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Fresno State put on a defensive display and pounded Nevada 81-49 Thursday at Save Mart Center in a women's basketball clash for first place in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs (12-9) maintained the top spot at 7-1 in the WAC, while the Wolf Pack (14-6) fell to 5-2.
Tierre Wilson led the Bulldogs with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and four steals before crashing to the floor while being fouled with six minutes left. It appeared she hurt her wrist and watched the rest of the game from the bench.
Jaleesa Ross added 15 points, Bailey Amundsen 11 and Erica Henry 10 with seven rebounds. Hayley Munro also chipped in eight points and seven rebounds.
Fresno State led 38-24 at halftime and didn't let up. The Bulldogs held Nevada to 35% shooting and 22 points below its season scoring average.
Wilson also put the clamps on Nevada guard Dellena Criner, who came in leading the WAC with a 17.9 scoring average. She finished with eight points, but scored only three with Wilson in her face.
The Bulldogs shot 48%, including 8 for 19 from beyond the arc, and outrebounded Nevada 48-30.
Fresno State broke to a 13-2 lead en route to running past Nevada 38-24 in the first half of Thursday's game at Save Mart Center.
The Bulldogs sank five 3-point shots, won the boards 24-18 and limited Dellena Criner, the Western Athletic Conference scoring leader at 17.9 points per game, to two shots and no points.
In this battle for first place, the Bulldogs came in at 6-1 in the WAC and Nevada at 5-1.
Jaleesa Ross and Bailey Amundsen each had eight points, and Tierre Wilson six points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Nevada's Marcelus Kemp scored 12 points during limited minutes Thursday night against Fresno State, but his defense did more than enough to give the Wolf Pack a 44-28 lead at halftime at Lawlor Events Center.
Brandon Fields added 11 points, and his layups in transition, with Kemp on the bench with two fouls, extended Nevada's lead.
Kevin Bell and Eddie Miller scored six points for Fresno State.
The Bulldogs were held scoreless for the final 2:05 of the first half. They were also outscored 10-4 in the final 4:33.
Here's what the Reno newspapers are saying about tonight's game at Lawlor Events Center...
http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/SPORTS06/801310331/1018/SPORTS
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20080131/SPORTS/72662034
Here's the link to the site.
The Stanford and Washington men's basketball teams play each other tonight for the first time this season and three former Memorial High teammates will be facing each other again.
Here are some statistics on the three entering tonight's game:
Washington forward Quincy Pondexter is averaging 9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. He's started 7 of 20 games.
Stanford center Brook Lopez is averaging 17.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He's started 8 of 10 games after sitting out the first semester because of academics.
Stanford center Robin Lopez is averaging 8.9 points, 6.2 rebounds more than 2 blocks per game. He's started 15 of 19 games.
RENO, Nev. -- The Bulldogs were dunking a lot during Wednesday afternoon's practice at Lawlor Events Center... So much so that assistant coach Senque Carey frowned.
"Make sure you do that in the game!" he yelled to several players.
They will have to finish strong against Nevada's 7-footers, including sophomore forward JaVale McGee (12.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg), who is averaging 3.1 blocks per game. McGee has 58 blocks this season, and ranks second on Nevada's single-season blocks list.
McGee compiled a career-high seven blocks Dec. 22 at Northern Iowa.
Senior center David Ellis is Nevada's other big guy at 7 feet, 1 inch. The Sacramento native is averaging 3.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 blocks.
I wonder how Fresno State will match up against the brick wall... Alex Blair, Hector Hernandez and Nedeljko Golubovic give up lots of size, but are quicker.
Tough call, ranking Clovis West (19-4) and Edison (17-4) in boys basketball.
I'm giving the No. 1 Eagles the call over the No. 2 Tigers mainly because Edison lost to D-V Bakersfield Christian and D-III Washington, and no way Clovis West loses to those teams.
So unfortunate we'll not see the matchup in the Central Section playoffs because Clovis West is D-I and Edison D-II.
What a matchup it would be, featuring Ethan Larson (CW) vs. ChaRunn Jones (E) at off guard, Mike Vogt (CW) vs. John Tate (E) at the point and Elliott Berry/DeAndre Medlock (CW) vs. Greg Smith/Phillip Ward (E) up front.
We'll see both teams in four weeks at Selland Arena for the section finals, only in different games.
Too bad.
It's official, Jim McElwain is leaving for Alabama and Fresno State will be searching for its third offensive coordinator in three seasons.
Alabama officials announced McElwain's hiring early this morning in a statement.
"Jim is a phenomenal coach and we are thrilled to have him on board," said Alabama head coach Nick Saban in the news release. "He did an outstanding job last year at Fresno State. Their improvement on offense, especially in the play of their quarterback, was tremendous."
McElwain turned down the head coaching job at Eastern Washington earlier this month, but Alabama calling was a different situation.
"I'm excited as heck about the opportunity to join the staff at the University of Alabama," McElwain said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge and I'm ready to hit the ground running as soon as I arrive in Tuscaloosa. Coach Saban and his staff have the Alabama football program on the rise and I want to do my part to continue that momentum. I'm leaving a great place at Fresno State and appreciate all that Coach [Pat] Hill, the players, the staff, and the fans did for me and my family while we were there."
Saban contacted Hill last week, asking permission to speak with McElwain.
According to reports, he interviewed in Alabama on Monday.
Fresno State nearly upsets Boise State, but falls 90-89 in overtime at the Save Mart Center... A few fans might have missed the extra period, walking out in the final minute, before Hector Hernandez and Eddie Miller drained enough 3-pointers, and Kevin Bell free throws, to force OT.
*The Bulldogs are good enough to compete with any team in the WAC... Kevin Bell and Eddie Miller aren't going to have career games every time out, but when the Bulldogs have at least four scorers, they're pretty good.
I'm wondering how they will recover from the emotion of nearly beating Boise State, only to fall in part, because of their own mistake - If Hector Hernandez and Bell connect on the inbounds pass in the final seconds and Bell makes his free throws, it takes a miracle 3-pointer just to tie the game - the Bulldogs re-enter the WAC regular season race.
*Freshman Nedeljko Golubovic isn't scared to shoot, and that's a good thing. Make or miss, somebody besides Bell and Miller has to shoot. If for nothing else but to spread the defense. The Bulldogs have played most of the season without post player convering perimeter shots. Part of their strategy is having a guy like Hector, at 6 feet, 9 inches, who can score over guards on the arc and (hopefully) drive by post players in man defense. Hasn't happened often this season, but he did make some big shots in the final minute of regulation Monday night.
*Reggie Larry has to be the toughest guy to guard in the WAC. He makes 3-pointers and in the post, he uses his low center of gravity to get where he wants, and then he elevates. Nothing pretty, but it doesn't have to be.
Fresno State turned over the ball on an inbounds play with seven seconds left and Kevin Bell missed a floater in the final seconds, allowing the Broncos to take a 90-89 win Monday night at the Save Mart Center.
Bell and Eddie Miller scored career highs, 26 and 30 points, but were unable to stop the Bulldogs from falling back to .500 this season (10-11 overall, 3-4 in WAC). Boise State, led by Reggie Larry's career-high 27 points, improved to 15-5 and 6-2.
Kevin Bell and Eddie Miller scored 10 points apiece during the first half of Monday night's game against Boise State, and the Bulldogs lead 40-34 at halftime.
Reggie Larry leads the Broncos with 11 points. Tyler Tiedeman has 10. Matt Nelson (1 of 4, three points) played just seven minutes in the first half because of foul trouble.
Thoughts of the day:
** The Selma student body support for the Bears' home-court 48-39 loss to Immanuel Friday was the best I've seen this season -- Duke and Stanford type stuff, only in black and orange.
** Marty Martin email response continues to flow in near-landslide defense for the fired Clovis West football coach. Meanwhile, there's fairly strong sentiment to bring back Randy Blankenship, the current Madera coach, who went 90-14 with four section titles at Clovis West from 1991-98. But it won't happen: "You dont apply for a high-powered job in Clovis Unified," Blankenship said Monday. "They call you. And nobody's called me."
Fresno State pulled away late, thanks in part to a big night by Eddie MIller.
Miller scored 13 points in the first half and 14 in the second as the Bulldogs pulled even on the season at 10-10, 3-3.
Miller's play has been as different as night and day on the road and at home.
In the two WAC games at home, Miller has scored 27 poinst a game and shot 53.8% from 3-pointer.
He's scored 16.5 ppg at home (47% from 3), and 10.7 ppg on the road (33% from 3) overall this season.
Ned Golubovic has steadily improved this season. His stats in WAC-play are as follows: 9.3 points, 4.8 reb, 26 minutes per game.
Non-conference stats: 1.4ppg, 2.5rpg, and 12 mpg.
Eddie Miller scored 13 points and Kevin Bell nine points during the first half of Saturday night's Fresno State game against San Jose State at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State trailed 17-5 before Tyson Parker, Brandon Webster and an under-the-weather Hector Hernandez
(flu) helped the Bulldogs rally. Parker scored on a tear drop at the rim and converted a 3-pointer. He also penetrated and found Webster for a dunk. Hernandez started the run with a shot in the post.
C.J. Webster and Tim Pierce lead San Jose State with six points apiece.
Former Clovis West baseball coach Stan Bledsoe died shortly before midnight Friday at Saint Agnes Medical Center, having never regained consciousness following a Jan. 17 heart attack.
His passing leaves a gaping hole in the local baseball community.
Bledsoe won but one league championship in 23 years at Clovis West, yet -- at such a high-pressure school for coaches -- he was untouchable.
Why? It was all about respect. And never has a Golden Eagles coach earned more than him. Which is why, of course, their field is named in his honor.
Thoughts of the day:
** Why not Marty Martin to Immanuel, where Bill Szpor resigned? Martin, the fired Clovis West coach, would have difficulty selling his house, because it was purchased a year ago -- and we all know what's happened to the real estate market since then. So, what the heck, keep your crib and take over what's a very good job a short commute away in Reedley.
** Expect Clovis East boys basketball to take off now. The Timberwolves, defendng D-I champs, are only 12-10 after playing a grueling schedule that counted their first 18 games on the road. Fifth-ranked Buchanan is in trouble tonight at No. 3 CE.
** Don't forget the little guys: Big Central Sequoia League boys game tonight with Immanuel (13-5) -- top-ranked in D-V -- going to Selma, which is 16-2 and unranked, though the Bears think they should be.
You're the hottest high school football coach in the country east of the Sierra Nevadas and the objective is to land California's dream job.
So, naturally, you apply at De La Salle-Concord, Long Beach Poly, St. Bonaventure-Ventura, Mater Dei-Santa Ana and -- of course -- Clovis West, right?
The spectacular flying Golden Eagles. With all their history and tradition. With all those resources and financial support. With that wonderful school district, right?
Then you take a deeper look after they've flushed out Marty Martin and you realize: Wow, I'll be the sixth coach in 11 years.
Dream? Or nightmare?
Fresno State broke away from San Jose State late for an 81-63 women's basketball victory Tuesday at Save Mart Center.
Tierre Wilson scored 22 points, Hayley Munro had 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists, Erica Henry added 14 points and eight rebounds, and Jaleesa Ross had 12 points.
The Bulldogs (10-8) improved to 5-0 in the Western Athletic Conference with their eighth consecutive victory. San Jose State (1-16) fell to 0-4.
The Spartans came in ranked 337th out of the 338 NCAA Division I teams. But the Spartans found success with a 2-3 zone and some hot shooting. The were 50% in the first half and made 8 of 16 3-pointers overall.
Natalie White, who led the Spartans with 21 points, scored on a layup to give San Jose State a 53-51 lead with 9:37 left. It was tied at 56 when Munro scored on a layup and the Bulldogs went on a 23-2 scoring run over the next 6:14 to finally pull away.
Wilson and Munro each hit 3-pointers in a 12-0 spurt that gave the Bulldogs a 70-57 advantage.
These two teams meet again on Saturday in San Jose. Bulldogs coach Adrian Wiggins will be going for his 100th win.
Fresno State used a late scoring burst to pull away from stubborn San Jose State and took a 43-33 lead at the half of Tuesday's Western Athletic Conference women's basketball game at Save Mart Center.
The Spartans, a winner of only one game, shot 50% to stay close.
Bulldogs guard Tierre Wilson had 12 points and three assists and forward Hayley Munro chipped in 11 points and four rebounds.
Natalie White, San Jose State's leading scorer, made four 3-pointers for 12 points.
The Spartans led 17-16 and and forced a tie at 19 on Christine Martin's jump shot.
The Bulldogs then scored the next six points, keyed by Wilson's 3-pointer and a fastbreak layup.
Ahead by three late, the Bulldogs finished the half with a 9-2 run. Munro got it going with a 3-pointer and capped it with a layup with nine seconds left.
Patriots vs. Giants ... will this game be as close and exciting as it was in Week 17? Give us your prediction ...
How many coaches do you know who walk with a smile, are immensely respected by their peers and have no apparent enemies?
This applies to Stan Bledsoe.
But the coaching fraternity in the Valley is frightened with the news that Bledsoe, the retired Clovis West baseball coach, is fighting for his life at Fresno's Saint Agnes Medical Center after a Thursday heart attack.
Bledsoe won 443 games in a 31-year career at Madera, Roosevelt and Clovis West, where he stepped down after the 2002 season. He has a wife and three daughters.
Bledsoe played for Pete Beiden at Fresno State from 1962-63.
An update about Buchanan High School graduate Fernando Cabada, who is now a professional distance runner paid by Reebok ...
On Sunday, Fernando finished fourth at the USA Half Marathon Championships in Houston. His time was 1:03.40. Look, I have proof. He had been back in Fresno for a while, then training in Arizona. Now he's living and training in Colorado with coach Steve Jones, who once held the marathon world record in the '80s.
For those of you wondering who Fernando Cabada is, I've been trying to link to the column I wrote about him two summers ago, but apparently it's in the Fresno Bee archives and I'm not going to pay the $2.95 to refresh your memories.
(Quick column summary in the wake of cheapness ... Fernando was really fast in Fresno. He went to the University of Arkansas to be fast there. He didn't like it, came home and started laying tile. He got inspired, took a train to North Dakota to run at little school. The coach there went to some other little school in Virginia. Fernando followed and won a whole bunch of NAIA national championships. Fernando is very close to his mom, who is also an achiever and an overcomer of obstacles. His dad has done some prison time, and continues to do so last I heard, though I'm told by people that he has his moments and cares for Fernando very much. Fernando is cocky and brash and funny and a guy you'd love to spend the day with, which always catches reporters off guard because most distance runners are introspective and polite and quiet and all that. Now you're caught up.)
Is anyone else thinking all of my columns should just be one-paragraph summaries?
I did that column in the summer of 2006 about Fernando competing in his last college race, which happened to be the NAIA championships, coincidentally in Fresno. And of course the next day he was declared ineligible for talking to an agent or something, and didn't even run. Nice work, Mr. Columnist.
Since turning pro, Fernando set the American record in the 25k at a race in Grand Rapids, Mich., (1:14:21), and then ran a ridiculous 2:12:27 marathon in Japan. It's supposedly the seventh-fastest marathon debut by an American in the history of Americans. No proof of that. I just keep reading it so it must be true.
He slumped a little bit toward the end of 2007, running a pretty average marathon at the World Championships and finished 50th, a race he says was hot and muggy.
Next race up for Fernando: Feb. 16th, the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego. (The top nine qualify for the World Cross Country Championships in Scotland.) After that, he says, he's running the 10k at the Olympic Trials this summer in Oregon.
You'll know more, when I know more.
Fresno State opened the second half with an 11-0 run and pounded Hawaii 74-54 Thursday in a women's basketball game at Save Mart Center.
Freshman Jaleesa Ross hit four 3-points and scored a game-high 20 points to lead three Bulldogs in double figures. Senior guard Tierre Wilson had 16 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Senior center Erica Henry added 12 points and four rebounds.
The Bulldogs also overcame a severe height disadvantage by outrebounding the Rainbow Wahine 43-35 and forcing Hawaii into 25 turnovers.
Saundra Cariaga led Hawaii with 17 points and 6-3 center Tanya Smith had 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Hawaii was hanging around and trailed 49-42 afer six straight points. But the Bulldogs responded with a 16-4 run to put away their seventh consecutive victory.
Fresno State moved above the .500 mark for the first time this season at 9-8 and remained unbeaten in the Western Athletic Conference with a 4-0 record. Hawaii fell to 6-10 and 0-4.
Freshman Jaleesa Ross made four 3-points and scored 16 points to lift the Fresno State women's basketball team to a 35-30 halftime lead against Hawaii Thursday at Save Mart Center.
Senior guard Tierre Wilson had six points, five rebounds and four assists and senior center Erica Henry eight points.
The Rainbow Wahine had a big height advantage and used it to score inside and stay in the game. Hawaii presented a front line of 6-4 Iwona Zagrobelna, 6-3 Tanya Smith and 6-foot Dita Liepkaine.
Saundra Cariaga came off the bench for 13 points for the Rainbow Wahine. Smith had only two points and Zagrobelna four.
The Bulldogs hoisted 16 3-pointers, but Ross was the only player to make one.
SAN JOSE -- Kevin Bell scored nine points in the first half, including a layup with 12.4 left before halftime, and Hector Hernandez scored a game-high 11 points to lead a Fresno State rally late in the first half.
Jamon Hill, starting in place of injured San Jose State point guard Justin Graham, leads the Spartans with 10 points.
SAN JOSE -- The Fresno State center injured his ankle Wednesday night in Fresno and did not make the trip.
The news comes one day after Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland announced that sophomore Bryan Harvey, a starter, would miss the rest of the season because of academic ineligibility.
Senior Tyson Parker will start in place of Harvey...
This is the year of short boys basketball teams in the Central Section. That doesn't necessarily reflect on their caliber of play. Defending Division I champion Clovis East, for example, is starting a 6-foot center, Kenneth Russell.
The exceptions to the short rule are Clovis West and Edison. The section's Nos. 1-2 teams are not only tall, but very good with 6-10 DeAndre Medlock and 6-7 Elliott Berry representing the Golden Eagles, and 6-9 Greg Smith, 6-7 Steve McClellan and 6-6 Phillip Ward playing for the Tigers.
But here's the bummer: They haven't played each other, and they won't.
The only chance was in the season-opening BCW Classic, but it was there that Edison was dumped into the consolation bracket by Bakersfield Christian in a first-round stunner, while Clovis West went on to win the tournament.
Now, with only league play and section playoffs remaining, they're on different paths -- CW in D-I and Edison in D-II.
Bryan Harvey is academically ineligible for the rest of the season, coach Steve Cleveland said Wednesday night.
Harvey is the third starter this season to be rendered inactive.
This team is starting to look like nothing like the Fresno State squad Cleveland envisioned last March, days after the Bulldogs played Georgia in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.
-Dominic McGuire opted to forgo his senior season for the NBA.
-Rekalin Sims was dismissed for violating team rules shortly after his involvement in an alleged robbery near campus.
-Dwight O'Neil broke his right wrist in November. His status this season is still unknown.
Here we go again, back to the East Yosemite League and what to do with a team heavy on wins and light on competition.
It occurred in football with Tulare, which stayed within Tulare-Kings counties for competition while forging a 12-0 record. The Redskins climbed no higher than fourth in our Central Section rankings before getting plowed 63-14 by El Diamante for the Division II title.
Now comes Porterville's boys basketball team. The Panthers, remaining exclusively within the section, are 17-2. The Panthers' losses occurred on neutral courts -- 41-40 to Sanger, which is 4-14, and 49-46 to Memorial, which is 14-5 and ranked eighth.
We have Porterville unranked in the section's overall top 10 and third in D-II. And that's going to have to do for now.
Today in Wisconsin news ...
(Four days to Packers vs. Giants in the NFC Championship and I can't believe it took this long to get weird.)
STORY 1, from the Portage Daily Register.
Yes, you read correctly, taping a boy to a piece of sports apparel is a $186 fine in the Heartland. (Also, apparently, beards are still in.)
A 36-year-old named Mathew Kowald was charged with forcing his 7-year-old son to wear a Packers jersey last weekend for the Seattle game. No word if the boy was actually cheering for the Seahawks, or worse, taunting his father when the score was 14-0. Doubtful that he was, though, because no district attorney in the state could make a case like that stick. No jury would convict! In fact, the 7-year-old might have been arrested for taunting. Or worse, deported to Illinois.
Thinking back, is there any doubt this incident climaxed with 14 minutes left in the first quarter when Ryan Grant fumbled for the second time? They'd probably had an argument earlier in the day about cleaning his bedroom, or leaving footballs in the driveway to get sucked through the snowblower. Can't you just picture the boy cheering sarcastically, jumping in front of the TV, maybe sticking out his tongue? Mrs. Kowald, in the kitchen cleaning a deer rifle, trying not to laugh. And then SNAP!, there were restraining orders.
The kid is lucky. If the Packers had lost he'd probably still be in a duct-tape straightjacket.
(Right now, every Packers fan reading this is yelling, "Grant's second fumble was at 13:57! You're an idiot!")
STORY 2, from the Wisconsin State Journal.
Has this officially become cliche yet? Politicians betting each other random products from their state on the outcome of a sporting event? We get it. You like attention. You want to get re-elected. How about you fix the rain forests and Social Security and we'll make ridiculous prop bets with our friends.
You want our attention, make an actual bet. Governor of the losing state has to go without health care for a year. Or, family of the losing mayor has to wear only clothes from Wal-Mart for the rest of their lives. Now that's a bet.
Or how about, my state's team vs. your state's team ... loser has to get a real job?
(Sunday predictions: Packers 35, Giants 14. Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt later gets sick trying to eat an entire 10-pound New York-style cheesecake in one sitting. Mathew Kowald watches the NFC Championship from a bar in Pardeeville, Wis., where his tab is paid by someone yelling, "Damn kids need to learn to be quiet during the Pack game."
The Fresno State women's basketball team seems to be getting it together now that the 0-6 start is past and the six-game winning streak has the team back to the .500 mark.
But are the Bulldogs, tied for first in the Western Athletic Conference, for real? After Tuesday's game against San Jose State, the Bulldogs play seven of their final regular-season games on the road -- including Boise State, Louisiana Tech, Nevada and New Mexico State.
This is a young Fresno State with a height disadvantage in most cases. Freshmen Jaleesa Ross, Hayley Munro, Emma Andrews are just a few who have stepped up to the Division I level.
However, the Bulldogs need help if they hope to become a serious, constant contender in the WAC.
As fans, what do you think coach Adrian Wiggins needs to get this done? More height? Better talent? A new system? A new coach?
Give me what you've got and I'll take it to Wiggins with your suggestions and see what he says.
Fresno State will be watching two big Western Athletic Conference women's basketball games on Saturday while it takes the day off.
If everything goes accordingly, the Bulldogs could find themselves alone in first place by the end of the weekend. First, Fresno State (8-8, 3-0) has to take care of business Wednesday (tonight at 7) against Hawaii at Save Mart Center.
On Saturday, two more WAC teams put their unbeaten records on the line. Nevada (2-0) is at Boise State (1-2), which is coming off an 85-68 demolision of Lousiana Tech at Ruston. It probably isn't a good time to face the Lady Techsters (1-2), who must be steaming after that setback. They get to take out their aggression on New Mexico State, which comes to Ruston 3-0 and with the WAC's best record of 13-3.
Fresno State will return to WAC action Tuesday when it hosts San Jose State at 7 p.m. The Spartans are 1-14, including 1-9 on the road.
Fresno State's WAC game Thursday at San Jose State just got a bit easier.
Justin Graham, the Spartans' freshman guard, fractured his right elbow during last night's 65-64 loss at Hawaii.
Graham left the game with 3:41 left before halftime. He fell on his right side after driving to the basket. X-rays taken revealed a fractured elbow that will sideline him indefinitely, according to San Jose State.
Graham is averaging 12.2 points and 3.1 assists. He entered the game averaging 15 points and three assists in four WAC games.
During his last game against Hawaii (Jan. 5), Graham scored a game and career-high 29 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 14-of-17 from the free throw line. He became the first San Jose State player this season to eclipse the 20-point mark.
Damon Hill will likely replace Graham in the lineup vs. Fresno State.
It seems there is at least one big upset each NFL postseason. This past weekend there were 2 ... Which was the biggest surprise?
Eddie Miller tied a career high with 27 points to lead Fresno State to a 69-53 win over Idaho on Saturday night. The Vandals made it interesting before Miller and the Bulldogs took over the WAC game in the final minutes.
Miller also tied a career high with seven 3-pointers.
Fresno State improved to 9-8 overall and 2-1 in WAC play.
The Bulldogs lead Idaho 33-24 at halftime Saturday night at the Save Mart Center...
Eddie Miller leads Fresno State with 15 points. Kevin Bell has seven points.
Idaho point guard Jordan Brooks is keeping the WAC game within reach (He has a team-high eight points) with his forward mentality -- he's a former All-American junior college power forward.
Brooks, though, earned his third foul with 1:44 left before halftime. He hit the floor, fighting Hector Hernandez for a rebound.
Earlier this month, Idaho coach Pfeifer talked to Greg Lee of the Spokesman Review in Spokane, WA... In the story, Pfeifer said he has encouraged by his team's improvements. Regarding Idaho's place in the Western Athletic Conference, he said:
"I'm not saying we've caught up with the Joneses, but we're moving in that direction," Pfeifer said in the story, written before Idaho lost to New Mexico State and Boise State and defeated Louisiana Tech.
"The bottom line is our talent base is better."
Idaho is 1-2 entering tonight's WAC game against Fresno State at the Save Mart Center
Lee's article stated "The Vandals could have as many as five victories if they had finished a little better."
"We've lost two games in the final 4.4 seconds," Pfeifer said. "So we're 8.8 seconds away from being 5-6 and the things we'd be talking about going into conference would be different."
Fresno State is a clear favorite tonight... I'm interested in seeing if the Bulldogs can put this game out of reach... if they continue their progress in the post, whether Hector Hernandez will shoulder that load while finding opportunities on the perimeter... whether the Fresno State bench will have an impact... if Eddie Miller and Bryan Harvey can have good games on the same night... if Idaho PG Jordan Brooks takes advantage of a five-inch height advantage over Fresno State PG Kevin Bell, or will Brooks become the latest PG to feel the wrath of Bell, the leading scoring PG in the WAC... If Idaho forward Darin Nagle, suffering from an undisclosed injury, will play tonight, and if he does, will be better last season's performance (nine points total in two games in 2006-07).
We'll see.
Kudos to San Jose State for Thursday night’s 62-60 win against Nevada, the defending the WAC champions. San Jose State improved to 8-7 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
How big of a win was it for the Spartans? Well, they had lost eight consecutive games against Nevada, dating back to 2002.
San Jose State, along with Idaho, which plays Fresno State on Saturday night at the Save Mart Center, has been at the bottom of the WAC totem pole for most of the last decade.
The Spartans haven’t finished a season with a .500 record or better since 2001-02 (14-14). They haven’t earned a postseason berth since 1996 (NCAA Tournament). Their all-time WAC record, entering this season, was 41-137 in 11 seasons.
San Jose State now travels to Hawaii for a Monday night tip-off.
Also Thursday night, Idaho defeated visiting Louisiana Tech 85-78 for its first win in school history against the Bulldogs.
We started the year here at the Fresno Bee -- 2008 motto: We Still Have Jobs in Print Journalism! -- by beginning another scintillating podcast, this one about Fresno State men's basketball. During football season, reporters Bryant-Jon Anteola, Daniel Lyght and I taped a football podcast every week. It was nearly award-winning, almost critically-acclaimed, and listened to by at least three of our family members on a weekly basis. Now, we've started one for Bulldogs' basketball. Maybe we'll talk about women's hoops, too, I don't know, cause I'm not in charge.
Couple things. The first basketball podcast is already on the web. We talked about Tuesday's loss to Saint Mary's. If you missed it, the link is in the last paragraph. Go back. Click on "podcast." Go ahead. I'll wait. Alright, ya big whiners. Here it is again. PODCAST #1.
Also, I think that's the first time I've ever seen the word "scintillating" written out. Looks weird. Looks wrong. Maybe it is wrong.
I hear we're going to have new intro music for this podcast, but it's still being created in a lab somewhere. I, for one, love the old music. It's got a serious groove. Another thing, this podcast will feature Bee reporter Gary Estwick instead of BJ Anteola, but Daniel and I are still there. Gary provides the content of the program, since he covers the team regularly. Daniel asks the good questions. I try to make them laugh with off-topic jokes and nose picking.
The whole newspaper-reporters-on-TV-or-radio phenomenon is a bit strange to me, mostly because I don't know what I'm doing. No training whatsoever. Newspapers have asked me to do TV, so I did. Local radio stations ask me to be on, so I am. Boss tells us to do a podcast, so we do. But it's still weird. No one asks me to build houses or remove anyone's appendix, and I'm equally qualified in those areas. Yeah, yeah, it's all journalism, multimedia, the internet push. The world adapts and so must we. If there's a paycheck in it, I'm on board. (If anyone does need a cheap appendectomy, I'm available on Mondays.)
The great part about the podcast, is we could totally stop and re-tape, or cut out bad parts, but we usually just let it roll. It leads to great awkward moments like this week when we somehow morphed a conversation about the University of Idaho's basketball arena into one about track and field for the elderly, then the Master's, and finally, racism in the South. If it seems like it couldn't possibly make sense, that's because it didn't. Go ahead, take a listen.
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The Fresno native talked about broken bones and optimism before Tuesday night's nonconference game against Saint Mary's… View video
Diamon Simpson scored 17 points to lead Saint Mary's to a 77-68 win Tuesday night against Fresno State at the Save Mart Center.
Bryan Harvey led Fresno State with a game-high 20 points, but it wasn't enough to stop Saint Mary's from improving to 13-2 overall. Fresno State dropped to 8-8. Its next game is Saturday against visiting Idaho.
Diamon Simpson on Saint Mary's win over Bulldogs: [VIEW VIDEO]
Former Fresno State recruit Diamon Simpson scored 11 points during the first half Tuesday night against Fresno State, and the Bulldogs trail 37-24 at the Save Mart Center.
The Gaels shot 55% from the field and 40% on 3-pointers. Fresno State mananged 31% from the field and 15% from behind the arc. Kevin Bell leads the Bulldogs with six points.
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