Dec. 17, 2007

Box Score

Fullerton, Calif. - Junior guard Marcus Crenshaw came off the bench to score 17 points and senior forward Scott Cutley missed a triple-double by 2 assists Monday night as Cal State Fullerton pulled away for a 99-63 non-conference men's basketball victory over Southern Utah.

The Titans improved to 5-2 by winning their first home game since Nov. 11 and completing a sweep of the Thunderbirds (2-9), who lost at home to Fullerton on Nov. 17 by a 78-63 score.

Geoff Payne led Southern Utah with 18 points and 6 rebounds despite being in foul trouble.

Cutley, who missed the teams' first meeting due to injury, had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists plus 4 steals. Josh Akognon scored 16 points, 6 below his season's average, but 14 of them came in a 23-6 Fullerton run over the final 7:06 of the first half that turned a 24-21 deficit into a 44-30 lead. He hit 4 of 5 3-point tries during the surge.

Fullerton shot a season-high 55 percent from the floor including 11 of 22 from 3-point range. Southern Utah took only 8 treys, making 2, both by Nurudeen Adepoju, who also missed the teams' first meeting and ended up with 11 points Monday.

Southern Utah scored the game's first 5 points for its biggest lead of the game. It never got closer than the 14-point halftime margin and finished with 22 turnovers.

Fullerton suited only 9 players. Senior forward Frank Robinson sat out with an ankle injury and center Eddie Lima has a knee problem.

Fullerton hosts Montana on Thursday night in a rematch of a 100-91 victory in Missoula on Nov. 30. SUU is at Brigham Young on Friday night.