GREENVILLE, S.C. — In the end, the NCAA Tournament story of Cal State Fullerton was not that of a Cinderella.

Though the 15th-seeded Titans hung tough for much of the first half on Friday, eventually the size, speed and athleticism of second-seeded Duke proved too much in the first-round matchup as Fullerton fell, 78-61, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Duke’s Paolo Banchero led all scorers with 17. Fullerton had four players reach double-digits in scoring, led by Damari Milstead’s 12.

At first, it looked like Duke (29-6) would swallow the Titans whole. The Blue Devils built a 13-2 lead in the first four minutes. Fullerton (21-11) couldn’t even get bounces to go its way as shots rolled off the rim and the Titans opened 1 for 9 from the floor.

But Fullerton calmed down and kept itself in the game. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Dante Maddox Jr. and Jalen Harris made it a seven-point game. Milstead pounced on a loose ball and called timeout, the third of four Blue Devil turnovers in 1:59 of game time.

And when Duke came back with a 7-0 run, Fullerton had another answer. Vincent Lee grabbed a loose ball caused by Duke’s Wendell Moore Jr. slipping on the court and threw it up ahead to E.J. Anosike for a layup.

The next possession, Lee blocked a Jeremy Roach layup, snagged the rebound and found Latrell Wrightsell Jr. for a jumper to make it a six-point game.

So even though the Titans closed the half on a 2:13 scoring drought, the Big West Tournament champions went to the locker room down just 10. Then a Milstead interception and layup cut it to eight to open the second half.

But that would be as close as the Titans would get for the duration. Duke scored 18 of the next 24 points to extend its lead to 20. With the Blue Devils’ athleticism, it was too difficult for the Titans to close out on a Moore 3-pointer, or combat a Mark Williams look at the basket.

But it doesn’t mean there weren’t valiant efforts by the Titans. The 6-foot-7 Anosike battled relentlessly for his 10 rebounds against Duke’s imposing front line, flexing to the orange-clad fans after a third-chance layup. And the redshirt freshman Lee would collapse into his seat on the bench during breaks only to pop back up as soon as head coach Dedrique Taylor called his name.

And even down 20, Fullerton put on a second-half run, making five of six shots to get within 13.

But in the end, it was not enough for Fullerton’s fourth NCAA Tournament appearance to end differently than the last two.

As Harris, Milstead, Lee and Anosike were pulled from the game with two minutes left, they received a hearty ovation from the Fullerton fans in attendance. Taylor pulled each in for a hug, taking an extra moment with Anosike as the super senior’s career came to a close.

More to come on this story.

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