* Fresno State is far from a perfect team, but the Bulldogs sure have heart. The Bulldogs found a way to beat a Montana State team that played much better Saturday night than the Bobcats did just 10 days ago.

* Shawn Taylor had three blocks in 8 minutes. He made 1 of 3 shots from the field as he rebounded a missed shot by a teammate and scored with a thundering, two-handed dunk. His role with the team still is being decided as the coaching staff figures out how far along he is.

* Ja'Vance Coleman missed all five of his shots. He did make all six free throws. Still, he is one of the team's leaders and was on the floor in the final seconds.

* Along with their scoring exploits, Quinton Hosley and Dominic McGuire grabbed a total of 21 rebounds.

* Point guard Kevin Bell (11 points) played the most minutes Saturday (41) and had no turnovers. He added five assists.

* Creighton, Fresno State's next opponent, earned a boost last night with a 73-67 upset over No. 24 Xavier in Omaha, Neb. It was a much-needed win for the Bluejays. Earlier in the week, they lost 60-54 at Dayton.