Owls Push No. 2 Fullerton to the Limit in Double-OT Thriller, Fall 116–113

In a matchup between two of California's top-ranked programs, No. 5–ranked Citrus College battled No. 2–ranked Fullerton College through two overtimes before ultimately falling 116–113 on Friday night, November 21. The showdown featured the preseason No. 2 team in Southern California (Citrus) against the preseason No. 1 team in SoCal and last year's state runner-up (Fullerton), and it delivered every bit of the drama expected from a heavyweight clash. With the loss, the Owls move to 5–1 on the season, while Fullerton improves to 5–1 overall.

Fullerton struck early, using hot shooting to build a 19-point lead midway through the first half. The Hornets connected on 17 of their 33 attempts from the field and went 7-of-9 at the free throw line, while Citrus opened just 11-of-33 and 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. Still, the Owls found ways to stay close, attacking the rim and hitting 11-of-14 free throws behind strong first-half efforts from Leo Ricketts (nine points) and Rockwell Reynolds (eight points). Their late push trimmed the deficit to 43–35 at halftime.

The Hornets once again surged ahead early in the second half, stretching the lead to 18, but Citrus ignited a furious rally in the final minutes. Ricketts took over with a barrage of scoring, Amiri Meadows delivered critical defensive stops, and Alek Sanchez knocked down clutch free throws to give Citrus a 93–91 lead with 39 seconds remaining. Fullerton answered to tie the game, and Ricketts' last-second jumper narrowly rimmed out, sending the contest to overtime.

The first overtime was a deadlock, with both teams trading shots and finishing tied at 102–102. Ricketts nearly ended the game again in the closing seconds of the period, but his turnaround, catch-and-shoot three-pointer fell short, forcing a second overtime. In the seond overtime, the teams continued to exchange blows, but Fullerton managed to slip ahead in the final moments. Citrus had one final opportunity, but Reynolds' contested three at the buzzer was just off the mark as Fullerton escaped with the narrow win.

Citrus shot 36-of-82 from the field, 11-of-26 from three, and 30-of-37 from the free throw line while forcing 23 turnovers that turned into 32 points. The teams were evenly matched across nearly every statistical category—48 points in the paint for the Owls to Fullerton's 52, 15 Citrus fast-break points to Fullerton's 20, and 14 Citrus second-chance points to Fullerton's 15. The Hornets held a 51–39 edge on the glass, and the night featured eight ties and five lead changes, underscoring the intensity of one of the state's best early-season games.

Individually, Ricketts delivered his best performance as an Owl, scoring a career-high 35 points, including 23 in the second half, along with three assists, three rebounds, and a steal. Meadows added 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and a game-high four steals. JJ Sanchez chipped in 16 points while knocking down all three of his three-point attempts and added six rebounds and two steals. Dylan Victorio scored 13 points and contributed defensively with three rebounds and two steals. Off the bench, Alek Sanchez and Dev Hamilton each provided six points and five rebounds, while Reynolds added eight points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Citrus returns home on Tuesday, November 25, to host Mt. San Jacinto at 4 p.m. before pausing for the Thanksgiving break. The Owls will then prepare to host the annual Citrus Holiday Classic on December 5 and 6.