CS Fullerton Gets Fouled Up and Is Beaten by Utah, 80-66; Loyola Wins

Paul Westhead, the former Laker coach now at Loyola Marymount, was watching Cal State Fullerton and Utah battle for the championship of the Utah tournament Saturday night from press row.

Fullerton was leading, 29-21, late in the first half when he leaned over to a reporter and said: “I was at a tournament years ago when (St. John’s coach) Lou Carnesecca told me that you should never get ahead of a home team early . . . just stay within three points or so and make your move in the last few minutes when the officials can’t do anything about it.”

Westhead should have passed the information on to Titan Coach George McQuarn before the game. Utah went to the free-throw line 45 times and came away with an 80-66 win over Fullerton before 10,502 fans at the Special Events Center. The Titans (2-3) shot just 16 free throws.

In the consolation game, Westhead’s Loyola Marymount team defeated Houston Baptist, 67-59, as senior guard Keith Smith scored 25 points, 18 in the first half.

About the title game, Fullerton’s McQuarn said: “The foul shooting hurt us, sure, but you expect that on the road. Our inability to handle their pressure was a bigger factor, I think. We played very well for 18 minutes and then we didn’t do anything at all after that.”

McQuarn has built his program at Fullerton on defense, but the Utes gave the Titans a taste of their own medicine Saturday. And a sour taste it was.

“The second half was definitely our best half of basketball this year,” Utah Coach Lynn Archibald said. “Our defensive pressure really got to them.”

Albert Springs paced the Utes with 18 points and hit six of eight field-goal attempts. Kelvin Upshaw, who “played his best game in three years here,” in Archibald’s estimation, was 7 of 10 from the floor and finished with 16 points. And Manuel Hendrix, the tournament’s most valuable player, sank five of eight shots and scored 14 points.

But it was foul trouble that really hurt the Titans. Starters Carl Pitts and Tee Williamson fouled out, and reserves Henry Turner, David Moody and Vincent Blow all had four fouls. Those five totaled 19 points (most of which game during garbage time when the outcome was already decided). Kerry Boagni (16 points), Kevin Henderson (14) and Richard Morton (13) carried the bulk of the offensive load, as usual.

The Titans’ play in the early going had the scarlet-clad Ute faithful sitting in silence. In fact, about 50 members of the Fullerton Ski Club, which happened to be in town for a ski trip, were making more noise than 10,000-plus Utah fans.

Fullerton’s home opener is Tuesday night against University of San Diego.

“When we scheduled the five games on the road to open the season we didn’t know how young this team would be,” McQuarn said. “We’re better than we were five games ago, I’m sure of that much. I think some of our younger guys like (sophomores) Blow and Turner will play a lot better at home.”

In the first game Saturday night, Loyola held a 55-41 lead midway through the second half after Mike Yoest hit an inside basket. Houston Baptist scored 13 straight points to close the gap to 55-54 with 5:11 left in the game when Arthur Walton hit a 20-footer for the Huskies.

However, Enoch Simmons and Smith scored the next two baskets, and Loyola controlled the remainder of the game.

Forrest McKenzie added 21 for Loyola (2-1).