BUMPING PAST BOBCATS

The No. 4 Fullerton College men's basketball team took on Orange Empire Conference rival Saddleback College in the Hornets Nest on Wednesday night and bumped past the Bobcats 84-66.

The 9th straight victory keeps the Hornet machine humming with a 15-3 overall record along with a first-place OEC record of 7-0. The Saddleback loss sacks the team with a record of 11-8 and sets the team back in the OEC standings at 4-3.

It was a fast-paced first half with both the Bobcats and Hornets hitting their shots to a 9-9 tie in the opening minutes. FC jumped ahead 20-12 on a three-pointer by Addy G'bye, but Saddleback came up big taking a 26-25 lead on a jumper by John McFadden just under the 4-minute mark. The Bobcats were not done as they went wild with four three-point plays in a row giving the team a 37-28 advantage by the half.

Fullerton's defense came out with fire and intensity for the second half forcing 14 turnovers that changed the momentum of the game. Not to mention, the Hornets, when they had possession, hit 7 of 14 shots from beyond the arc. Most of those shots were knocked down by Godfrey Little (3-5) and Addy G'Bye (2-2). Five minutes burned off the clock and the Hornets had already taken back the lead (43-42) on a couple of free throws by Justin Davis. Fullerton took complete control of the game going on a big 22-1 run that pumped the lead to 67-46 by 6:46. With the game at hand, FC took target practice with the remaining time taking its largest lead of 25 with 2 minutes left before wrapping it up.

Addy G'Bye was Fullerton's team scoring leader with 16 points on the night. Christian Watson added 14, and Amound Anderson II scored 11. RJ Banks and Godfrey Little both dropped in 9 points, while Jeremiah Davis put up 7 points. Three Hornets in JQ Strong, Alex Archer, and Justin Davis scored 6 points for the win. 

Up Next: The No. 4 in state Hornets (15-3 overall, 7-0 OEC) hit the road this Friday night (Jan. 19th) when they play at Riverside City College at 5:00 pm.