Fitzgerald scored nearly all of his 15 points on driving layins, while sophomore forward Darren Fells chipped in 15 points, sinking 4 of 4 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line.
"Ross has been shooting very well in practice," UCI Coach Pat Douglass said of the third-year starter, whose 43.9% proficiency from three-point range last season ranked No. 11 in the nation. "It looked like every shot he took tonight went in."
Fitzgerald, who led the Big West Conference in assists as a junior (5.2 per game), finished with nine.
Mark Kelley, a 6-foot-8 junior transfer out of Citrus College, was 6 of 8 from the field on the way to 13 points. And Kelly shared the team rebounding lead with junior starter Nic Campbell with seven.
But when asked to single out the newcomers -- of whom six saw action -- Douglass cited junior backup point guard Justin Price.
Price, a walk-on out of Irvine Valley College, had modest statistics. He finished with two points, two assists and two steals. But Douglass said he was pleased with Price's ability to settle the team down during a first half in which the hosts committed 14 of their 20 turnovers.
Senior guard Shamar Armstrong chipped in 10 points, including 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.
Campbell added nine points, and sophomore Patrick Sanders contributed six points and five rebounds.
Freshman Adam Templeton, who started, did not score and did not attempt a shot in 11 minutes. He did have four assists.
"We got a chance to play everyone and see some different combinations of players," Douglass said. "Overall, I thought we were pretty effective and we have a little bit of depth as a group."
