FULLERTON — The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team got a moment to exhale on Sunday, crushing an overmatched opponent before returning to a nonconference slate that has featured mostly other mid-major programs who have a lot in common with the Titans.
Max Jones had a team-high 16 points and four other Fullerton players scored in double figures as they rolled to a 26-point lead by halftime and crushed Stanton University, 102-52, on Sunday afternoon at Titan Gym.
“We have to have a disruptive mindset with what we do in our approach,” said Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor, whose team improved to 4-4. “I thought we did a good job with that Friday night (in a home win against North Dakota) and today. We have to keep that same mindset moving forward.”
Keith Richard had 14 points and Antwan Robinson had 13, both season-highs, for Fullerton. Jalen Cooper added a career-high 12 points and five rebounds while Grayson Carper also scored 12. Donovan Oday added nine points, four steals and three rebounds.
Fullerton shot 63% from the floor (34 for 54) and 57.1% from 3-point range (12 for 21), both season-highs. The Titans held Stanton, a USCAA team from Garden Grove, to 39.2% shooting (20 for 51) and the Fullerton reserves outscored their peers on the Fighting Elks’ bench 61-4.
Fullerton never trailed, with Vincent Lee scoring a pair of baskets in the paint early. Jones and Carper traded 3-pointers before a Richard jumper capped an 11-0 run to give the Titans a 23-4 lead. Richard and Robinson each knocked down 3-pointers before Richard found Kendrick De Luna for a dunk as Fullerton led 48-22 at halftime.
Brewton scored seven points early in the second half and Jones added six to extend the lead to 63-33. Fullerton’s lead ballooned to 83-43 after another De Luna basket and a Cooper 3-pointer, and the Titans led by as many as 51 after another Robinson 3-pointer.
The box score highlighted the mismatch. Fullerton forced 26 turnovers, which led to a 31-15 advantage in points off turnovers. The Titans had a 16-6 advantage in second-chance points, which contributed to a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint. Fullerton was 22 for 31 at the free-throw line, while Stanton was just 8 for 11.
UP NEXT
Fullerton plays at Pepperdine on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
