Dec. 6, 2008

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Josh Akognon scored 27 points, had a career-high 7 assists and shared the team lead with 6 rebounds Saturday night to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 79-65 non-conference men's basketball victory over Central Michigan.

The Titans improved to 4-5 after winning their second home game of the year in two tries. The Chippewas got 19 points from Jacolby Hardiman, all in the second half, and 14 points and 12 rebounds from Marcus Van off the bench but fell to 2-5.

The Titans led wire-to-wire after jumping out to a 6-0 lead but had to hang on after losing leading rebounder Gerard Anderson, who sprained his left ankle after making the game's first basket. Guards Marcio Lassiter and Jacques Streeter both also were hobbling with leg injuries but added 13 and 10 points, respectively. The Titans managed to win the rebounding battle, 39-36, with Streeter and Aaron Thompson matching Akognon's six.

CMU shot only 31 percent from the floor in the first half and committed 13 turnovers to fall behind, 46-23. The Chippewas chipped away after intermission but never got the margin down to a single digit, getting only as close as 75-65 with 2:09 to go.

Akognon set a school Div. I record by scoring 20 or more points for the eighth consecutive game. He previously shared the mark at seven in a row with Richard Morton, who did it in February of 1987.

Central Michigan won last year's meeting in Mt. Pleasant, 79-76.

Fullerton is back on the road next week, visiting Montana State on Tuesday night. Central Michigan goes home for a 4-game homestand beginning with Alcorn State on Dec. 15.