Fresno State
Georgia St
Bulldogs Cruise Past Georgia State, 74-64
11/19/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 19, 1999
ATLANTA (AP) - Demitrius Porter scored 23 points and Larry Abney added 16 as Fresno State had little trouble beating Georgia State 74-64 Friday night.
Georgia State never led after Abney, a senior forward, hit a five-foot jump shot to put Fresno State ahead 49-48 with 14:12 to play. From there, Abney and guard Travis DeManby combined to score 12 unanswered points to seal the victory.
Fresno coach Jerry Tarkanian was especially pleased with how his team responded after losing senior guard Courtney Alexander and junior center Melvin Ely to stress fractures earlier this month.
Alexander, considered by some to be college basketball's best shooting guard after averaging 21.4 points per game last season, was hurt Nov. 3. The 6-foot-9 Ely, who averaged 26.5 points and 11 rebounds in two exhibition games, was injured in practice Tuesday.
"I was a basket case when I learned Melvin was hurt," Tarkanian said. "But our guys came through. I had three freshmen in there, so considering it was our first game, I'll take it."
Coaching in his 29th year Division I opener, Tarkanian won his 710th career game - 12th on the all-time NCAA list - to move within six victories of tying State coach Lefty Driesell for 11th place.
Driesell, who is beginning his 38th year, was discouraged that the Panthers (1-0) could not take advantage of Alexander's and Ely's absence.
Aside from forward Jarrod Hill, who pulled down 12 rebounds, Georgia State was tentative near the basket. Guard D.J. Wootson, whose 14 points led the Panthers, committed a game-high eight turnovers.
"You've got to play a whole 40 minutes," Driesell said. "We did some things good at times, but overall I'm pretty disappointed."
The Panthers shot only 33.3 percent from the field and were outrebounded 46-40. Wootson and fellow guards Kevin Morris and Anton Reese gave Georgia State only two 3-pointers in 20 attempts.
"That pretty much says all you need to know," said Driesell, who went 33-25 in his first two years at Georgia State. "You can't give away that much on the perimeter and still expect to win if you're not getting the job done inside."
Fresno's physical inside game proved to be the difference. Even though freshman center Noel Felix fouled out with 7:05 to play, Abney finished with nine rebounds, and Travis Robinson had eight.
Guard Terrance Roberson chipped in 12 points for Fresno.
"We could've crumbled out there, when they made a run, but our guys showed some poise," said Tarkanian, the former Nevada-Las Vegas coach who is now 85-48 as he enters his fifth year at Fresno.
"You never know what's going to happen in openers. You've got to get out there and sweat and play in a competitive atmosphere."
