March Madness fans are always on the lookout for a hot team that is hidden in the vastness of college basketball. And sometimes that team is just a freeway away.
Cal State Fullerton (19-10) moved into the semifinals of the Big West Tournament on Thursday night, overwhelming UC Davis, 73-55, at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The second-seeded Titans will face the winner of Thursday’s late game between sixth-seeded UC Riverside and third-seeded Hawaii on Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Fullerton earned a little street cred in 2018 when it won the Big West tourney title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, and the Titans were probably the most consistent team in the conference this season, without any extended lulls.
Fullerton is also a role model program for players seeking new environments and playing time. Two of the better under-the-radar players on the West Coast are Fullerton’s Damari Milstead and E.J. Anosike.
Milstead, a senior transfer from USF, had 24 points on 8-for-13 shooting (5 for 6 from 3-point range) in Thursday’s win. Anosike, a 6-foot-7 senior with a wide smile, big shoulders, and a great backstory, had a double-double by halftime and finished with 16 points and 20 rebounds.
“Really, our whole team should be up here,” Fullerton coach Dedrique Taylor said, referring to the postgame press conference. “We picked a good night to play one of our best defensive games, because Davis is a team that can shoot the 3-pointer well.”
Milstead and Anosike both thanked Taylor for recruiting them through the transfer portal.
“I want to thank coach Taylor for bringing me out of the cold,” Anosike said.
The brawny senior was a late bloomer in high school. He picked a high school in New York even though he lived in New Jersey, a 3-hour commute by bus, subway, and ferry. He was a standout at Sacred Heart University who transferred to Tennessee last season, to honor his sister, who was a two-time NCAA champ with the Lady Vols.
He received a good reference for Fullerton from a lifelong friend and fellow basketball star – former Titans star Kyle Allman, who grew up in Staten Island and was recruited by Taylor. Allman was part of the team that set a new standard for Titans basketball.
“I really think we’re the hardest-working team in college basketball,” Anosike said. “We have a lot of new players this season, like us, and we all bought into the program. We have the will to win.”
Related Articles
Cal State Fullerton’s E.J. Anosike continues to write his own story
UC Irvine women top Cal State Fullerton to reach Big West Tournament semifinals
Cal State Fullerton women oust Cal Poly, will face UC Irvine in Big West tourney quarterfinal
UC Irvine, Long Beach State take aim at Big West women’s tournament title
Big West men’s basketball tournament appears wide open
And the will to achieve off the court. Anosike has a bachelor’s degree in business economics and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. He started his own basketball camp for youths from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, and last season he started his own company which helps student-athletes find marketing opportunities while still in school.
“E.J. is important for this program because he works so hard,” Taylor said. “He has a tough mentality as a player, and we really needed to find post players who can change your program.”
The Titans shot 49% in the first half on their way to a 37-27 lead. Anosike had a double-double in the first 20 minutes, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Fullerton had a lull early in the second half, going scoreless for more than six minutes, then went on an 18-8 run to put the game away early.
Caleb Fuller (13 points) and Elijah Pepper (12 points, nine rebounds) paced seventh-seeded UC Davis (13-11), which shot just 32% and was outrebounded 48-35.
Cal State Fullerton’s E.J. Anosike goes up strong with a shot during their Big West Tournament quarterfinal against UC Davis on Thursday night in Henderson, Nev. Anosike had 16 points and 20 rebounds in the second-seeded Titans’ 73-55 win. (Photo courtesy of Big West Conference)