 run over the near four-minute span to cut Fullerton's lead to 47-37 at the end of the period after an Ahteana Jones' steal and three-pointer at the buzzer put an exclamation on the run.
During that stretch, the Pioneers' fullcourt pressure forced six Titan miscues.
Jackson's jumper to start the fourth quarter gave Fullerton some breathing room at 49-37, but Antelope Valley would not go away, piecing together a 16-6 run as the Titans clutched a 55-53 lead with just over two minutes to play in the game.
Fullerton got some breathing room as Jackson found Smith for a lay-in on Fullerton's next possession, while Vega scored inside on back-to-back possessions on set-ups from Henderson and Lauren Nubla to put the Titans ahead 61-56 with 44 seconds left in the game. Fullerton hit 3-of-4 free throws in the game's final 12 seconds to seal the victory.
In the second half, UAV outscored Fullerton 42-26 and the Titans committed 16 second-half turnovers which led to 26 points for the Pioneers. UAV also grabbed 27 offensive rebounds, but the Titans and Pioneers were even scoring 13 second-chance points apiece for the game.
Fullerton used just seven players in the game with leading scorer Iman Lathan unavailable due to illness.
Jones led UAV with 16 points, while Tylen Price poured in 13 of the bench and Ashley Ensminger added 12.
Cal State Fullerton held a 24-point, 38-14 lead at halftime as Smith led the way with 13 points for the Titans. Fullerton shot 46.9 percent (15-of-32) from the floor in the first half with 11 assists on 15 baskets as Vega dished out six helpers in the first 20 minutes.
Antelope Valley committed seven first-half turnovers and shot 15.4 percent (6-of-39) from the floor, taking 21 three-point attempts and making only one.
Fullerton built a 12-0 lead through the first five minutes of the game, holding Antelope Valley scoreless until Latique Walton's lay-up with 5:38 remaining in the first quarter.
Notes: Cal State Fullerton's leading scorer Iman Lathan missed the game with illness…this was the first meeting between the Titans and Antelope Valley (NAIA) as the 2016-17 season is the first year the Pioneers have sponsored a women's basketball team…Cal State Fullerton's three wins match the season total of victories from the 2015-16 campaign…each of Fullerton's three wins this season have come at Titan Gym…Fullerton's 24-point halftime lead was its biggest halftime advantage of the season…Fullerton also held the Pioneers to 14 first-half points, a new halftime season low for a Titan opponent in 2016-17…China Henderson scored a career-high 13 points…Daeja Smith scored a career high 18 points…Jade Vega matched her career high and set a season team single-game high with eight assists…Dhanyel Johnson matched a career high with 12 rebounds…the win snapped a six-game losing streak for Fullerton.
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