FULLERTON, Calif. (AP) - Lionheart Leslie scored 14 points and Cal State Fullerton survived a late scare to beat Hawai’i 67-64 in the Big West Conference opener for both teams on Thursday night.
Kyle Allman scored 11 points and Jackson Rowe added 10 for the Titans (7-7, 1-0), who have won a season best three-in-a-row.
The Titans struggled somewhat offensively but was on point defensively, holding the Rainbow Warriors to just 34.4 percent shooting and 4 of 21 from deep.
A Tre Coggins three-point play gave Cal State-Fullerton a 65-53 lead with 2:54 to go, and the Titans appeared on the verge of putting the game away. Hawai’i battled back though, putting together an 11-2 stretch to get to 67-64 with 44 seconds to go.
After Coggins missed a jumper, the Rainbow Warriors (6-8, 0-1) had a final shot to tie it but Leland Green missed with one second left.
Green led Hawai’i with 12 points.
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