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MEN’S BASKETBALL: SOPHOMORE NIGHT ENDS WELL FOR FC

MEN’S BASKETBALL: SOPHOMORE NIGHT ENDS WELL FOR FC

The No. 6 in state Hornets hosted Orange Coast College on Friday night and out-dueled the Pirates 81-52 in an Orange Empire Conference matchup.

The game took place on Valentine's, however the Hornets were not in the mood for candy hearts and hugs as they bumped their season win total to 21.

It was also Sophomore Night for the Hornets. The coaching staff, led by head coach Perry Webster, honored Omajae Smith, Harrison Bonner, Tawon Elston, and DJ Houston before the game for their hard work and dedication in the classroom and on the court.

FC's victory gives the team a 10-4 record in the Orange Empire Conference and a 21-4 overall record. The Orange Coast loss lands them at 1-13 in the OEC and 4-22 overall.

Orange Coast came out to play running a full court press in the first ten minutes of the game. It worked for a little bit as OCC took a 15-12 lead, but soon enough Fullerton cut through the press going on a 29-11 run that was capped off by a three-point shot by Devin Howlin. With just over three minutes left in the first half, the Hornets managed a strong 41-23 advantage. By the time both teams hit the lockers, FC held a 46-28.

The second half belonged to Fullerton as the Hornets kept the Pirate offense in check. FC went on to grab its largest lead of the game (35) with only a couple minutes left in regulation.

The Hornet defense forced 23 turnovers and scored 23 points off of them. It was a good night shooting from the floor with Fullerton hitting 54%. FC also maintained control of the boards out-rebounding Orange Coast 42-27.

DJ Houston led the Hornets in scoring with 16 points. He also brought down 6 rebounds and had 6 assists. RJ Knibb put up 15 points with 5 rebounds, and Ryen Perry scored 10, had 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. Jacob Eyman scored 9 points and had 8 rebounds, while Omajae Smith dropped in 8 points with 5 assists. Ronnie Stapp and Devin Howlin scored 7 points each, and Daniel O'Neal had 2 three-pointers on the night. Luka Gelb hit a nice shot from beyond the arc as well.

Up Next: The Hornets (21-4, 10-4) hit the road on February 19th for another Orange Empire Conference showdown at Riverside City College. Tip off is at 5:00 pm.

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