MEN’S BASKETBALL: SWEET REVENGE
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Copper Mountain (15-12, 5-6) | 23 | 20 | 43 |
|
FULL (25-2, 10-1) | 18 | 44 | 62 |
The No. 2 FC men's basketball team handled Copper Mountain College 62-43 in the Hornets Nest Wednesday night exacting revenge for an earlier conference loss.
The Fighting Cati handed FC their only Orange Empire Conference blemish back on January 25th (a 69-63 loss), when the Hornets were ranked No. 1 in the state.
It had been a two-team race for OEC dominance in the last month with Fullerton and Saddleback tied for first place, until Saddleback fell at Riverside City College tonight 85-75. The loss secures, at minium, a share of the Orange Empire Conference title for Fullerton.
The Hornets ripped off a 6-0 lead in the first five minutes, but then the wheels fell off as Copper Mountain's full-court press helped them go on an 18-2 run. Lance Coleman II's 8 points helped dig FC out of the hole, but an out of sync Fullerton squad found themselves down 23-18 by halftime.
It was a tale of two halves as Fullerton turned the game around on a pair three-pointers by Jailen Moore that put the Hornets ahead 26-24. Copper Mountain's Anthony Rice tied it up on the next possession, but Lance Coleman II struck back with a three-point dagger putting FC up 29-26 at the 16-minute mark. Fullerton continued to pour it on going on a 28-11 run for their largest lead of 22 points (57-35) with 3 minutes left. With the large lead, the Hornets kept the Copper Mountain fans silent as they went on to take the win.
Jailen Moore had a good night scoring a game-high 17 points. Lance Coleman II was not too far behind scoring 16 points along wth 11 rebounds. Omajae Smith had 10 points with 4 rebounds, while Dylan Banks added 9 points with 5 steals.
It was sophomore night for the Hornets as second-year players Ronne Readus Vaj Rice, Lance Coleman II, Ezekiel Alley, Dylan Banks, Jailen Moore, Rodrick McCobb, Anthony Resendez, and Harrison Bonner were honored for their dedication and hard work on the season.
Up Next: The Hornets (25-2 overall, 10-1 OEC) will play the last regular game of the season at Saddleback College for sole possession of the Orange Empire Conference title this Friday, February 22nd at 5:00 pm.
*Photo by Jim McCormack
