HORNETS PUNCH TICKET BACK TO 3C2A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
The No. 1 South Fullerton College Hornets rose to the occasion Saturday evening, defeating No. 2 North Santa Rosa Junior College 90-65 to advance to the 3C2A State Championship game for the second consecutive season.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
27 | 38 | 65 |
|
|
40 | 50 | 90 |
Team Stats
Santa Rosa
| Game Statistics | Santa Rosa | FULL |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (24-59) | (34-55) |
| Field Goal % | 40.7% | 61.8% |
| Rebounds | 25 | 33 |
| Assists | 13 | 18 |
| Turnovers | 7 | 7 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 5 | 8 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 12 | 6 |
| Pts in the Paint | 26 | 44 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 26 | 32 |
The No. 1 South Fullerton College Hornets rose to the occasion Saturday evening, defeating No. 2 North Santa Rosa Junior College 90-65 to advance to the 3C2A State Championship game for the second consecutive season.
The victory sends Fullerton back to the State Tournament championship game for the 11th time in program history dating back to when the tournament began in 1951. It also marks the 5th time in 10 seasons under head coach Perry Webster that the Hornets have reached the title game.
Santa Rosa jumped out early as a series of Hornet turnovers in the opening minutes allowed the Bear Cubs to grab a 12-7 lead that highlighted by a three-pointer from Gavin Cook-Whisenton.
Fullerton quickly settled down and began playing its brand of basketball locking in defensively while finding rhythm on the offensive end. Trey Thompson answered with a three-pointer, and Yoda Oke followed with a jumper to tie the game at 12-12 around the 11-minute mark.
Fullerton soon took off on a 9-0 run sparked by key baskets from Jaquari Miles, Donovan Pitts and Oke that pushed the Hornets ahead 21-12 with seven minutes remaining in the half. FC continued to build momentum on both ends of the floor and took a 40-27 lead into halftime.
The Hornets tightened up defensively forcing Santa Rosa into difficult and off-balance shots while the offense caught fire. Fullerton shot a blistering 61.8% from the field and knocked down 47.8% from beyond the arc compared to 40.7% shooting for the Bear Cubs.
Inside the paint, Fullerton dominated with 44 points in the lane, while also controlling the glass with a 33-25 rebounding advantage.
With just under six minutes remaining in regulation, the Hornets held a commanding 26-point lead, the largest advantage of the night, as Fullerton ran away with the victory and secured its place in the championship game.
Balanced scoring powered the Hornets offensively. Yoda Oke led the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds for another double-double effort. Trey Thompson scored 14 points and was perfect 5-5 shooting (2-2 from three). Donovan Pitts added 13 points, and Jaedyn Patterson chipped in 12 (3-3 from three) with 5 assists. Brayden Smith finished with 11 points with 4 rebounds. MJ Smith contributed 9 points and had 4 assists.
Fullerton also moved the ball efficiently finishing with 18 assists while committing just seven turnovers.
Up Next: The No. 1 South Hornets (31-1 overall) will face No. 1 North City College of San Francisco (31-1 overall) in the 3C2A State Championship game on Sunday, March 15 at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 pm.
The Rams and Hornets have been shadowing one another all season trading places at the No. 1 spot in the CCCMBCA rankings. Sunday afternoon's matchup will mark the fourth time in recent history that the two programs have met in the 3C2A State Championship game with Fullerton winning two of those meetings (2019 and 2023). Last season, however, City College of San Francisco clipped the Hornets 75-58 in the title game.
Watch ALL state tournament games live and free here!
*Photos by Jim McCormack
