TAPPING OUT THE TIGERS
The No. 2 Hornets completed the season sweep of No. 25 Riverside City College on Wednesday night pouncing on the Tigers 83-54 at home in the Nest.
The No. 2 Hornets completed the season sweep of No. 25 Riverside City College on Wednesday night pouncing on the Tigers 83-54 at home in the Nest.
Fullerton's home win bumps the Hornets to 22-1 overall while securing the program's 40th consecutive home victory since the 2022-23 season under head coach Perry Webster. The Hornets remain undefeated in the Orange Empire Conference at 9-0. The loss drops Riverside City to 14-9 overall and 6-3 in OEC play.
Riverside knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to open the game, but Fullerton quickly erased the early deficit taking an 8-6 lead at the 17-minute mark following a Yoda Oke layup. With the score tied 11-11 midway through the half, the Hornets flipped the switch ripping off a 15-5 run to build a 26-16 advantage by the five-minute mark. Fullerton carried a 36-27 lead into halftime.
The Hornets turned up the heat in the second half, opening with a 14-6 run to stretch the lead to 50-33. A three-pointer by Donovan Pitts, a dunk from Brayden Smith, and layups by Oke and Jaqari Miles fueled the surge as Fullerton pulled away, building a 31-point lead with two minutes remaining (83-52). The Hornets held RCC to just two points the rest of the way extending their win streak to 18 straight games. Fullerton's defense was locked in all night, allowing only one Tiger to score in double figures.
Yoda Oke led the way for Fullerton with a game-high 17 points and a season-best 17 rebounds. Jaedyn Patterson added 16 points, while MJ Smith chipped in 10 points and 3 blocks. Trey Thompson scored 9 points, Donovan Pitts added 8, and Bishop Brooks grabbed 8 rebounds.
Up Next: No. 2 Fullerton (22-1, 9-0 OEC) faces another tough test on Friday night (Feb. 6) when the Hornets travel to No. 19 Santa Ana College (19-4, 5-4). Tipoff for this key OEC matchup is set for 5:00 pm.
