Jones, Butler Carry Southern Utah Past Cal State Fullerton

SALT LAKE CITY – Tevian Jones and Harrison Butler combined for 30 points to lift the Southern Utah Thunderbirds to victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans.

The Titans hosted the Thunderbirds at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 10.

SUU beat Cal State Fullerton, 67-60.

Successful business trip 😎#TBirdNation pic.twitter.com/JTqTRjGcKr

— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) December 11, 2022

The Thunderbirds shot 40 percent from the field but struggled from long-range shooting just 17 percent from three-point range. The shooting clips for the Thunderbirds weren’t overly impressive but the team was able to get key buckets throughout the night as the game progressed.

Southern Utah outrebounded Fullerton 35-31. Harrison Butler led the team with 10 rebounds on the night. Butler was also impressive scoring the ball, putting up 15 points on the night.

Butler’s ability to get to the bucket was on display throughout the night, he found himself at the free throw line seven times throughout the night and went 5-7 on the night.

RELATED: Butler’s Big Game Carries Southern Utah To Win At Idaho State

Tevian Jones also had an impressive night for the Thunderbirds, Jones put up 15 points in the SUU victory and got to the charity stripe 11 times going, like a convenience store,  7-11 on those attempts.

The first half ended with what was just a one-point lead for the Thunderbirds 28-27. However in the middle of the second half, an 8-0 run would eventually give the Thunderbirds the lead they needed to hold onto for the victory.

wins in sin city ⚡️#TBirdNation pic.twitter.com/JnUEysT0oU

— SUU Men's Basketball (@SUUBasketball) December 11, 2022

The win moves SUU to a tie for third in the Western Athletic Conference. The Thunderbirds have now won three straight as they enter WAC play. The team is on the upswing after an up-and-down out-of-conference schedule that included pushing Kansas to the brink at Allen field house earlier this season.

With the win, the Thunderbirds improved their record to 7-4 this season. Southern Utah’s next game is at home against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks on Saturday, December 17 at 1 p.m. (MDT). The game will be streamed on ESPN+.