Edison rolls in the Division II boys final 76-52.

EDISON is the Division II boys champion.

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With 50 seconds left, it's Edison 74, Centennial 52.

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It's officially garbage time: Edison leads 70-45 with 4:04 left in the game and the Tigers have started to empty the bench.

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Stats through 3 quarters: ChaRunn Jones 17 points, Josh Maroney 14 points and 9 rebounds, Gregory Smith 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks.

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Smith is starting to turn it on, dominating at both ends of the court. Edison leads 62-35 with 23.3 seconds left in the third quarter.

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A follow slam by Gregory Smith ignited the crowd and put Edison up 57-31. Centennial answered with a layin.

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An alley-oop slam from Phillip Ward and a 3-pointer by Josh Maroney gave Edison a 50-29 lead with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

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Halftime stats for Edison: ChaRunn Jones 14 points and 4 rebounds, Gregory Smith 7 points and 2 rebounds, Josh Maroney 6 points and 6 rebounds, Phillip Ward 4 points and 5 rebounds.

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Centennial failed to get off a shot before the end of the half and Edison takes a 34-23 lead into halftime.

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ChaRunn Jones followed with a 3-pointer from the corner and, after a Centennial basket, Phillip Ward followed with a 3-point play off a foul. That made the score 34-23 with 31 seconds left in the half.

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Tim McDonald connected with Gregory Smith on an alley-oop slam to give Edison a 28-21 lead.

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With 2:32 left in the first half, Centennial has cut Edison's lead to 25-20.

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Josh Maroney's 3-pointer gives Edison a 25-14 lead with 4:20 left in the first half.

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First-quarter stats for the boys game: ChaRunn Jones leads Edison with 8 points, while Josh Maroney had 5 rebounds.

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Division II girls championship box score

Edison (18-9) 15 10 9 11 — 45

Centennial (24-6) 7 12 17 11 — 47

Edison: Brionna Warren 10, Amber Ricks 9, Kortani Brown 9, Linda Murray-Carraway 6, Kalasia Green 6, Shayla Thomas 4, Tashae Tanksley 1.

Centennial: Nicole Villalobos 20, Danielle Garcia 12, Kaileigh Christensen 7, Taylercq Adams 6, Jasmine Noldon 2.

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Edison failed to get a shot off as the first-quarter buzzer sounded but the Tigers take a 17-11 lead into the second quarter.

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Edison held Centennial scoreless until the 4:30 mark and leads 9-2.

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The Division II boys championship game is under way with Edison leading Centennial 3-0.

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After an Amber Ricks basket, Centennial's Kaileigh Christensen hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 47-45 and Edison's desperation shot at the end missed.

DIVISION II girls champion is Centennial.

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Nicole Villalobos hit 2 free throws with 38.9 seconds left to give Centennial a 46-43 lead.

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With less than 3 minutes left in the game, the score is tied at 42-42.

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Stats after three quarters: Brionna Warren leads Edison with 9 points and 4 assists, and Kortani Brown leads with 6 rebounds.

With 6:35 left in the game, the score is tied 37-37.

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Danielle Garcia's 5-point run helped Centennial take a 36-34 lead entering the fourth quarter.

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With less than 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Edison holds a slim 33-31 lead.

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Centennial goes on a little run to end the second quarter and the halftime score is Edison 25, Centennial 19.

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With 3:21 left in the first half, Edison has a 22-13 lead.

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Edison got 6 points from Kalasia Green and 5 from Brionna Warren in the first quarter.

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After the first quarter, Edison leads 15-7.

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With 3:29 left in the first quarter, the Edison girls lead Centennial 10-3 in the Division II championship game.

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Division V boys final

Immanuel 66, Bakersfield Christian 61

Immanuel (23-5) 15 18 15 18 -- 66

Bakersfield Christian (20-7) 18 12 21 10 -- 61

Immanuel: Stephen Rotella 12, Micah Hiett 4, Cody Medeiros 21, Nick Rosa 14, Marcus Hollers 10, Jordan Rodgers-Green 2, Kenny Van Groningen 2, Tyler Reis 1. FG: 23-29. 3-point: 3-9. FT: 17-25.

Bakersfield Christian: Jake Peterson 5, Aryton Oliver 4, Morgan Howes 8, Marcus Hall 21, Colby Herron 17, Christian Taylor 4, Darion Nunn 0, Gabriel Colbert 0, Craig Kennemer 2. FG: 25-64. 3-point: 3-15. FT: 8-12.

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Medeiros misses both free throws, but Micah Hiett keeps the ball alive and Stephen Rotella rebounds, and is fouled with 8.5 left. He hits 1 of 2 free throws and BC can get off only a desperation shot at the end that misses.

IMMANUEL is the DV boys champion after a 66-61 victory.

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Micah Hiett rebounds a stray BC shot and Cody Medeiros is at the line with 11.7 left.

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Rosa misses both free throws and Hall drives to score for BC to cut the lead to 63-61 with 33.3 left. Then, Marcus Hollers hits 2 free throws to extend the lead to 65-61 with 32.2 left. BC timeout.

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Rotella again: A steal to set up Micah Hiett's layup and a basket on the other end to make it Immanuel 63-59 with 54.5 seconds left in the game. Nick Rosa is at the line shooting two following a timeout.

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Stephen Rotella has sparked an Immanuel run to tie the score at 57-57 with 3:36 left in the game. He hit a 10-footer from the baseline, then put back a rebound and was fouled and hit the free throw. Then, on the other end, he blocked a Marcus Hall shot.

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The Springs For Knees Award goes to Immanuel's Micah Hiett, a 6-6 senior who could probably touch the Selland Arena ceiling on a good day.

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BC's Marcus Hall was fouled shooting a desperation 3-pointer from the corner and made 2 of 3 free throws with 0.07 seconds left to give BC a 51-48 lead after three quarters.

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Halftime stats: Immanuel's leading scorers are Nick Rosa with 9 and Cody Medeiros with 8. Bakersfield Christian got 12 from Colby Herron.

With 4 minutes left in the third quarter, Immanuel and BC are tied 44-44.

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At the end of the first half, Immanuel leads 33-30.

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Cody Medeiros' hanging layin with 2:01 left in the half gives Immanuel its biggest lead, 33-28, and forces a Bakersfield Christian timeout.

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Immanuel leads this fast-paced game 31-28 with 2:30 left in the first half.

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After nailing a pair of free throws to tie the game, Rosa then hit a 3-pointer to give Immanuel its first lead of the game at 23-20.

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Tournament's best hair: Immanuel's 5-9 junior guard Nick R. Rosa, who looks a little bit like a miniature Robin Lopez with his floppy, long, curly 'do.

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In a Division V final that is featuring a lot of athletic big men, Bakersfield Christian leads 18-15 after the first quarter.

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Coming up at 4 p.m.: The Division V boys championship game -- No. 1 Bakersfield Christian vs. No. 2 Immanuel.

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Division V girls final

Fresno Christian (27-6) 9 15 11 8 -- 43

Mission Prep (24-4) 12 11 14 10 -- 47

Fresno Christian: Melanie Nachtigall 3, Paige Maltos 10, Emily Krieghoff 4, Larissa Hensley 10, Candace Gandolfo 12, Katelyn White 0, Tatiana Fontes 4, Ashlyn White 0. FG: 17-54. 3-point: 3-15. FT: 6-25.

Mission Prep: Madison O'Connor 2, Erica Vesnaver 17, Jenna Caruso 7, Natalie Fernandez 6, Leigh Yetter 6, Rachel Woolslayer 3, Margaret Cowitz 0, Ally Kersthold 2, Paige Czarnecki 4. FG: 19-61. 3-point: 5-18. FT: 4-11.

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Paige Czarnecki is intentionally fouled and hits 2 pressure free throws to clinch it for Mission Prep 47-43.

MISSION PREP is the Central Section Division V girls champion.

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Paige Maltos puts back another rebound and the Eagles are within 45-43 with 20.1 left.

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It was Hensley's free throw that sparked a 6-point run. She followed with a 3-pointer and a putback, and led a pressing defense that has Fresno Christian within 45-41 with 55.7 seconds left in the game.

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Larissa Hensley's free throw with 2:17 left in the game was the first Fresno Christian point of the fourth quarter.

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A senior- and junior-laden Mission Prep team is pulling away from the younger Eagles (only two seniors on the roster). The Royals are moving the ball around for good shots while the Eagles are missing free throws. Mission Prep 45, Fresno Christian 35 with 3:30 left in the game.

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In the play of the game so far, Mission Prep's Leigh Yetter took a pass in the block with 6-3 Paige Maltos guarding from behind. Yetter, who gives up about 6 inches to Maltos, quickly spun to her left and flipped in a layin and drawing the foul to give Misson Prep a 41-35 lead.

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The third quarter ends Mission Prep 37, Fresno Christian 35. Candace Gandolfo hit two free throws with less than 10 seconds left and Mission Prep couldn't convert a couple of shots at the end.

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Rachel Woolslayer's cold-blooded 3-pointer off a time out extended Mission Prep's lead to 35-29 with 1:32 left in the third quarter.

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The back-and-forth game has swung back Mission Prep's way behind a more aggressive defense. The Royals lead 32-29 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter.

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Candace Gandolfo's 7 points and sophomore Paige Maltos' 6 points led the Eagles in the first half.

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Junior guard Candace Gandolfo hit a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded to put Fresno Christian ahead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The halftime score is Fresno Christian 24, Mission Prep 23.

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Mission Prep is on a 9-2 run ignited by attacking the lane and hitting off-balance layups. The Royals lead 21-11.

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This is a rematch of last year's DV championship game; Mission Prep won that one 55-45.

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End of the first quarter: Mission Prep 12, Fresno Christian 9.

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With 2:10 left in the first quarter, Mission Prep leads 10-9 in front of a hundred or so fans.

Game 2 at noon today features the Division V boys final between No. 2 Immanuel and No. 1 Bakersfield Christian.

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The DV girls matchup might come down to a battle of No. 11 for each team -- Larissa Hensley for Fresno Christian and Leigh Yetter for Mission Prep. Both are their team's leading scorer and they're guarding each other.

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The Central Section boys and girls basketball tournament is about to get under way with the Division V girls championship game between No. 2-seed Fresno Christian and No. 1-seed Mission Prep.

Stay tuned for in-game blogs of each of the four championship games today and all six Saturday.

Lemoore's Brandon Rocha didn't drop into the 119-pound weight class until late in the season, but the senior is making a push for a state title.

Rocha has a technical fall, a pin and a 9-4 decision to reach the quarterfinals.

The senior, who was the WYL, Yosemite Divisional and Grand Masters champion, faces Marina' Derek Lin - the fifth-place wrestler from the Southern Section - in the quarterfinals, which are running behind tonight.

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Could the Central Section produce the state's 215-pound wrestling champion for the third straight year?

It's possible with Coalinga's Josh Boger and Clovis' Brett Sanchez still alive. Boger and Sanchez are ranked 2nd and 3rd, respectively, in the hunt to replace two-time champion Ryan Florez of Buchanan, who graduated last year.

Sanchez spent most of the year as the Central Section's top ranked wrestler, until meeting up with and losing to Boger in the Grand Masters tournament last week. Boger, a member of Buchanan's state championship team in 2006, didn't wrestle in 2007 after transferring to Coalinga, and spend the first half of the winter season playing basketball for the Horned Toads. He has really made a splash despite very little time on the mat this season.

The division's top-ranked wrestler, Rudi Burtschi of Oakdale, was the 189 pound champion last season.

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Bullard's Phil Brandt is making a hard charge for a medal at the CIF State Wrestling Championships.
The 189-pounder and Central Section champion won his opening match, 10-3 over Lodi's Ryan Carleton and topped Atascadero's Jack Robinett 7-1 in the second round.

Brandt meets Northern Section champion Stephan Hampton of Red Bluff in the quarterfinals.

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The Central Section has 28 wrestlers still alive in the hunt for an individual state wrestling championship.

The 103- and 130-pound divisions each have four section wrestlers in the quarters. Clovis West's Zach Zimmer, East Bakersfield's Marc Collier, Washington's Gilberto Camacho and Arvin's Edgar Diaz are alive at 103s, while Selma's Jose Mendoza, Clovis' Stephen Weimer, Buchanan's Justin Arredondo and Kerman's Kevin Rojas make up half of the 130-pound quarters.

Other quarterfinalists from the section include: AJ Jaramillo (Lemoore, 112), A.J. Valles (Selma, 112), Peter Gonzalez (East Bakersfield, 112), Brandon Rocha (Lemoore, 119), Nick Pena (Selma, 125), Steven Fitzgerald (Clovis East, 125), Nick Escalera (Selma, 135), Nick Fisher (Clovis West, 135), Jonah Cruz (Bakersfield, 140), David Watts (El Diamante, 140), Travis Rasmussen (Bakersfield, 145), Andrew Balch (Buchanan, 145), James Cook (Clovis West, 152), Josh Esparza (Clovis, 160), Stephen West (Buchanan, 160), Tommy Burriel (Clovis, 171), Phil Brandt (Bullard, 189), Josh Boger (Coalinga 215), Brett Sanchez (Clovis, 215) and Jonathen Zamora (Clovis, 285).

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Through the championship third round and the consolation second round, Poway of the San Diego Section leads the way at the CIF State Wrestling Championships.

But Central Section schools Clovis and Selma are not far behind.

Poway, with six quarterfinalists, leads with 69 points, followed by Clovis 60.5 and Selma 49.5. Clovis has five wrestlers - Stephen Weimer (130), Jake Esparza (160), Tommy Burriel (171), Brett Sanchez (215) and Jonathen Zamora (285) - alive in the quarterfinals while Selma has four quarterfinalists in A.J. Valles (112), Nick Pena (125), Jose Mendoza (130) and Nick Escalera (135).

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Buchanan High, which followed its 2006 state championship with a third-place finish last year, is lurking as a factor at the CIF State Wrestling Championships again.

The Bears had six of their 10 qualifiers win their first matches to put themselves in position for another strong state finish. But a run to the school’s second state title seems unlikely after three Buchanan wrestlers went 0-2 to fall out of the tournament without scoring a point.

Two-time state placer Justin Arredondo is in the 130-pound quarterfinals, Andrew Balch has reached the 145-pound quarterfinals and Stephen West is in the quarters at 160 pounds.

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El Diamante High's hopes of having "twin" state champions have been dashed.

Miners' 140-pounder David Watts has reached the quarterfinals, but twin brother Randall Watts dropped into the consolation bracket with a loss in championship round three.

David Watts opened with a 12-2 win over Newport Harbor's Josh George and followed that with an 18-3 technical fall over Enterprise's Jeremy Moreno. David Watts meets St, John Bosco's Mike Martinez in the quarterfinals later tonight.

Randall Watts beat Sonora's Curtin Duncan 6-5 in the 135-pound outbracket and Washington-San Francisco's Jason Liao by 15-0 tech fall in the second round, but was dropped into the consolation bracket following a 7-2 loss to Hesperia's Eric Lopez.

Both Watts brothers placed at the state meet last year.

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Clovis West's Zach Zimmer remained alive on the other side of the bracket following technical fall and decision victories. Camacho and Zimmer met last week for the Master's title, with Camacho winning.

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A fellow Central Section school dealt a major blow to Clovis' chances of winning the state wrestling title.

Lemoore's Nick Sierra scored a takedown and a three-point near fall late in the third period to rally for a 7-4 victory over Clovis' Scott Sakaguchi in the 140-pound division.

Sakaguchi, who entered ranked No. 1 in the state, is out of the tournament after going 0-2 and contributing no points to the Cougars' pursuit of a state title.

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The Central Section's only returning state champion -- Washington High's Gilberto Camacho -- has reached the quarterfinals of the 103-pound division.

Camacho opened with a 5-1 victory over El Camino's Michael Lim and followed that by pinning La Habra's Austin La Farge in 5:05.

Camacho will meet Poway's Anthony Alvarez later for a berth in Saturday's semifinals.

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Clovis High's quest for a record eighth CIF State Wrestling Championship is off to a sluggish start.

Four of the Cougars' 10 qualifiers lost their first-round matches at Rabobank Arena, including state No. 1-ranked Scott Sakaguchi at 140 pounds. Clovis did picked up some extra points early on as 285-pounder Jonathen Zamora and 215-pounder Brett Sanchez each won their openers by pin, while 160-pounder Josh Esparza won by tech fall.

Selma, however, is looking like a serious contender as seven of its nine qualifiers won in the first round, including pins from Jose Mendoza (130), Abel Ruiz (189) and a tech fall from Justin Lozano (140).

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Clovis and Selma were holding steady in the top three of the team standings through two championship rounds and the first consolation round.

Poway continued to lead with 53 points. Clovis was second with 40.5 and Selma third with 38.5.

Also, Buchanan was in a tie for sixth with 29.5, Clovis West was 12th with 24 and Lemoore was 14th with 21.

Only nine of 71 central San Joaquin Valley wrestlers had been eliminated, including one apiece for Selma and Clovis without scoring a point.

The day marked the debut of Clovis North in state meet competition -- 103-pound freshman Dalton Metivier was eliminated after two decisions.

But a wrestler from a famous family, Clovis West 125-pound freshman Josh Zinkin, is through to the third consolation round. He bounced back from a first-round loss to win 11-6, then received a default advance in the second consolation round

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After 2 full rounds, Clovis and Selma are tied for second with 35.5 points each. Clovis' upper weights rallied after a slow start. Poway leads with 53 points.

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The start of the CIF State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield today has mixed results for two of the Central Section's leading contenders.

Clovis High, whose 10-wrestler contingent was pointed toward winning the school' eighth state title, split its first eight matches and suffered a surprising blow when Scott Sakaguchi, the Central Section champion at 140 pounds, lost in the second round.

But Selma's nine-man contingent has won eight of its first nine matches, including a big boost from Nick Escalera, the last Central Section qualifier at 135 pounds but an 8-2 winner over Central Coast champion Calvin Hawkes of Los Gatos. That second-round win earned four team points.

The second round is ongoing in the two-day meet at Rabobank Arena. The championship matches in all 14 weight classes are Saturday night.

Which of Fresno State's teams will have the better season, softball or baseball?

Baseball schedule & results

Softball schedule & results

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I

No. 1 Clovis West 77, No. 4 Bakersfield 33

No. 2 Stockdale 79, No. 3 Bullard 49

Championship game: No. 1 Clovis West vs. No. 2 Stockdale, 6 p.m. Saturday

Division II

No. 1 Centennial 56, No. 5 El Diamante 45

No. 2 Edison 63, No. 6 Porterville 54

Championship game: No. 1 Centennial vs. No. 2 Edison, 6 p.m. Friday

Division III

No. 1 Hanford 78, No. 4 Redwood 40

No. 2 Yosemite 52, No. 3 Tehachapi 38

Championship game: No. 1 Hanford vs. No. 2 Yosemite, 2 p.m. Saturday

Division IV

No. 1 Garces 72, No. 4 Sierra 40

No. 2 Exeter 64, No. 3 Corcoran 50

Championship game: No. 1 Garces vs. No. 2 Exeter, 10 a.m. Saturday

Division V

No. 1 Mission Prep 48, No. 4 Coast 33

No. 2 Fresno Christian 66, No. 3 Bakersfield Christian 51

Championship game: No. 1 Mission Prep vs. No. 2 Fresno Christian, 2 p.m. Friday

Fresno State's game at New Mexico State Saturday might make or break this season.

The Bulldogs lost at Utah State Sunday in a stinker and find themselves tied for first with Boise State in the WAC women's basketball race. Boise State, however, won't lose another game.

That puts all the pressure on the Bulldogs to keep pace, or at least nail down second place for an easier road to the WAC Tournament final.

It starts in Las Cruces against New Mexico State, which again will host the WAC Tournament. The Aggies reached last year's final and lost to Boise State. Fresno State could make a bold statement Thursday with a victory, proving it can win in Las Cruces and giving the Aggies something to think about when the teams meet again five days later at Save Mart Center.

If the Bulldogs split with the Aggies, it's likely second place will come down to the final regular-season game at Nevada, one of the toughest places to play in the WAC.

The Western Athletic Conference is close to getting two teams into the national top 25 softball poll.

Hawaii is ranked No. 15 and Fresno State jumped two places to 26th this week.

So how has the WAC faired against top 25 competition? The conference is 5-11 with the Bulldogs and Nevada the only teams to break through.

Fresno State beat UNLV and Texas, and lost to Ohio State 1-0. Nevada is 3-3 and showing it's a contender for the WAC title along with the Bulldogs and Hawaii. The Wolf Pack beat Fullerton State, Oregon State and Arizona, and lost to UCLA, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

The Bulldogs have a chance to crack the top 25 if they have a strong weekend at the San Diego Classic.

After that, they'll return to Bulldog Diamond for an extended stay that could further help their chances of joining the elite. They host Campbell in a DH on March 4, then open the three-day Bulldog Classic March 6 against DePaul and will play five more in the Classic before taking on Houston in a DH March 11, Oklahoma for a single game March 13 and ending the homestand against Northern Colorado on March 18.

The big game to point to is Oklahoma, ranked No. 10 this week. Fresno State split two games with the Sooners two years ago.

You know THIS GUY's wife is at a friend's house right now, saying, "Greeeeat. Now we gotta re-live this for the next 10 years."

The day I tried something like that, would be the day maintenance stored a kiddie-pool full of glass shavings behind the left field wall.

Not sure which is more unbelievable, that catch, or the fact that there's a dome in Marquette, Mich.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

No. 1 Clovis West 58, No. 4 Central 45

No. 2 Clovis East 87, No. 6 Buchanan 70

Championship game: No. 1 Clovis West vs. No. 2 Clovis East, 8 p.m. Saturday at Selland Arena

Division II

No. 1 Edison 67, No. 4 Porterville 54

No. 2 Centennial 60, No. 3 East Bakersfield 52

Championship game: No. 1 Edison vs. No. 2 Centennial, 8 p.m. Friday at Selland Arena

Division III

No. 1 Hanford 72, No. 5 Redwood 39

No. 7 Kerman 58, No. 3 Washington 49

Championship game: No. 1 Hanford vs. No. 7 Kerman, 4 p.m. Saturday at Selland Arena

Division IV

No. 1 Memorial 71, No. 5 Corcoran 64

No. 2 Garces 80, No. 3 Parlier 50

Championship game: No. 1 Memorial vs. No. 2 Garces, noon Saturday at Selland Arena

Division V

No. 1 Bakersfield Christian 84, No. 4 Central Valley Christian 58

No. 2 Immanuel 52, No. 3 Mission Prep 46

Championship game: No. 1 Bakersfield Christian vs. No. 2 Immanuel, 4 p.m. Friday at Selland Arena

Received a link to this story a few days ago. It was reported earlier this month, but it involves an incident that happened more than a year ago. Apparently a high school football recruit forgot that Yao Ming Visa commercial.

You always have to ask. Never, never, never assume you can write a check. Preferably before the pizza gets to the door.

Seriously, though, several weird parts to this story. (Yes, besides the fact that Fresno State coach Pat Hill apparently had to commit a minor NCAA violation to stop a rumble. Not that minor violations are uncommon. I'm probably committing one right now and don't even know it.)

First off, what was Tyrone Duncan thinking? He must not have been interested in Fresno State AT ALL. Because that's maybe not the impression you'd like to give. When a Division I head football coach comes all the way to Southern California for an in-home visit, you'd think you could do him the honor of not fist-fighting the pizza guy on the front lawn.

Duncan didn't end up going to Fresno State -- SHOCKER! -- he went to the University of Washington, where they have a history of accepting athletes with anger-management issues. Sadly, a lot of programs do.

It was weird timing that the Duncan story came out just days after the Seattle Times was releasing its fascinating series, "Victory and Ruins" on the 2000 Washington Huskies, the Rose Bowl champs. (Obviously, Duncan had no connection to that.)

As it turns out, the 2000 Huskies included some shady characters, and a lot of people looked the other way because they were winning. It's a heartbreaking series, especially the third story, which is entirely about Fresno native Curtis Williams. He was the player who was paralyzed during a hit on the football field and later died. Seems he was also a felon and abused his wife, who now lives in Alaska.

The series is long, but you should read every word. You will never again cheer for any NFL team who would let tight end Jerramy Stevens wear its uniform. Nearly as sad, are some of the comments by readers who were angry at the Seattle Times for stirring up trouble for their team. The Times just hates the Huskies! Ah, the die-hard college football fans. Classy.

But back to Duncan. After the pizza incident, he went on to Washington, where he said he was going to make an immediate impact. Instead, he had shoulder surgery and redshirted the 2007-2008 season. Either way, sounds like Fresno State dodged a potential migraine.

UPDATE: Yao Ming out for the season. Oops. This blog suddenly has a cursed feel to it. Headline writers, crank up those "Houston we have a problem" puns.

A step away from Selland, here we go:

D-I: I'd hate to play a good team a third time after having beating it twice, but that's the case for Clovis West (vs. Central) and Clovis East (vs. Buchanan). The Golden Eagles and Timberwolves are seeded 1-2, but no great surprise if either or both fall tonight.

D-II: A lot of intrigue at No. 1 Edison against No. 4 Porterville, which has the wonderful record (27-2) and winning streak (school-record 23), but little competition to speak of. But consider: Edison faded in fourth quarter while still winning against Golden West, and Porterville overpowered a respectable Lemoore team. So, who knows?

D-III: This sets up a Hanford-Washington final at Selland, but Washington is being asked tonight to come back to its home court and defeat No. 7 Kerman a second time there in two weeks. That's a bit scary. Hanford needs to beat WYL colleague Redwood a third time, but Bullpups are on their game.

D-IV: No problem. Get your ticket for Memorial-Garces title rematch at Selland.

D-V: No sweat for Bakersfield Christian at home against Central Valley Christian, but the same can't be said for No. 2 Immanuel at home against No. 3 Mission Prep -- the mystery team of all Central Section boys playoffs.

For a peek inside the Fresno State men's basketball program and a look at how it prepares for an opponent, go to fblinks.com/hoops for a multimedia presentation.

Tyson Parker played the hero during the final minutes of Fresno State's 76-70 win over Cal Poly at the Save Mart Center.

Parker scored all eight of his points in the second half - he didn't log any game in the first half - to lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back wins.

Eddie Miller led Fresno State (13-15) with 25 points.Kevin Bell had 19.

The Mustangs (9-15) of the Big West Conference didn't make it easy. Lorenzo Keeler scored 21 points, and Trae Clark added 19. More to come in a few...

Maybe Dwight O'Neil should shoot more 3s...

He made both of his attempts during the first half of Saturday night's nonconference game against Cal Poly, and led Fresno State to a 41-33 halftime advantage at the Save Mart Center.

O'Neil has 13 points, as does Eddie Miller.

Lorenzo Keeler leads Cal Poly with 10 points... More to come.

Check in throughout the night for updates on Central Section girls soccer and basketball playoff results:

GIRLS SOCCER

Division I

FINAL -- No. 1 Buchanan 3, No. 2 Stockdale 1

Division II

FINAL -- No. 1 Tulare 2, No. 3 Memorial 1 (PK)

Division III

FINAL -- No. 1 Highland 2, No. 2 Madera South 0

Division IV

FINAL -- No. 1 Central Valley Christian 4, No. 7 Parlier 0

Division V

FINAL -- No. 1 Mission Prep 4, No. 3 Liberty-Madera Ranchos 1

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I

No. 1 Clovis West 78, No. 9 Fresno 35

No. 4 Bakersfield 68, No. 5 Clovis East 48

No. 3 Bullard 70, No. 6 North 56

No. 2 Stockdale 78, No. 7 Ridgeview 46

Wednesday's semifinals: No. 4 Bakersfield at No. 1 Clovis West ... No. 3 Bullard at No. 2 Stockdale

Division II

No. 1 Centennial 66, No. 9 Sanger 57

No. 5 El Diamante 70, No. 4 Lemoore 62

No. 6 Porterville 41, No. 3 Monache 25

No. 2 Edison 69, No. 7 Liberty-Bakersfield 51

Wednesday's semifinals: No. 5 El Diamante at No. 1 Centennial ... No. 6 Porterville at No. 2 Edison

Division III

No. 1 Hanford 106, No. 8 Washington 38

No. 4 Redwood 56, No. 5 Frontier 46

No. 3 Tehachapi 38, No. 6 Kingsburg 37

No. 2 Yosemite 71, No. 7 Dinuba 28

Wednesday's semifinals: No. 4 Redwood at No. 1 Hanford ... No. 3 Tehachapi at No. 2 Yosemite

Division IV

No. 1 Garces 56, No. 9 Fowler 36

No. 4 Sierra 54, No. 5 Memorial 51

No. 3 Corcoran 58, No. 11 McFarland 54

No. 2 Exeter 74, No. 10 Riverdale 53

Wednesday's semifinals: No. 4 Sierra at No. 1 Garces ... No. 3 Corcoran at No. 2 Exeter

Division V

No. 1 Mission Prep 75, No. 8 Kings Christian 15

No. 4 Coast 55, No. 5 Central Valley Christian 40

No. 3 Bakersfield Christian 52, No. 6 Immanuel 35

No. 2 Fresno Christian 62, No. 7 Strathmore 25

Wednesday's semifinals: No. 4 Coast at No. 1 Mission Prep ... No. 3 Bakersfield Christian at No. 2 Fresno Christian

Guys were joking about it during Thursday's shootaround... Coaches earlier in the day.

If you didn't see Wednesday night's 70-65 win over Hawaii, here's a quick repeat.

Fresno State trails by 2 with less than two minutes remaining... Kevin Bell misses a jump shot, Nedeljko Golubovic grabs the rebound and just as fast, throws it to Eddie Miller, who is on the perimter.

Miller elevates in front of the Fresno State bench, and just as he does, coach Steve Cleveland yells at him... remember that Eddie is already in the air.

So in a nannonsecond of a microsecond, he tries to gather the ball in, then realizes he's in the air and has to shoot, so he extends his arm back out and shoots. Swish, and Fresno State leads by two points, a vital part of its rally from a double-digit deficit.

At practice, players tried to mimmick his release-then-pull-back-then-shot, but none could as well as he did. Would have been the moment of the game if not for Dwight O'Neil's first free throw attempt hard off the backboard, which found its way in the rim...

James Tchana is playing Titus Shelton in practice, but instead of shoving and pushing around teammates, he's getting it.

The post players expected to earn significant minutes Saturday against Cal Poly took turns bumping with the Big man from Long Island. Guards denied entry passes to the post, and when the ball did get into James' hands, they did their best to torment his journey to the rim.

Sometimes he made it, most of the time he didn't.

Fresno State is concerned with Shelton, a Fresno native who played at San Joaquin Memorial High. Shelton scored 18 points last season against Fresno State, and that was with Dominic McGuire and Quinton Hosley, two players whose post defense talents far exceeed this season's crop.

Maybe Tchana, aka The Diesel can help out... We'll see...
The Bulldogs practiced from 7-8:30 a.m. so coaches could leave Fresno for recruiting trips.

Check in throughout the night for updates on Central Section boys soccer and basketball playoff results:

BOYS SOCCER

Division I

Clovis West 1, Bullard 0 (OT)

Division II

Memorial 3, East Bakersfield 2 (OT)

Division III

Roosevelt 1, Golden Valley 0

Division IV

Lindsay 2, Wasco 0

Division V

Avenal 3, Mendota 1

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BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

No. 1 Clovis West 67, No. 8 Sunnyside 49

No. 4 Central 83, No. 5 Golden Valley 65

No. 6 Buchanan 55, No. 3 Bakersfield 52

No. 2 Clovis East 83, No. 10 Clovis 70

Tuesday's semifinals: No. 4 Central at No. 1 Clovis West ... No. 6 Buchanan at No. 2 Clovis East

Division II

No. 1 Edison 71, No. 8 Golden West 63

No. 4 Porterville 63, No. 5 Lemoore 42

No. 3 East Bakersfield 66, No. 6 Hoover 48

No. 2 Centennial 61, No. 10 Monache 54

Tuesday's semifinals: No. 4 Porterville at No. 1 Edison ... No. 3 East Bakersfield at No. 2 Centennial

Division III

No. 1 Hanford 73, No. 9 Tehachapi 42

No. 5 Redwood 69, No. 4 Selma 61

No. 3 Washington 54, No. 6 Kingsburg 51

No. 7 Kerman 68, No. 2 Hanford West 59

Tuesday's semifinals: No. 5 Redwood at No. 1 Hanford ... No. 7 Kerman at No. 3 Washington

Division IV

No. 1 Memorial 76, No. 9 Caruthers 57

No. 5 Corcoran 79, No. 4 Fowler 69

No. 3 Parlier 59, No. 6 Lindsay 55

No. 2 Garces 97, No. 10 Chowchilla 52

Tuesday's semifinals: No. 5 Corcoran at No. 1 Memorial ... No. 3 Parlier at No. 2 Garces

Division V

No. 1 Bakersfield Christian 90, No. 8 Kings Christian 36

No. 4 Central Valley Christian 56, No. 5 Strathmore 44

No. 3 Mission Prep 63, No. 6 Tranquillity 28

No. 2 Immanuel 71, No. 7 Laton 20

Tuesday's semifinals: No. 4 Central Valley Christian at No. 1 Bakersfield Christian ... No. 3 Mission Prep at No. 2 Immanuel

It's interesting to see how much time the coaching staff put into preparing for Saturday's game vs. taking care of administrative duties.

The coaches were scheduled to meet this morning at 8:30 a.m. Meetings back it up to 1:30 p.m. Coach Steve Cleveland had to meet with Betsy Mosher, sr. associate athletics director for administration, and a Nike representative regarding a summer camp. Wwith Bryan Harvey, who is academically ineligible for the spring semester, and Rekalin Sims, dismissed earlier this season for violation of team regulations, including his involvement in an alleged robbery near campus.

I asked Cleveland if scouting was nessasary... Or at least, such a high degree of scouting. Sure, if I was playing, I'd like to know if the guy I'm going to guard likes to drive left more than right, or if he will shoot all open shots on the perimeter. Or if he can't move laterally.

But everything else? Sometimes it seems excess.

But Cleveland's response made sense... it makes the players feel more at ease, and the coaches as well.

Sometimes as a writer, you can take too many notes. Guess it's different as a college basketball coach.

I'm here at the men's basketball office. It's 9:45 a.m.
Less than 12 hours after leaving the Savemart Center with a win against Hawaii, the coaching staff is back at it, preparing for Saturday's nonconference game against Cal Poly.
What stands out so far is how much attendtion is paid to details, despite the lack of time. Associate head coach Jeff Reinert worked on the advance scouting report Tuesday, Wednesday and this morning, then turned the data over to Coach Steve Cleveland.
The quality of game film has vastly improved in recent years. There was a time when teams would trade films and they would not know the quality of the footage in advance. Sometimes it was great. Other times grainy and snowy VHS tapes.
Footage is now traded with DVDs or over the internet.
Later this afternoon, the coaching staff will meet as a group for the first time to create a gameplan against Cal Poly. after that, the plan will be given to players at a 4 p.m. practice. No time to celebrate over here.....more later.
-Gary Estwick

Kevin Bell made sure Fresno State ended its latest losing streak, scoring 23 points on Wednesday night, including four three throws in the final seconds to clich a 70-65 win over Hawaii.

Bell also had nine assists in 37 minutes of play.

A year after delivering Division I finalists Clovis East and Clovis West in the Central Section basketball playoffs, the Tri-River Athletic Conference is imposing its will once again.

The six-team league has advanced five representatives to Thursday's quarterfinals. And its only member not present, Madera, chose not to compete in the postseason.

The TRAC received a boost in the first round from 10th-seeded Clovis, which upset No. 7 Ridgeview 64-61 in Bakersfield.

The TRAC also has No. 1 Clovis West, No. 2 Clovis East, No. 4 Central and No. 6 Buchanan in the quarterfinals. Only two play each other Thursday -- Clovis at Clovis East.

The most interesting quarterfinals matchup will send Buchanan to No. 3 Bakersfield. Neither team is big inside, and both played in good leagues -- the Drillers having knocked heads with East Bakersfield and Garces and Golden Valley in the Southeast Yosemite League.

Check in throughout the night for updates on Central Section girls soccer and basketball playoff results:

GIRLS SOCCER

Division I

Buchanan 2, Clovis 1

Stockdale 2, Bakersfield 1

Championship game: No. 1 Buchanan vs. No. 2 Stockdale, 3 p.m. Friday at Buchanan

Division II

Tulare 4, Lemoore 1

Memorial 2, Hanford 1 (2OT)

Championship game: No. 1 Tulare vs. No. 3 Memorial, 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. Friday at Tulare

Division III

Highland 2, Selma 1

Madera South 3, Garces 1

Championship game: No. 1 Highland vs. No. 2 Madera South, Friday at Highland

Division IV

Central Valley Christian 7, Taft 0

Parlier 3, Chowchilla 1

Championship game: No. 1 CVC vs. No. 7 Parlier, 6:30 p.m. Friday at CVC

Division V

Mission Prep 1, Bakersfield Christian 1

Liberty-Madera Ranchos 5, Strathmore 0

Championship game: No. 1 Mission Prep vs. No. 3 Liberty-Madera Ranchos, Friday at Mission Prep

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Division I

Fresno 57, Madera 49

Clovis East 49, Clovis 46

Bakersfield 58, Golden Valley 33

Bullard 75, Arvin 37

North 60, Buchanan 49

Ridgeview 54, Roosevelt 35

Division II

Sanger 71, Cesar Chavez 57

El Diamante 63, Tulare Western 41

Lemoore 66, Delano 47

Porterville 62, East Bakersfield 33

Liberty-Bakersfield 52, Golden West 48

Division III

Washington 77, Shafter 73

Division IV

Fowler 44, Mendota 33

Memorial 43, Chowchilla 27

Sierra 73, Avenal 32

McFarland 60, Woodlake 54

Riverdale 55, Dos Palos 48

Complete Central Section boys soccer and basketball playoff results from Tuesday:

-------------------------------------

BOYS SOCCER

Division I

Bullard 4, Madera 0

Clovis West 3, Bakersfield 1

Championship game: No. 1 Bullard vs. No. 2 Clovis West, 6 p.m. Thursday at Fresno Pacific

Division II

Memorial 3, West 2 (OT)

East 2, Hanford 0

Championship game: No. 5 Memorial vs. No. 3 East, 6 p.m. Friday at East

Division III

Golden Valley 5, Washington 0

Roosevelt 1, Porterville 0

Championship game: No. 2 Roosevelt at No. 1 Golden Valley, 3 p.m. Thursday

Division IV

Lindsay 4, Parlier 0

Wasco 4, Orosi 3 (ot)

Championship game: No. 2 Wasco at No. 1 Lindsay, 3 p.m. Thursday

Division V

Avenal 3, McFarland 0

Mendota 1, Caruthers 0

Championship game: No. 3 Mendota at No. 1 Avenal, 6 p.m. Thursday

------------------------------------------

BOYS BASKETBALL

Division I

Sunnyside 74, Stockdale 71 (2ot)

Golden Valley 93, Bullard 65

Central 73, West 56

Bakersfield 85, Fresno 29

Buchanan 60, North 51

Clovis 64, Ridgeview 61

Clovis East 101, Arvin 74

Thursday's quarterfinal schedule: No. 8 Sunnyside at No. 1 Clovis West ... No. 5 Golden Valley at No. 4 Central ... No. 6 Buchanan at No. 3 Bakersfield ... No. 10 Clovis at No. 2 Clovis East

Division II

Golden West 72, Highland 50

Lemoore 92, Cesar Chavez 52

Porterville 60, South 49

Hoover 56, Delano 49

Monache 63, Liberty-Bakersfield 49

Thursday's quarterfinal schedule: No. 8 Golden West at No. 1 Edison ... No. 5 Lemoore at No. 4 Porterville ... No. 6 Hoover at No. 3 East Bakersfield ... No. 10 Monache at No. 2 Centennial

Division III

Tehachapi 62, Yosemite 49

Kingsburg 77, Madera South 54

Kerman 69, Dinuba 42

Thursday's quarterfinal schedule: No. 9 Tehachapi at No. 1 Hanford ... No. 5 Redwood at No. 4 Selma ... No. 6 Kingsburg at No. 3 Washington ... No. 7 Kerman at No. 2 Hanford West

Division IV

Caruthers 78, McFarland 77

Lindsay 71, Dos Palos 25

Chowchilla 77, Taft 60

Thursday's quarterfinal schedule: No. 9 Caruthers at No. 1 Memorial ... No. 5 Corcoran at No. 4 Fowler ... No. 6 Lindsay vs. No. 3 Parlier (at Reedley College) ... No. 10 Chowchilla at No. 2 Garces

Division V

Thursday's quarterfinal schedule: No. 8 Kings Christian at No. Bakersfield Christian ... No. 5 Strathmore at No. 4 Central Valley Christian ... No. 6 Tranquillity at No. 3 Mission Prep ... No. 7 Laton at No. 2 Immanuel

This from the Seattle Times on Fresno State men's basketball recruit Reggie Moore:

Top-ranked Rainier Beach (22-1) won its third consecutive Metro League championship Friday night and eighth in 11 years.

The Vikings downed sixth-ranked Seattle Prep 71-65 before a near-capacity crowd at Roosevelt High School.

Point guard Reggie Moore, a Fresno State recruit, scored 25 points, making a career-best 11 of 12 free-throw attempts, and had six rebounds and five assists in the win.

"I'm a little bit biased, but I think he's the best point guard around," said Beach coach Mike Bethea.

The free-throw accuracy was a special source of accomplishment for Moore because it had been a deficiency in his game that he worked on in the offseason.

BOISE, Idaho -- Reggie Larry scored 25 points and Matt Nelson 16 as the Boise State duo led the Broncos to a 84-72 win Saturday night over Fresno State at Taco Bell Arena.

The Bulldogs lost their third consecutive game. Kevin Bell led Fresno State with 21 points. Eddie Miller added 16.

In the first half, Boise State outscored Fresno State 24-6 in the post, setting the tone of its 19th win of the season.

BOISE, Idaho -- The Bulldogs, unable to defend Matt Nelson and Reggie Larry in the post, trail 44-32 at halftime Saturday night at Taco Bell Arena.

Nelson and Larry scored 12 points apiece, and Bauscher had eight apiece. The Broncos are shooting 50% from the field.

Eddie Miller has 10 points for Fresno State, trying to recover from Thursday's loss at Idaho. Dwight O'Neil has nine points.

So NASCAR fans, do you root solely for a favorite driver, a series team or any driver based on the manufacturer?

Freshman guard Jaleesa Ross scored 14 points and Fresno State held Idaho to 22% shooting in a 68-38 victory Thursday at Save Mart Center.
The Bulldogs (15-9) improved to 10-1 in the Western Athletic Conference and maintained a half-game lead on Boise State. The Broncos (18-6,10-2) won 80-69 at Nevada.
Fresno State didn't have its best game offensively, but it didn't matter against the WAC's last-place team. Idaho is 2-21 overall and 1-10 in conference.
The Bulldogs led only 42-27 at the outset of the second half before going on a 3-point binge. Ross made two, Tierre Wilson and Bailey Amundsen one apiece in a 20-6 run and the lead grew to 62-33 with two minutes left.
Hayley Munro had eight points and eight rebounds, Wilson five points and eight rebounds and LaShaunte Stephens eight points.
The Bulldogs shot 45%, but only 6 for 22 from beyond the arce, and outrebunded Idaho 51-33.

The Fresno State women's basketball team held Idaho to four baskets and 11% shooting in the first half en route to a 31-15 lead Thursday at Save Mart Center.
The Bulldogs had a balanced offense with 10 different players scoring. Hayley Munro and Jaleesa Ross each had six points.
Fresno State also outrebounded the Vandals 30-17 and broke out the full-court press for the first time at home in a Western Athletic Conference game.
The Bulldogs were trying to maintain their first-place lead on Boise State. The Broncos, a half-game back entering the night, won at Nevada.

Sitting in the Boise airport, waiting for my connecting flight to Spokane, I keep thinking about last year's game at Cowan Spectrum, Ja'Vance Coleman's final college appearance... Fresno State won in overtime, avoiding what would have been a horrendous loss...

Darin Nagle missed the last Fresno State/Idaho game for undisclosed reasons, likely not attributed to injuries since he participated in pre-game warmups and looked to be in good health... Wonder if Jordan Brooks will break his recent shooting woes; he had a double-double at the Save Mart Center... Idaho turns the ball over too much to beat anyone right now. Fresno State has improved in this category. This might be the difference tonight...

I've seen two versions of Fresno State road games this season. Games like Louisiana Tech, where Fresno State dominates for most of the game. Then I've seen the games were they play good enough to hang around for about 36 minutes, then miss enough shots late to fall short. It's happened at San Jose State, at New Mexico State...

Not to look over Idaho tonight, but I can't help but wonder the reaction of the Taco Bell Arena crowd when Boise State hosts Fresno State on Saturday. It will be the first time most Broncos fans have seen the Bulldogs post-Quinton Hosley elbow and Hector Hernandez/Kevin Bell failed inbounds connection.

Can't wait to grab a taco. Why don't I remember eating one last season?

This morning's St. Louis Post-Dispatch is quoting St. Louis Rams team sources as saying that Doug Nussmeier, the Rams' quarterbacks coach the past two seasons, is headed for Fresno State to become offensive coordinator.

The newspaper, in an earlier report, said the Rams would replace Nussmeier as quarterbacks coach with Terry Shea, but wasn’t clear on Nussmeier’s status.

Something from a couple readers who thought maybe Fresno State had a Kevin Hart situation. He's the Nevada High School football player who pretended to be signing with Cal a while back and embarrassed an entire community.

A story appeared in the San Bernardino Sun, which reported a fullback named Dylan Cruz had signed his letter of intent with Fresno State. (You have to scroll down to find it.) Dylan Cruz wasn't listed on any of Fresno State's releases. According to a Redlands East Valley school official, Cruz didn't actually sign. He's a Fresno State walk-on recruit who the school included in the signing ceremony.

There's your breaking non-news of the day.

While we're here, a Kevin Hart update: A TV station is now reporting that Fernley High coach Mark Hodges' contract will not be renewed by the school district. According to the story, Hart's coaches had been told by a Cal assistant that Hart wasn't being recruited. This was supposedly days before the whole school showed up in the gym for the "signing" ceremony, but somehow, the ceremony was held anyway.

I had a column about it, too, where I basically said perhaps high school athletes get enough positive affirmation that we don't need ceremonies for them to sign their national letters of intent. You and your mom and dad go to the library. Sign it. Fax it off together. It was a good high school career. Let's move on.

The Buchanan High vs. Clovis East boys basketball games will be played Tuesday at Clovis East, and not at Buchanan as originally listed on the schedule.

The varsity game tips off at 7:30 p.m., following the freshman and JV games at 4:30 and 6 p.m.

Freshman Jaleesa Ross scored a career-high 24 points and Fresno State ripped Utah State 69-52 Saturday at Save Mart Center to maintain its women's basketball lead in the Western Athletic Conference.
The Bulldogs (14-9) improved to 9-1 in the WAC and hold a half-game lead on both Boise State and Nevada.
Ross paced a three-point attack that shredded Utah State's 2-3 zone defense. She made nine of the team's season-high 13. The guard also had nine rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot.
Guard Tierre Wilson added 12 points and forward Hayley Munro 11 with six rebounds and six assists.
The Bulldogs shot 38% (13 for 34) from beyond the arc and 43% overall. They also outrebounded Utah State (6-16, 2-8) 41-39.
Taylor Richards led Utah State with 17 points and Jenny Gross had 16.
The Bulldogs led 69-52 at the half and held a 22-point lead with 1:30 left.
Fresno State next plays Idaho on Valentine's Day at Save Mart Center.