Yaphett King scored 20 points to lead the way as all five Cal State Fullerton
starters scored in double figures Thursday night in an 88-71 Big West
Conference victory over Long Beach State.
Jamaal Brown added 18 points and 9 rebounds as the Titans improved to
8-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big West. Jibril Hodges had 20 points and Onye
Ibekwe had 13 points and 9 rebounds for the 49ers, who lost their fifth
game in a row to fall to 2-12 and 0-5.
King got 16 of his points in the second half when the Titans outscored
the visitors, 48-35. Fullerton made 7 of 12 3-point field goals in the
second half after going 0-for-5 in the first half. Long Beach went the
other way, making 4 of 7 in the first half but only 1 of 9 after intermission.
King is averaging just under 10 points in his one and a half seasons with
the Titans but in three games vs. Long Beach State he is averaging 21.
Forward Hardy Asprilla had 10 points and 9 rebounds for Fullerton before
being carried off the floor with 6:52 remaining after an injury to his
right knee.
The Titans led for all but the first few minutes, using an early 10-0
run for a 14-6 lead. They stretched it to as many as 14 points on several
occasions but the 49ers went on a14-4 run ovber the final 4:22 to pull
within 40-36 at halftime.
After Hodges scored the first bucket of the second half, the Titans scored
15 of the next 19 points for a 55-42 lead and Long Beach only got the
deficit to single digits on one possession.
Fullerton equalled its best start since the 1996-97 team opened 8-4.
Fullerton returns to Big West Conference play Saturday night hosting UC
Irvine. Long Beach State visits UC Riverside, winless in Big West play
until tonight’s 68-55 home win over Irvine.
