38TH FC CLASSIC DAY TWO - FC WRESTLES PAST WEST LA

The No. 2 in state Hornets got past a very skilled West LA squad on Saturday night 69-58 wrapping up the 38th Fullerton College Classic.

Both teams came into the second and final day of the crossover with solid wins on Friday night, when West LA stunned the No. 8 ranked San Diego City Knights 66-56, and Fullerton ended No. 9 Modesto College's 8-game win streak 72-56. Tonight's victory over the Cougars gives FC its 9th consecutive win lifting the team to an 11-1 overall record. The West LA loss sets them back at 8-5 overall in the 3C2A standings. 

The first game on Saturday began at 4:00 pm as No. 8 San Diego City came back in the second half to beat No. 9 Modesto 57-52. The win gives the Knights an overall record of 8-4, while the Pirate loss puts them at 9-3.

West LA and Fullerton matched up well in this close game as Addy G'Bye knocked down the first bucket- a three-pointer, but the Cougars took a big swing scoring the next 11 points that was capped by Jase Stewart's layup. Jaqari Miles answered back with a jumper, but Stewart hit a deep trey giving West LA a 14-7 advantage by the 10-minute mark. The Hornets fought back hard to tie it up at 20 apiece thanks to a nice basket underneath by Joe Grahovac. A free throw made by Miles and jumper by Grahovac gave FC its first lead since G'Bye's opening shot at 23-20 with a just over a minute left in the half. By the time the smoke cleared for the halftime break, Fullerton held a narrow 25-24 lead.

The second half remained a dogfight as both teams dished out shots back and forth. With 7 minutes left in the game, the score was once again knotted up 49-49. JQ Strong pushed through for a lay-in, Joe Grahovac scored in the paint, and hit a pair of free throws to give the Hornets some breathing room at 55-49. West LA hit back with a layup by Brandon Clay, however Fullerton got hot scoring 9 unanswered points that was highlighted by Jackson Hopps' three-pointer that bounced high off the rim and straight back through it. With a 1:34 left in regulation, the Hornets burned out the clock and held off a talented Cougar squad.  

Jaqari Miles lit up the scoreboard with a game-high 24 points off the bench. He also had 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Joe Grahovac also had a big night with 21 points, had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Jackson Hopps had 7 points, while Justin Davis put up 6 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  

At the halftime break, the 2024 Hornet softball team was honored for winning the 3C2A State Championship last spring. On hand were many of the players along with head coaches Crystal Aguirre and Marian "Speedy" Mendoza displaying their new championship rings. The team and coaching staff also celebrated the new state banner that was unveiled hanging in the rafters. The 2024 Hornets earned the distinction as the winningest team in program history with an overall record of 44-6, surpassing the 1988 squad that posted 41 victories. The team went undefeated 21-0 in Orange Empire Conference-play, which was the first time since the 1974 season under FC Hall of Famer Colleen Riley that a FC team went undefeated at 17-0.

DAY TWO SCORES
Game 3: No. 8 San Diego City def. No. 9 Modesto 57-52
Game 4: No. 2 Fullerton def. West LA 69-58

DAY ONE SCORES
Game 1: West LA def. No. 8 San Diego City 66-56
Game 2: No. 2 Fullerton def. No. 9 Modesto 72-56

Up Next: The No. 2 Hornets (11-1 overall) will open Orange Empire Conference-play in the Nest this Wednesday, December 18th when Irvine Valley College (8-5 overall) comes to campus. Tipoff is at 6:00 pm.

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