DAVIS — The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team whittled a 17-point second-half deficit to three points with a flurry of late 3-pointers, but the Titans’ comeback bid fell short in a 74-69 loss to UC Davis on Thursday night.
Joshua Ward had 19 points, two steals and two blocked shots to pace Fullerton (8-11 overall, 3-4 Big West). Bryce Cofield added 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Jaden Henderson contributed 11 points and two steals. Jefferson De La Cruz scored 10 points, pushing him over 1,000 for his Fullerton career.
Niko Rocak had 16 points, five rebounds and two steals to lead the Aggies (10-7, 3-3). Connor Sevilla had 14 points while going 11 for 13 from the free-throw line, while Marcus Wilson added 12 points and nine rebounds and Nils Cooper had 11 points and two steals.
The Aggies seemed to break the game open midway through the second half, using a run highlighted by a Cyril Franklin Jr. dunk to extend their lead to 60-43 with 7:30 left.
Still down by 12 in the final three minutes, Fullerton chipped away at the deficit thanks to four straight 3-pointers from Henderson, Davis White and Ward. Ward’s shot pulled the Titans within 70-67 with 22 seconds remaining.
The Aggies’ Sevilla made a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left, but Fullerton’s Landon Seaman cut the deficit to three points again on a layup with 11 seconds left. Sevilla made two more free throws to secure the win before White missed a 3-point attempt.
UC Davis led 32-24 at halftime, breaking free from an 11-11 deadlock with a 14-2 run. The Aggies never saw their lead shrink below six points until the Titans’ final surge.
The Aggies outrebounded the Titans 43-32 and had a 35-24 advantage in paint points. UC Davis shot 46.2% from the field, while holding Fullerton to 37.5% and neutralizing one of the nation’s best transition attacks, limiting a Titans squad ranked fourth nationally in fast-break points to just three.
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Fullerton plays at UC Riverside on Saturday at 5 p.m.
