The Irvine Valley men's basketball team was primed for an upset against one of the top teams in the state Wednesday night.
The Lasers pulled within No. 2 in the state Fullerton at 44-42 with 7:01 remaining after a layup by freshman Matt Mowers.
But Irvine Valley had trouble scoring the rest of the way and ended up falling, 61-47, in its Orange Empire Conference opener at Fullerton.
Irvine Valley's record went to 8-6 overall, while Fullerton improved to 12-1 overall.
Irvine Valley kept pace withg tough defense and all-out hustle.
Fullerton only shot 36 percent from the floor in the first half, while IVC shot percent as both teams ran the hardwood to a 26-26 first-half tie.
The Lasers and Hornets continued to match one another shot for shot deep into the second half.
Tied 32-32 by the 13th minute, the Hornets made their move going on a 7-0 run that gave the team some needed space thanks to a tip-in finish by Darvelle Wyatt.
Relentless, the Lasers had worked their way back into the game at 44-42 by the 7-minute mark, but three-pointers by Justin Davis and Addy G'Bye put FC up 50-42 with just under five minutes left in regulation to put the game out of reach.
Irvine Valley was paced by freshman wing Yanis Aldeguer, who finished with 13 points. He went 6 of 9 from the field.
Sophomore forward Josiah Reed ended with 10 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals and freshman post player Matt Mowers chipped in eight points.
Addy G'Bye led the Hornets in scoring with 11 points and added six rebounds and Jaqari Miles added 10 points, four assists and two steals.
IVC plays again on Friday in another conference game on the road at Cypress at 5 p.m.