March Madness: No. 15 Cal State Fullerton falls to No. 2 Duke, 78-61
No. 15 Cal State Fullerton was unable to complete their upset bid over No. 2 Duke Friday afternoon, falling to the heavy favorite in a lopsided contest.
Six of eight Duke players scored in double-digit figures, led by NBA Draft favorite Paolo Banchero, who topped all scorers with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
The Titans, coming off of a Big West Conference title, were handed one of the NCAA Men's Tournaments toughest matchups from the get-go, as Duke finished the year 28-6 ranked No. 9 in the nation prior to tournament play.
They were led by senior guard Damari Milstead, who had 12 points on the day, and E.J. Anosike, who had a 10 point, 10 rebound double-double.
Despite winning the turnover battle, 13-8, CSUF was unable to capitalize on their opportunities shooting just 37.5% from the field and 27.9% from three point range. This may have had to do with a staggering nine blocks from the Blue Devils' defense, who stifled an otherwise well-developed Titans offensive attack.
It would have been difficult regardless, as Duke took full advantage of the weaker matchup, shooting over 50% throughout the entire game, also nailing 43% of three-pointers.
Duke will now go on to face the winner of Friday night's No. 7 Michigan State and No. 10 Davidson.
Unfortunately for the Titans, they join the USC Trojans -- who fell in the final seconds of a matchup with No. 10 Miami earlier Friday -- in returning home to Southern California following defeat.
Friday's appearance was the fourth for CSUF all-time and the first since 2018, both with head coach Dedrique Taylor at the helm.