In a tight contest against rival Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball snuck away with an 86-82 win on Thursday at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid.
Senior guard Joshua Ward paved the way to a Titans victory, leading the team with 22 points, including four clutch free throws to seal the win.
The Titans found themselves down 48-41 at the half, making key adjustments to come back and leave Long Beach with a victory.
The game found itself too close for comfort, with a total of nine lead changes, all coming in the second half of the contest.
Shooting 33% from beyond the arc in the first half, CSUF stepped up in the three-point game in the second half returning to action with a 36% tally from beyond the arc.
Aside from three-point success, the Titans also forced 15 turnovers, 10 coming in the second half to pave the way in narrowing Long Beach State’s second-half lead.
With these 15 turnovers, the Titans were able to capitalize and score 23 points, assisting their comeback win.
Freshman guard Bryce Cofield dropped 18 points, along with three steals and seven rebounds to set the table for the Titans.
Down to the wire in back-and-forth action, four lead changes occurred within the last three minutes of the game.
Tied at 82 apiece, Ward was fouled by senior forward Shay Johnson Jr. and was sent to the free-throw line.
Ward proceeded to sink both shots, pulling the Titans ahead by two. With 16 seconds left on the clock, the Titans needed to close out the game cleanly with possession of the ball, no offensive turnovers and a way to cement a win.
With just three seconds left on the clock, Ward was fouled again where he once again sank both shots, securing their victory over the Beach.