RUNNING ON ALL CYLINDERS AGAINST THE CHARGERS

Crosstown rival No. 28 Cypress College came to the Nest on Tuesday night and the No. 15 Hornets came out firing on all cylinders beating the Chargers 83-77.

The FC victory keeps the team locked in first place in the Orange Empire Conference with Santiago Canyon College at 12-2. The upcoming OEC Tournament will decide the undisputed champion. Meanwhile, Cypress remains in third place at 9-5 in the OEC standings.

It was not an easy feat getting past the always feisty Cypress Chargers, who had the Hornets on the run in throughout most of the second half. Down by as much 12 points, Fullerton never gave up as the team flipped the script with 5 minutes left in the game on Anthony Smith Jr.'s three pointer that put the Hornets up 65-64. Darvelle Wyatt squeezed through a couple of Charger defenders for a nice lay-in lifting Fullerton 69-64 in the 4th minute. Jaqari Miles put the nail in the coffin with 2 minutes left when he knocked down another one his three-pointer- he was 5-6 on the night. 

The hot hand for FC was Jaqari Miles, who was clicking with 34 points hit 13 out of 19 of his total shots. Kairi Shepherd and Addy G'Bye both scored 12 points. Justin Davis dropped in 8 points, had 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brayden Smith chipped in with 6 points and 7 rebounds for the win.

Up Next: The No. 15 in state Hornets (23-3 overall, 12-2 OEC) will host the first round of the Orange Empire Conference Tournament this Thursday, February 13th when Orange Coast College comes to the Nest at 6:00 pm. The 2025 OEC Tournament Bracket 

*Photo by Jayden Babineau