Shooting 0-3 in the first half beyond the arc, Cal State Fullerton made seven threes in the second half to run away with an 86-73 victory over Santa Clara on Saturday afternoon in Titan Gymnasium. The Broncos are 2-1 and Cal State Fullerton is 2-1. Santa Clara heads to No. 21 Notre Dame on Fri., Nov. 22 for a 6 pm game in South Bend.
SCU shot 37.3 percent (25 of 67), including 33.3 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 18). They shot 70.8 percent from the free throw line (17 of 24) with 35 rebounds, 12 assists, 14 turnovers, two blocks and seven steals.
The Broncos were led by Brandon Clark, who tied his career high with 23 points for the second straight game. B. Clark also added six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Jared Brownridge, who scored five threes for the second time in three games, scored 21 points. Denzel Johnson had 12 points and Jerry Brown led the Broncos with seven rebounds.
Cal State Fullerton shot 53.8 percent (35 of 65), including 50.0 percent from beyond the arc (7 of 14). They shot 75.0 percent from the free throw line (9 of 12) with 41 rebounds, 18 assists, 16 turnovers, three blocks and five steals.
Cal State Fullerton was led by Alex Harris' 19 points. Michael Williams chipped in 15 with five assists and Josh Gentry had 13. Steve McClellan added eight rebounds.
Brownridge scored a three to open the game, but the Titans answered with back-to-back baskets inside. Brownridge drained another three on a dandy pass from McArthur off a rebound, 6-4 SCU.
B. Clark and Brownridge sank back-to-back threes from the corners before the Titans scored inside four times to tie it up at 14:01. Brownridge's bucket inside stopped the Titans, but Fullerton scored twice inside again to go up 16-14 at 12:25.
B. Clark was fouled shooting and he sank the second of two free throws at 11:08. Johnson stole the ball and scored inside with a slashing move, but the Titans scored two more baskets inside to take a 24-17 lead. Johnson stopped the Titans rally again with a bucket inside at 8:21.
B. Clark laid it in at 5:51. After the Titans scored again inside, Keating called for time, down 33-23, at 5:22. Brownridge scored a three at 4:20 and a pair of three throws at 2:38, 35-28 CSUF.
B. Clark sank a pair of free throws at 1:32 to pull SCU within seven. Gentry sank a one and one to push the Titans lead to 10 again, 40-30, at 1:09. Johnson shot one deep from the corner with .07 seconds left and he was smothered by Gentry. He stepped to the line and scored two of the three free throws and it was 40-34 Fullerton at halftime.
Brownridge led the Broncos with 16 points in the first half, shooting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc with 4-4 from the free throw line. B. Clark added eight and Denzel Johnson had five rebounds.
Harris had eight for the Titans with two assists and Gentry scored nine with two rebounds. McClellan added six rebounds and two assists.
Horne shot and made a three and was knocked down by McArthur who sank it for the four point play at 18:52. Horne sank another three at 18:25 and B. Clark answered with a floater at 18:07, 49-36 Fullerton.
Richard scored an and one at 17:36. McClellan gave the Titans a 51-39 lead with an inside bucket. The Titans hit their third three of the second half and then another inside to take a 56-39 lead, their largest of the game, at 14:47.
After a Bronco timeout, Johnson scored from 15 feet out. The Titans went on a 5-2 run to take a 63-45 lead with 11:12 left.
McArthur banked one in to answer a Titan three at 10:15. After going 0-3 in the first half beyond the arc, the Titans sank their seventh three of the half to take their largest lead of the game, 78-54 at 7:40.
The Broncos then went on an 11-4 run over the next five minutes. Brownridge scored his fifth three at 1:40 and the Titans 24-point lead had been cut to 13, 84-71.
Game Notes: The Broncos started the same lineup for the third straight game: Jared Brownridge, Jalen Richard, Brandon Clark, John McArthur and Yannick Atanga … Evan Roquemore missed his third straight game was well with back issues.