No. 1 Fullerton pulls away in second half, eliminates San José 74-63 in state quarterfinals

Indoor basketball game in progress, with a player in a dark uniform dribbling the ball low while guarded closely by two players in white uniforms. A referee stands nearby on the polished court, with a gym wall and doorway visible in the background.
Photo by Chris Mora
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March 13, 2026

VISALIA — San José City College led at halftime, but Fullerton College's dominant second half proved to be the difference Friday, as the top-seeded Hornets pulled away for a 74-63 victory in the 3C2A State Championship quarterfinals at Porter Fieldhouse.

The loss ended a remarkable season for San José (24-7), which entered as the fourth seed from the Northern California Region and made its second appearance in the state tournament in three years. Fullerton improved to 31-1 on the season.

Muhammad Singleton led San José with 18 points on 6-of-18 shooting, while Jeremiah Butler added 12 and Taj Royster finished with 11 points and nine rebounds. The Jaguars held a 32-31 edge at the break, but Fullerton outscored San José 43-31 in the second half to put the game away.

The Hornets were paced by Yoda Oke, who posted a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Brayden Smith, who was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field to finish with 18 points. Donovan Pitts added 16.

The free-throw line proved to be a decisive factor in the second half. Fullerton converted 24 of 28 attempts from the charity stripe — an 85.7 percent clip — while San José managed just 6 of 11 attempts. The Hornets' advantage at the line helped fuel the second-half surge that ultimately decided the contest.

San José also struggled with turnovers, committing 15 to Fullerton's 12. Despite shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc on seven made threes, the Jaguars could not answer Fullerton's second-half run.

Royster, one of San José's most consistent contributors throughout the postseason, shot an efficient 5-of-6 from the field and grabbed a team-high nine boards. Savion Daniels provided a spark off the bench with eight points. Ryan Baker, who had been a key contributor throughout the season, was held to three points on 1-of-6 shooting.