Fullerton Holds Off Montana

Chris Dade and Craig Whitehead scored 19 points each Tuesday night and Cal State Fullerton staved off a rally to beat Montana, 80-73.

Fullerton (2-1) went on an 11-0 run to take a 65-48 lead midway through the second half. The Titans also held a 17-point lead, 67-50, with 9:25 to play.

Montana (2-3) closed to within 72-70 with 3:16 to play when Mike Warhank and Kirk Walker ended a 20-5 Grizzly run with back-to-back three-point baskets.

Dade scored six of his points in the last 2:54. His final basket, with 52 seconds left, made the score 77-71.

“I said to Chris St. Clair, our point guard, ‘Remember when we were down at Vegas a year or two ago and came back and won that by two? And remember BYU?’ ” Dade said. “He said, ‘Yeah, we can do this. We’ve been there before.’ We started pulling each other up.”

It was Fullerton’s first victory over Montana in seven tries, and the Titans’ second win on the road this season.

They won only two all last season.

Walker led the Grizzlies with 14 points and four assists and Warhank added 12, including a three-for-four effort from three-point range. Ryan Dick had an 11-point, 11-rebound performance for Montana. Teammate Brent Smith had 11 and Chris Spoja added 10.

Dirk Rassloff scored 12 points for Fullerton, which led, 37-33, at halftime. John Williams blocked five shots for the Titans, who never trailed after taking a 17-16 lead in the first half.