Utah Makes Fullerton Pay, 108-58

Utah had made it a “money” game for Cal State Fullerton with a guarantee in the $35,000 range, but that was about all it offered the Titans on Wednesday night.

The 15th-ranked Utes pounded out a 108-58 victory before 14,756 in Huntsman Center. It was the worst Division I loss in school history for Fullerton. The Titans were beaten by Utah State, 115-60, in the 1972-73 season when Fullerton was still Division II.

Utah (8-2) outscored Fullerton, 35-3, in the final 11 minutes. The Utes shot 64.2% for the game to Fullerton’s 30.8%.

Utah, which defeated USC by 35 points Saturday, sent Fullerton (1-6) to its fourth consecutive loss behind the play of former Southern California high school players Brandon Jessie of Huntington Beach and Keith Van Horn of Diamond Bar.

Jessie, a 6-4 guard, scored 20 points, making six of 10 from the field and eight of nine free throws. Van Horn, a 6-9 junior forward who led the Western Athletic Conference in scoring and rebounding last year, finished with 19 points and six rebounds.

Fullerton is down to eight scholarship players because of injuries. Reserve center Dirk Rasloff played with a facemask protecting his nose, broken in practice a night earlier.

“Their size and overall strength was too much for us right now,” Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking said. “They’re really a powerful team.”

Fullerton guard Chuck Overton, returning to the city where he played junior college basketball, had 21 points, but he was only seven for 18 from the field.