NO. 1 HORNETS SURF PAST SANTA MONICA

On Tuesday, Fullerton was tabbed as the No. 1 team in the state by the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association, and on Wednesday night the Hornets showed why with a big win over visiting Santa Monica College 81-63. 

The Corsairs snagged the first three points on a three by Barry Wilds Jr., but Fullerton's Jeremiah Davis soon matched it. The Hornets pressed ahead by the ten-minute mark taking a 21-11 lead that was finished off with a layin by Javon Jones. Santa Monica was not about to pack it in going on a 21-12 run that brought them back into the game (33-32) with three minutes left in the first half. By the time halftime rolled around, the score was knotted up at 36-36. 

FC's Shaquil Bender welcomed the second half with a deep three-pointer. The Hornets held a narrow lead (56-53), until the eleven-minute mark and went on a 12-5 run gaining some breathing room at 68-58 with seven minutes left to play. Fullerton did not let up, pushing its lead to 18 as the game wound down. 

Defensively, the Hornets kept the Corsairs on their heels holding their opponent to 30% shooting. FC was 50% from the floor and scored 17 points from turnovers. 

Kobe Newton led all scorers with a game-high 25 points (7-11 shooting). He also had 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Shaquil Bender put up 15 points, and Jeremiah Davis had 12 points with 7 rebounds. Sammy Howlin and RJ Banks had 7 points each, while Javon Jones had 6 with 6 rebounds.  

Up Next: The No. 1 Hornets (7-0 overall) hit the road on Tuesday, November 29th when they take on No. 29 San Bernardino Valley College at 7:00 pm.