Fullerton, Without Henderson, Faces Pepperdine

Tonight’s Cal State Fullerton-Pepperdine matchup at Malibu was supposed to be an important nonconference game for both clubs. The contest will be Fullerton’s final outing before opening Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. play next Thursday night at Titan Gym. And the Waves (8-2) are looking to avenge last year’s 81-75 loss at Fullerton and maybe climb back into the Top 20.

But the 7:30 game at Firestone Fieldhouse has lost some of its luster. Last Sunday at Portland, the Titans’ leading scorer, Kevin Henderson, was injured. Henderson, who averages 21 points a game, severely sprained his right ankle, is still on crutches and could be out for another two weeks.

Without him, Fullerton (7-4) couldn’t even beat the Pilots, who last season finished tied for seventh in the West Coast Athletic Conference (the league Pepperdine won with an 11-1 record).

The absence of Henderson, who is the Titans’ best backcourt defender, could mean a big game for Wave guard Dwayne Polee. The 6-foot 5-inch senior is tied with 6-8 forward Eric White for the team lead in scoring, averaging 14.2 points a game.

Pepperdine has a veteran lineup featuring three seniors, a junior and a sophomore, and the Waves have won 25 of their last 30 games. Their last four losses have been to DePaul, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky.

Eugene Jackson, a 6-3 sophomore who saw considerable playing time last season, will probably start in Henderson’s place.