Fullerton’s Campbell Takes Flight

If Loyola Marymount didn’t know about Brandon Campbell’s leaping ability before Saturday’s game against Cal State Fullerton, it does now.

Campbell, the Big West Conference champion in the high jump and long jump last spring, got the Titan men’s basketball team off the ground with six offensive rebounds and 18 points during an 84-70 victory at Cal State Fullerton.

Campbell’s control of the boards keyed a 31-10 run in the second half and allowed the Titans (1-2) to pull away for their biggest margin of victory against a Division I opponent in two years.

“Normally, I’m always crashing the boards, but some nights I get offensive rebounds and some nights I don’t,” said Campbell, who didn’t secure any offensive rebounds in the Titans’ two previous losses this season.

“Tonight, I crashed the boards every time I could and I got every rebound I wanted.”

Campbell had four offensive rebounds during an 11-minute span of the second half during which Fullerton’s lead ballooned from four points to 25. He had three putbacks after offensive rebounds and assisted on Josh Fischer’s layup on the other. Campbell also scored on a fast-break layup and slammed in a lob pass from Derick Andrew during the run.

“We preach it and preach it,” Fullerton Coach Donny Daniels said of rebounding.

Loyola (2-2) led by as many as five points in the first half, but Fullerton went on a 13-2 run in the closing minutes to take a 35-29 lead.

Fischer, playing extra minutes after center Babacar Camara went to the bench in foul trouble, took advantage by scoring eight first-half points and grabbing five rebounds, including two offensive rebounds that resulted in easy layups during Fullerton’s 13-2 run. Fischer finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

Loyola’s leading scorer, freshman Andy Osborn, went scoreless in the first half after picking up two fouls in the first minute. Osborn scored 10 points in the second half, but most came after the outcome had been decided. Greg Lakey led the Lions with 16 points.