A Vegas story: Spent the holiday in Sin City with my brother gambling excessively at 3:30 a.m., the traditional James family Thanksgiving.

Actually, that's a lie. My brother and I (besides one incident where we were stranded in the airport) have never been to Las Vegas, but we always talk about it, which is the next best thing, I suppose.

If not for this one fact, Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland would have been all smiles after last night's win against Montana State.

But he wasn't because his Bulldogs lost the battle of the rebounds. Actually, they were crushed.

Is Fresno State (6-0) better than we think?

Or is Oregon State (4-3) overrated as an opponent?

The Bulldogs transformed Montana State into their sixth win of the season Wednesday night with an 80-41 victory at the Save Mart Center. Quinton Hosley scored a game-high 16 points and Ja'Vance Coleman and Eddie Miller added 13 points.

Fresno State's defense took over the game by forcing a season-high 27 turnovers and 15 steals and holding Montana State to 27% shooting from the field.

The Bulldogs used their defense to take control Wednesday night and at halftime lead Montana State 38-21 at the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State forced 15 turnovers and allowed Montana State to shoot just 31 % from the field. Meanwhile, Eddie Miller came off the bench to score a game-high 11 points in the first half. Quinton Hosley scored nine points.

Fresno State football won't have a postseason, but it can end strong with a win at San Jose State. Is this final game more important for the coach, the seniors or perhaps the quarterback?

The Golden Eagles will host Clovis East in next Friday's Division I championship game.

The Timberwolves advance to next Friday's Division I final.

Liberty took the lead on 90-yard touchdown pass from Byron Campbell to Brandon Osthimer.

Just saw Denzel Washington's new movie, Deja Vu. He plays an ATF agent who travels back in time to prevent a murder. Along the way, he has a few feelings of deja vu as he backtracks over his own path.

As I walked out of the theather, I had my own moment in time. As I thought back to Tuesday night's Fresno State win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, I wondered if I'd seen that dreadful first half performance before. I had.

The Bulldogs pulled away in the second half against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, winning 82-55 on Tuesday night at the Save Mart Center. Still, Fresno State has a long way to go if it plans to compete for a conference championship.

The Bulldogs allowed a lesser team to hang around for more than a half, and didn't find and defensive regularity until late in the game.

Fresno State leads Arkansas-Pine Bluff 42-29 at halftime Tuesday night. The Bulldogs shot 36 percent from the field and surrendered a pile of layups and jump shots to their opponent from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The Fresno State women's basketball team, in command from the start, beat UC-Irvine 81-50 tonight at the Save Mart Center.

It was the first half of a doubleheader. In the second half, the Fresno State men played Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The Bulldogs women scored the first seven points of the game against UC-Irvine and also enjoyed a 10-0 run in the first half as they built a 40-19 halftime lead.

Jenny Thigpin and Andrea Roberson each scored 15 to lead the Bulldogs.

Read Wednesday's Bee for full game coverage by Jeff Davis.

The Fresno State women's basketball team led UC-Irvine 40-19 at halftime of tonight's game at the Save Mart Center.

Eight players had scored for the Bulldogs, led by Jenny Thigpin with nine points.

Check back at FresnoBee.com for updates and read Wednesday's Fresno Bee for complete details.

By Gary Estwick

Through three games, Fresno State men's basketball games at the Save Mart Center are averaging 10,417 fans in paid attendance; that number counts people whether they show up or not.

If you look at those same three games and estimate how many fans actually showed up, you could slice that number in half, at least.

The Bulldogs football team turned in a solid performance in the home finale defeating Idaho. How will they fare in the final two road games?

The 34-0 rout of Idaho gives Fresno State (3-7) its first winning streak of the year.

Dwayne Wright finished with 133 yards on 19 carries, Anthony Harding rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on five carries and Lonyae Miller had 56 yards and a TD on nine carries.

Tom Brandstater completed 14 of 23 passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bulldogs defense allowed only 199 total yards and didn't allow Idaho past its 36-yard line.

Fresno State fans booed when Jordan Christensen hnaded off six times in his six plays as quarterback.

Jordan Christensen, who threw for about a million yards at Clovis High, is in at quarterback for the first time this season.

Could it be? Jordan Christensen has his helmet on. If Fresno State gets the ball back, he might be action at quarterback in his final home game.

It's getting down to the time when Jordan Christensen, in his final home game, might be getting in the game. But, with 7:40 left and Fresno State leading 27-0, the senior quarterback/holder still has his headset on.

Fresno State is unveiling some new looks today, including two consecutive end arounds, a lot of misdirection, receiver Jason Crawley taking a snap and even a couple of times when the offense hurried out of the huddle and got off quick snaps.

Most of it seems to be working, as the Bulldogs lead 27-0 in the fourth quarter. Then again, it's against Idaho's defense.

A revamped offensive line has been opening holes all day ... and just to show that it's not all Dwayne Wright, it was Anthony Harding who took a quick hitter up the middle and outran the Idaho defense to the end zone to give Fresno State a 27-0 lead.

Dwayne Wright ran for 107 yards on eight carries ... in the second quarter alone. That's a good game, much less a quarter.

He's been getting huge hole to run through, blazed open by linemen Kenny Avon at left tackle, Cole Popovich at left guard, Ryan Wendell at center, Adam McDowell at right guard and Chris Denman at right tackle.

Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater just threw an interception in the end zone, but it wasn't his fault.

Wide receiver Seyi Ajirotutu was running a route to the corner of the end zone, but inexplicably broke it off around the 5-yard line, while the ball was in the air. All the Idaho defender, who had the play covered well, had to do was wait for it to come down.

Dwayne Wright just broke off his second big run of the day -- a 29-yarder -- to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

The Idaho Vandals football team must have a chip on their shoulders. They've been penalized twice for personal fouls resulting from extracurricular hitting and taunting.

Maybe they think they can intimidate a struggling Fresno State team.

Unforgettable scenes in Sanger-Clovis West football game, won by the Golden Eagles 35-7:

Sanger's fans, on the road, easily outdrawing those from Clovis West. The Buchanan High north-side bleachers were packed with red with a few hundred more standing behind them.

Pat Hill, as if not having experienced enough misery in a 2-7 season as Fresno State's football coach, dragging himself out of the Buchanan Stadium, as if bound by ball and chain, at halftime with son, Zak -- the Clovis West standout senior safety -- not far behind in a cart, his prep career finished with a leg injury.

Golden Eagles linebackers Jordan Ribera, Kyle Negrete and Travis Brown appearing as what we'll see playing college football today on TV.

And, finally, Sanger running back Justin Webber keeping his helmet on as he exited in near tears, having rushed for only 24 yards on 11 carries, and unable to play the second half because of a back injury.

Through three games, Fresno State men's basketball games at the Save Mart Center are averaging 10,417 fans in paid attendance.

If you look at those same three games and estimate how many fans actually showed up, you could slice that number in half, at least.

It's 2:35 a.m. early Saturday morning, and I can still hear the echoes of boom, boom, boom from Oakland's Club 17, although I'm back in my hotel room.

Since I can't sleep, this is a good time to think back to Fresno State's performance Friday night.

SAN FRANCISCO - Dominic McGuire went 9 of 11 from the field, including three 3-pointers, to lead Fresno State to a 86-66 win over San Francisco on Friday night at War Memorial Gymnasium. Quinton Hosley scored 19, part of Fresno State's 50% shooting effort. The Bulldogs improve to 4-0, with Arkansas-Pine Bluff heading to the Save Mart Center on Tuesday.

The Fresno State women's basketball team defeated No. 22-ranked Brigham Young 61-51 Friday night at the Save Mart Center.

The victory was the Bulldogs' second over a team from Utah this season — they beat Utah in their season opener.

Fresno State (2-0) hosts UC-Irvine at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

SAN FRANCISCO - Fresno State shot 57% in the first half Friday night at War Memorial Gymnasium, a feat which gave the Bulldogs a 49-26 halftime lead against San Francisco.

Forward Quinton Hosley made three 3-pointers and added 13 points. Eddie Miller came off the bench to hit three 3-pointers. He scored 11 before the half. Antonio Kellogg led San Francisco in scoring with nine points.

Bikers keep waving at me. That's worrisome.

By Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee

Fresno State didn't play a men's basketball game Tuesday night, but the Bulldogs still earned an RPI boost.

UC-Irvine, one of three teams the Bulldogs defeated last weekend at the Fresno State Invitational, upset South Carolina 67-52.

If another coach pushed the chin of a player on the sideline, just as Texas Tech coach Bob Knight did Monday night, the video of the incident wouldn't lead national sports telecasts.

But that coach wouldn't be Knight, whose reputation for winning is only preceded by his knack for controversy.

Knight has a blemished record, despite three national championships and being nine wins away from Dean Smith, the NCAA's all-time winningest college basketball coach.

The Fresno State women's basketball team defeated Utah 61-55 in its season opener Monday at Salt Lake City.

Chantella Perera led the Bulldogs with 23 points and seven rebounds, while Andrea Roberson added 16 points.

Three games remain for Fresno State football, all conference games. Give us your predictions for vs. Idaho, at Louisiana Tech and at San Jose State to finish out the season ...

By Gary Estwick
The Fresno Bee

Hey, Winston-Salem State. Welcome to Division I college basketball.

Swish! That was Ja'Vance Coleman scoring three of his game-high 20 points against the Rams.

Thud! That was Shawn Taylor leaping above defenders for a two-handed dunk, turning Fresno State's season opener into a rout midway through the first half.

By the time the game ended, the Bulldogs had a 85-63 victory.

Senior guard Ja'Vance Coleman was perfect from the field during the first half of Friday night's season opener, scoring 18 points as Fresno State jumped out to a 51-28 halftime lead against Winston-Salem State at the Save Mart Center.

Coleman converted all six of his shots, all 3-pointers. Forward Quinton Hosley added six points. Center Shawn Taylor came off the bench to score six points and three rebounds.

Coleman led Fresno State's 30-8 run to open the game.

ESPN's Quite Frankly host and newspaper columnist Stephen A. Smith was a guard at Winston-Salem State under Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines.

Can you name the former Rams basketball player who currently has his own show on ESPN?

Coach Pat Hill said Tom Brandstater "... has been hardened ... he'll be a lot different player now." Is this change enough to power the Bulldogs to a strong season finish?

Good news Fresno State fans: the Bulldogs aren't the first Division I men's basketball team to struggle this season against NAIA or Division II opponents.

Top ticket sellers of Valley playoffs, if they get there:

Clovis West and Clovis East in a D-I rematch of earlier-season game. If weather's right, they'll be hanging off the light standards at Buchanan Stadium. Eagles won Round I. I go with Timberwolves in Round 2.

West of Bakersfield and Lemoore in D-II final. QB/RB Ryan Mathews against Tigers tremendous defense. Take West. Lemoore hasn't seen this caliber of player in WYL. I think he's better than Hanford's Avery Horn, who's going to Michigan, but has been playing hurt.

Today's seedings for the Central Section playoffs caused no earthquakes. But a few thoughts:

Sanger deserved better than a No. 8 in D-I. I'd have given them a No. 5, in front of Liberty-Bakersfield. Madera is No. 4. Coyotes don't have to apologize for going 2-3 in the terrifice TRAC. And I think they would handle Sanger somewhat easily.

Whoa, Bullard not even playing after finishing second in D-I a year ago. I'm hearing too much emphasis on being young out there on Barstow and Palm. Heck, Sanger starts seven sophomores. Then, again, they have Justin Webber (junior) and Jordan Wild (senior). And Bullard had nobody to be confused with those dudes.

Grab your scarf and wrap it around your nose because we're going to review something here, and it stinks.

Oct. 20: West of Bakersfield quarterback/running back Ryan Mathews: 28 carries for 415 yards in a 59-20 win over South.

Oct. 27: Coast of Cambria's running back T.J. Neson: 31 carries for 451 yards in a 63-13 win over Fresno Christian.

And, finally, Avenal's Ily Lopez breaks Nelson's six-day Central Section record by carrying 49 times for a section record 497 yards in a 56-0 rout of Kings Christian.

As great as these backs are, I think integrity and sportsmanship are taking a hit here. And I'll probably expound on it in my column next Thursday.

In bowling, they call it a series, say, when you roll a 240-210-220 for a 670, which is excellent.

In Tri-River Athletic Conference football, I'm not sure what they'd call this three-week series: Clovis beats then-No. 1 Madera 31-14, Madera beats then-No. 1 Clovis West 21-17 and Clovis West beats Clovis 51-14.

I'd call it this: Primo Playoff Prelude, which begins Thursday.

Buckle up.

There's no doubt Steve Cleveland's team is going to shoot 3-pointers in bunches this season. Several lineups will showcase four or five perimeter threats.

But consider the two types of shots from behind the arc ...

Congrats to Boise State, clearly a better team this season. Fresno State has remaining games. No bowl game, but can they finish strong?

Extra laps, anyone?

* I expect the Bulldogs to run a few extra laps at practice this week after running out of energy Tuesday night against Cal State-L.A., a team that lacked a fast break or transition offense.