Titans out-shoot UCI

FULLERTON — With an impacted schedule that will have them play four games in nine days, including their first two conference contests in a four-day span, Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball coach Bob Burton consulted his players as to whether they wanted to practice today after Friday’s 93-83 Big West Conference triumph over visiting UC Irvine.

But whether or not the Titans (8-4, 1-0 in conference) hit the practice floor, they won’t require much work on their shooting touch.

The hosts made seven of 10 three-pointers in the first half and were 13 of 21 for the game (61.9%) to outlast the Anteaters (5-9, 0-1), before 948 at Titan Gym.

Still, UCI made seven of its 10 overall three-pointers after halftime to mount its second serious charge, only to see the Titans continue to answer in triplicate.

UCI used a 9-0 run to catch Fullerton at 32-32 with 4:26 remaining in the first half.

The Titans, however, countered with a 6-0 burst, capped by Josh Akognon’s three-pointer with 2:08 left, to regain control.

Trailing, 44-37, at halftime, UCI opened the second half on a 12-5 run that created a 49-49 deadlock.

But Fullerton senior Frank Robinson netted a three-pointer with 16:04 left, then answered a Michael Hunter three ball with yet another three-pointer with 16:41 remaining and the Titans were never seriously threatened.

“Robinson made two key threes there,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “When you play a good team, that’s going to happen. I thought we battled, but they shot 63% [from the field] in the first half. They then missed some shots and we got back in the ballgame. But, they canned some threes again. They’re a very explosive team.”

Senior Patrick Sanders led the Anteaters with a career-high 27 points, but he missed seven straight field-goal attempts during a second-half lull that allowed Fullerton to remain in command.

Sanders, who finished 10 of 21 from the field, made two of three from beyond the arc and added seven rebounds.

UCI senior Darren Fells scored 16 points, but was held to six of 13 from the field by Titans’ senior Scott Cutley, a physical 6-foot-5, 235-pounder.

Both Douglass and Burton praised Cutley’s defensive effort, limiting Fells, the reigning Big West Player of the Week, who had averaged 22 points his last two games and shot 69.2% from the field his previous six games. Fells led UCI with eight boards.

Cutley scored all 10 of his points after intermission, adding an inside presence to the outside sharpshooters that Burton said was invaluable.

Cutley was the fourth Titan in double figures, as Akognon, a transfer from Washington State, led the way with 22. Akognon was eight of 14 from the field and three of four from three-point range.

Junior guard Marcus Crenshaw came off the bench to add 16 points, netting four of his five three-point attempts.

Senior Frank Robinson was three of six from beyond the arc to help produce his 17 points. He also had a game-high 10 rebounds.

It was the last of five straight road games for UCI, which will return home to meet conference favorite UC Santa Barbara (Thursday) and last year’s Big West Tournament runner-up Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Saturday). Both games begin at 7:05 p.m.

“It will be good to get home,” Douglass said. “It has been a while.”

The ’Eaters played without sophomore guard Chad DeCasas (upset stomach), and senior guard Chuma Awaji. Awaji, who missed the previous two road games due to attitude problems, was sidelined Friday by an academic issue that Douglass declined to comment on.

Fullerton came into the game leading Big West teams in scoring (83.5 points per game) and produced the biggest margin allowed by a UCI squad in 49 contests, dating back to a 93-73 loss to Long Beach State to end the 2005-06 regular season.

Nonconference

Cal State Fullerton 93, UC Irvine 83

UCI – Sanders 27, Bland 11, Fells 16, Lauer 12, Hunter 8, McIntosh 5, Rembert 2, Harris 2.

3-pt. goals – Lauer 4, Sanders 2, Bland 2, Hunter 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

CSF – Cutley 10, Morgan 9, Akognon 22, Robinson 17, Russell 9, Crenshaw 16, Green 5, Lassiter 3, Reed 2.

3-pt- goals – Crenshaw 4, Akognon 3, Robinson 3, Russell 2, Lassiter 1.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].