Pape Sow scored 20 points and Cal State Fullerton held Utah State to only
four points over the final 7:41 Saturday night as the Titans stunned the
Aggies, 65-51, in Big West Conference men's basketball.
Brandon Campbell had 14 points and Derick Andrew and Kevin Richardson
each had 11 for Fullerton (4-12), which snapped a 7-game losing streak
and won its first Big West game in seven tries. Desmond Penigar had 17
points and 9 rebounds for Utah State, which fell to 13-4 overall and 5-3
in the Big West.
Utah State had beaten Fullerton 14 of the last 15 meetings including the
last four.
Fullerton overcame a 32-27 halftime deficit and took the lead for good
at 48-47 with 6:03 to play on a Sow layup. Campbell added a 3-pointer
and Babacar Camara had a tip in before Brennan Ray scored at 3:57 for
the Aggies to make it 53-49 in favor of Fullerton. The Titans scored the
next 12 points before Penigar hit two meaningless free throws with 31
seconds left.
Utah State shot only 25 per cent (6 of 24) as it was outscored in the
second half, 38-19.
Sow and Richardson each had 7 rebounds to lead Fullerton. Sow had to leave
the floor twice with injuries to his legs but managed to play 33 minutes
and help hold Penigar to 6-of-18 shooting. Tony Brown kept the Aggies
in the game by hitting 4 of 8 3-point field goals including 3 of 6 in
the second half. His last trey gave the Aggies a 47-46 lead with 7:42
remaining.
Fullerton, which shoots under 40 per cent from the floor as a team, hit
57 per cent of its second half shots (13 of 23).
Fullerton goes back on the road next week at Cal State Northridge and
Pacific.
