BAKERSFIELD — Josh Ward scored 21 points and KJ Garris had 19 as the Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team defeated Cal State Bakersfield, 88-80, on Saturday night, as the Titans won for the fifth time in six games to stay in the thick of a tightly packed Big West Conference race.
Ward shot 7 for 11 from the field (4 for 6 from 3-point range) and grabbed four rebounds, while Garris shot 6 for 9 from behind the arc to go with five rebounds for Fullerton (15-14 overall, 10-7 Big West), which officially clinched a spot in next month’s eight-team Big West Tournament in Henderson, Nevada. Kendrick De Luna added 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field.
Bryce Cofield added 10 points and four rebounds, Bailey Nunn had nine points and a team-high six assists, and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro contributed eight points, a team-best six rebounds and four assists.
Fullerton shook off a slow start and found itself trailing 25-10 less than 10 minutes into the first half, but the Titans righted themselves and got within 42-41 by halftime. They were down 59-54 six minutes into the second half before a Nunn 3-pointer started an 18-5 run that gave the visitors a 72-64 lead with 8:02 remaining.
Bakersfield (8-20, 2-14) got back within five briefly, but another Nunn 3-pointer started an 8-0 surge that extended the Titans’ lead to 80-67 with 4:54 left and they maintained control the rest of the way.
Fullerton shot 50% from the field, including a 16-of-33 showing from behind the arc.
Bakersfield shot 42% overall but just 7 for 25 from 3-point range (28%) while going 19 for 23 from the free-throw line.
Dailin Smith had 21 points to pace the Roadrunners, who have lost 11 consecutive games. Tom Mark added 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots, and CJ Hardy scored 16 points.
UP NEXT
Fullerton is off on Thursday before hosting Hawaii for “Senior Night” on Saturday at 4 p.m.
BIG WEST STANDINGS
Through Saturday, Feb. 21
Team – Overall, Big West
Hawaii – 19-7, 11-5
UC Irvine – 18-10, 11-5
Cal State Northridge – 18-10, 11-5
UC Santa Barbara – 17-11, 10-7
UC Davis – 17-11, 10-7
Cal State Fullerton – 15-14, 10-7
UC San Diego – 19-9, 9-7
Cal Poly (SLO) – 12-16, 8-8
Long Beach State – 8-20, 4-12
UC Riverside – 9-20, 4-13
Cal State Bakersfield – 8-20, 2-14
