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| No. 2 Cal State Fullerton 72, No. 1 Long Beach State 71 |
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HENDERSON, Nev. (March 12, 2022) — No. 2 seed Cal State Fullerton battled back from a 14-point first half deficit to overcome top seed Long Beach State, 72-71, to win the 2022 Hercules Tires Big West Men's Basketball Championship, presented by the Hawaiian Islands. Tray Maddox Jr. came off the bench to score 11 of his 13 points in the first half to bring the Titans back, and E.J. Anosike dominated the second half as Cal State Fullerton claimed its first Big West Championship title since 2018 and fourth overall.
Anosike finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. He was a perfect six-for-six from the field en route to Most Valuable Player status. All-Tournament Team selection Damari Milstead scorched the nets from three point-range, making five of his eight attempts from beyond the arc, finishing with 17 points. Jalen Harris contributed 10 points making two-of-three from downtown. The Titans finished with 11 triples on 55 percent shooting from distance in the game.
The Beach was led by Joel Murray with 24 points. Big West Player of the Year Colin Slater, coming off a career high 30 points in the semifinals against UC Santa Barbara, scored 23 in the finals as both Murray and Slater were tapped for All-Tournament Team honors. Jordan Roberts scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Long Beach State leaves the Dollar Loan Center at 20-12.
Winners of its last four games, the Titans head to the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament with a record of 21-10. Cal State Fullerton will learn their next opponent on Selection Sunday, with the 68-team field announced on CBS at 3 p.m. PT.
2022 Hercules Tires Big West Men's Basketball Championship, presented by the Hawaiian Islands
All-Tournament Team
E.J. Anosike, Cal State Fullerton (Most Valuable Player)
Junior Madut, Hawai'i
Damari Milstead, Cal State Fullerton
Joel Murray, Long Beach State
Ajare Sanni, UC Santa Barbara
Colin Slater, Long Beach State