Men's Basketball Plays California in NCAA Tournament

March 12, 2001

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Game No. 32: Fresno State (25-6, 13-3 WAC) vs. California (20-10, 11-7 Pac-10)
Date: Fri., March 16
Tipoff: Approximately 9 p.m. CST (30 min. after 6:40 p.m. game)
Site: Memphis, Tenn.
Arena: The Pryamid (20,000)
Radio: KMJ (AM 580) - Play-by-play: Bill Woodward, Analyst: Dave Severns
TV: CBS Sports - Play-by-play: Ian Eagle, Analyst: Jim Spanarkel, Sideline: Brett Haber
LIVE AUDIO AND STATS ALSO AVAILABLE ON GOBULLDOGS.COM

NCAA FIRST AND SECOND ROUND SCHEDULE IN MEMPHISFriday, March 16G1: (5) Virginia vs. (12) Gonzaga, 9:25 a.m.G2: (4) Oklahoma vs. (13) Indiana St., 30 mts after G1G3: (1) Michigan St. vs. (16) Ala. St., 4:40 p.m.G4: (8) Cal vs. (9) Fresno St., 30 mts after G3

'Dogs in NCAA Tournament
The Bulldogs are making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament this season as the No. 9 seed in the South Region playing the No. 8 seed the University of California at Memphis, Tenn. Last year, Fresno State was a No. 9 seed and lost to No. 8 Wisconsin in the first round. This is Fresno State's fifth NCAA tournament appearance and first repeat appearance since 1981 and 1982. Joining the Bulldogs in the South Region site at Memphis are the South's No.1 seed and defending NCAA champion Michigan State, No. 4 seed Oklahoma, No. 5 Virginia, No. 12 Gonzaga, No. 13 Indiana State and No. 16 Alabama State.

Bulldogs Win 25
The Bulldogs got their 25th win of the season at last week's 2001 Williams WAC Tournament. Their 25-6 overall record is the fourth-best in school history and the 25 wins is tied for the second-highest total in school history.

NCAA Headquarters
The Bulldogs are staying at the Holiday Inn East in Memphis (901) 682-7881. Contact Assistant Athletics Director Steve Weakland or Assistant Media Relations Director Jake Bragonier for information or to arrange interviews.

Head Coach Jerry Tarkanian
Jerry Tarkanian returned to his alma mater 40 years after he graduated and has quickly put Fresno State on the national basketball map with unprecedented national exposure. After five consecutive 20-win seasons and four trips to the NIT, the Bulldogs finally made their first NCAA tournament appearance under Tark in 2000. Tarkanian has guided two other programs to the NCAA tournament, Long Beach State and UNLV, and has made 16 appearances in the Big Dance. During his coaching career, he has led his teams to four appearances in the NCAA Final Four (UNLV in 1977, 1987, 1990 and 1991), one national championship (UNLV in 1989-90) and owns a 37-16 record in 17 NCAA tournament appearances. In 36 years at the major college and junior college levels he has never suffered a losing season and never failed to win at least 16 games for 36 consecutive years. Forty-two of his players have been drafted by NBA teams, including 12 first-round selections. His six consecutive 20-win seasons with the Bulldogs -- the only time that feat has been accomplished in the history of Bulldog basketball -- have brought him to 29 20-win seasons in his career, the best among active coaches. He stands behind only Dean Smith, who had 30 such seasons before retiring from the game in 1997, on the all-time list. Each year, Tarkanian and Kansas' Roy Williams battle for the top spot in winning percentage among active coaches, with Tark leading by thousandths of a point. Tark's record is testament to 29 years of coaching at the major college level. He stands fourth on the all-time win percentage list and reigned for several years as the all-time winningest coach prior to coming to Fresno State. Tarkanian wasted no time bringing the Bulldogs back to national prominence when he took a team that had gone 13-15 the previous year and led it to a 22-win season, a third-place WAC finish and the quarterfinals of the NIT during the 1995-96 season. In 1997-98 the Bulldogs were 21-13 and made it to the semifinals of the NIT before falling to 1997 Final Four participant Minnesota. NIT champion Cal defeated Fresno State in the first round of postseason play in 1999. On the day Fresno State officials introduced him as the Bulldogs' new head coach, April 5, 1995, Tarkanian hinted at better days for the Bulldogs and the Red Wave. "I never really thought this would happen, but if there was any way that I could end my coaching career here, this would be the best place," said Tarkanian, who had not coached at the college level since leaving UNLV at the end of the 1992 season. "It's a great opportunity for me. I'm excited. I've always said that the Red Wave are perhaps the very best fans in the entire country, and hopefully we can get the program going to the level that will bring a lot of excitement and pride to the people in the San Joaquin Valley." And the fans have responded. Selland Arena has enjoyed 56 sellouts in the last four years, making it one of the best home-court advantages on the West Coast. The university has moved forward on plans for an on-campus events center, the Save Mart Center, a 16,500-seat showcase home for Bulldog basketball.

Shark Bites

Tops on the NCAA active win percentage list at .803, which is the third-best all-time.

Ranks second among active coaches in career victories and eighth all-time with 758 victories.

Became the eighth coach to reach the 750-victory mark at the major college level, defeating UTEP 108-56 on Jan. 25, 2001.

Has led Fresno State to six consecutive 20-win seasons and postseason appearances, the first time that feat has been accomplished in Bulldog basketball history.

Tutored 42 players who were drafted by the NBA, including 12 first-round selections.

One of only a handful of coaches to lead three different schools to 20-win seasons. At each school, Tark recorded a 20-win season in his first year.

Led UNLV to the NCAA title in April 1990 (the Rebels defeated Duke 103-73 in posting the largest winning margin in NCAA championship game history).

Tarkanian has averaged 25.1 wins per season during his 29-year major college coaching career.

Led UNLV to Top 10 finishes in wire-service polls nine times (1976, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1992).

Won the 2001 Don Haskins Award for WAC Coach of the Year. He won or shared Big West Conference Coach of the Year honors seven times in 10 seasons. Also was named West Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1975.

Coached six first-team All-Americans: Ricky Sobers (1975), Eddie Owens (1976), Sidney Green (1983), Larry Johnson (1990, 1991) and Stacey Augmon (1991).

His 970 career collegiate coaching victories are believed to be the most ever counting all divisions.

2000-01 Bulldog Bites

Fresno State won the 2001 WAC championship, it's first-ever WAC title and first conference championship in basketball since 1982.

Fresno State's 24 wins were the most-ever in the regular season.

The Bulldogs have won 20 or more games in each of the last six seasons and qualified for the postseason in each of the last six seasons.

The Bulldog's average margin of victory in their 13-game winning streak was 18.0.

Fresno State won the 2000 Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, defeating North Carolina State 82-63 on Nov. 22 in Springfield, Mass.

Fresno State had the NCAA scoring leader Courtney Alexander (24.8 ppg) last season, the only WAC player to ever lead the NCAA in scoring. He was the 13th overall pick of the 2000 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic but was traded on draft day to Dallas.

The 2000 Trend Homes Classic, won by Fresno State, featured three teams that were in the 2000 NCAA tournament: Fresno State (24-10), Louisiana Lafayette (25-8) and Samford (21-11). Toledo (18-10) completed one of the finest four-team tournament fields in the nation.

Since Tito Maddox became the starting point guard, Fresno State's average margin of victory in their home games was 18.6 points.

Fresno State hosted the inaugural Hispanic College Fund Tournament Nov. 17, 19 at Selland Arena. The Bulldogs lost in the championship game to St. Bonaventure 87-74. Chris Jefferies and Melvin Ely were selected the to the HCF Classic All-Tournament team.

The Bulldogs played 18 regular season home games this season, most in school history.

Fresno State was selected as the WAC champion by the media in the preseason poll. Sophomore transfer Chris Jefferies was selected the WAC Preseason Newcomer of the Year. Jefferies finished second the Bulldogs in scoring at 15.9 points per game.

Fresno State is being outrebounded this season (39.2-37.7). FS ranked eighth in the WAC in rebound margin (-1.5).

Fresno State broke the single season blocked shots record with 200. In 1997-98, the Bulldogs had 185 blocked shots. Melvin Ely has more blocked shots (86) than Fresno State's opponents (62).

Fresno State has 159 more assists than its opponents this season (567-408).

The Bulldogs are forcing 19.9 turnovers per game.

Fresno State's 93-79 win at Tulsa was the worst loss ever for the Golden Hurricane in the Reynolds Center and worst home loss since Jan. 4, 1991.

Fresno State led the WAC in average attendance with 9,618 fans per game.

Demetrius Porter was voted national player of the week by CBSSportsline.com Jan. 16.

Jerry Tarkanian got his 950th win as a college coach vs. Santa Clara (Dec. 13). That includes junior college and Division I wins.

Fresno State's 108-56 win over UTEP set a WAC record for scoring margin and was the second largest in school history. It was also UTEP's worst defeat ever.

2001 NCAA Tournament First Round Opponent
No. 8 California Golden Bears (20-10, 11-7)
Head Coach: Ben Braun
Overall Record/At School: 95-60 (5)/428-295 (24)
Series: Cal leads 3-1
Notes: Sean Lampley leads the Bears in scoring at 19.7 points per game and rebounding at 7.2 per game. He is the only Cal player averaging in double figures scoring and has led it in scoring in 23 games . . .the Bears are 5-5 in their last 10 games with losses in three of their last four, but all three losses were to NCAA tournament teams (USC, UCLA and Arizona).

2001 NCAA Tournament Potential Second Round Opponents
No. 1 Michigan State Spartans (24-4, 13-3)
Head Coach: Tom Izzo
Overall Record/At School: 144-52 (6)/Same
Series: Fresno State leads 2-0
Notes: The defending national champion Spartans tied llinois, also a No. 1 seed, for the Big Ten championship. The Bulldogs have never lost to the Spartans and won the last meeting 80-70 at Fresno in 1996. . .the Spartans and Bulldogs had identical 13-3 conference records. . .the Spartans were 16-0 at home and own the nation's longest home court winning streak. . .Jason Richardson leads Michigan State in scoring at 15.5 points per game. Zach Randolph leads the team in rebounding at 6.8 per game to go with 11.0 points per game.

No. 16 Alabama State Hornets (22-8, 15-3)
Head Coach: Rob Spivery
Overall Record/At School: 65-77 (5)/239-222 (15)
Series: Never Played
Notes: Alabama State will be making its first NCAA tournament appearance after winning the SWAC tournament and gaining the automatic bid. The Hornets are led by Tyrone Levett, a first-team All-SWAC selection, who averaged 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. . .Alabama State's last 20-win season was in 1984.

Bear Trap
Fresno State has a 1-3 record against Cal all-time, lasting playing in the 1999 NIT, a 79-71 Cal win at Berkeley. That season, the Bears won the NIT. Fresno State's only win in the series came in 1978, a 60-55 Bulldog win at Fresno. Here's the Fresno State vs. California series history:

Year     Result                                   Location1928     California 37, Fresno State 18           Berkeley1976     California 73, Fresno State 54           Berkeley1978     Fresno State 60, California 55           Fresno1999     California 79, Fresno State 71 (NIT)     Berkeley

WAC Tournament Recap
The Bulldogs entered the 2001 Williams WAC tournament as the No. 1 seed after winning the regular season with a 13-3 record. Fresno State was upset by Hawai'i in the semifinals. The Warriors won the WAC tournament and claimed the automatic NCAA tournament bid.

In Case You Missed It
Fresno State finished with a 17-1 record at home and has an average margin of victory of 18.6 points. . .the Bulldogs finished with a 16-game home winning streak. . .Fresno State's 24 regular season wins and 13 WAC wins each equal the most in school history. The Bulldogs won 24 regular season games win 1981-82 and 13 WAC games in 1995-96. . .the Bulldogs held their two WAC tournament opponents to an average of 64 points per game . . .Fresno State is 20-1 in games when leading at the half and have not lost (12-0) when getting more rebounds than an opponent. . .only three of Fresno State's 31 games this season were decided by less than six points. Fresno State is 2-1 in those three games. . .two of Fresno State's last four losses were to Hawai'i, the hottest team in the league which on the WAC tournament and earned the NCAA's automatic bid.

Home Sweet Home
Fresno State loves Selland Arena, where it has won 16 consecutive games. Fresno State is 50-4 (.926) in WAC home games under Jerry Tarkanian. The Bulldogs have won 14 consecutive games against WAC teams at Selland Arena and 17 of the last 18.

90 is Nice
Fresno State is 7-0 this season when scoring 90 points or more and have won 16 consecutive games when scoring 90 points or more. The Bulldogs have won 38 of the last 39 games when scoring 90 points or more and are 44-3 under Jerry Tarkanian when scoring 90 or more points. Two of those three losses were overtime games.

Seasons to Remember
Fresno State's current 25-6 record is the fourth-best in school history. Here are the best seasons in Fresno State history by wins and winning percentage:

Winning Percentage           Most Victories.900 (27-3), 1981-82         27, 1981-82.862 (25-4), 1980-81         25, 2000-01, 1980-81, 1982-83, 1983-84.808 (21-5), 1963-64.806 (25-6), 2000-01

Rolling Bulldogs
Fresno State is 33-7 (.825) in its last 40 games dating back to last season. The Bulldogs won eight straight at the end of last season, but had their string snapped with a first round loss to Wisconsin in the 2000 NCAA tournament. Fresno State has a 25-6 record this season.

Winning Streaks
The Bulldogs held the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 13 games earlier this season. The 13-game streak tied for the longest in school history.

FRESNO STATE'S LONGEST WINNING STREAKS13---2000-0113---1980-81

Three 'Dogs Named All-District
After capturing the school's first conference basketball championship in 19 years, three of the Fresno State's players have been named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches All-District 13 team. Junior Melvin Ely and freshman Tito Maddox were selected to the NABC/Chevrolet District 13 first team and sophomore Chris Jefferies were named to the second team. All three players will be placed on the ballot for the NABC/Chevrolet All-America team, which will be announced at the end of the season.

Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic Champions
Fresno State, competing in its first Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, defeated North Carolina State 82-63 in Springfield, Mass. Fresno State will have a display in the Basketball Hall of Fame, including the team uniform, for winning the game. The Bulldogs are in elite company, joining the following schools as Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic Champions: Arizona (1989, '96,), UCLA (1991), DePaul (1980), Duke (1979, '88), Illinois (1984), Indiana (1999), Kansas (1998), Kentucky (1996), UMass (1994), Michigan (1985, '93), North Carolina (1987), North Carolina State (1983, '86) Purdue (1992), St. John's (1982), Villanova (1990), and Virginia (1981).

Raiders of the Lost Arc
Demetrius Porter, Fresno State's top three point shooter last season, got off to a poor start, but has caught fire since the WAC season started. He is shooting .391 overall and shot .440 in WAC games, which ranked seventh. As as team, the Bulldogs are shooting .364 from the land of three for third-best in the WAC. That's up from .331, which ranked last in the WAC heading into league play. The Bulldogs are led by Travis DeManby (38-91, .418), who ranked sixth in the league, Porter (81-207, .391), Chris Jefferies (54-144, .375) and Tito Maddox (20-64, .312). The Bulldogs averaged 8.06 threes per game in WAC games, which led the league. Porter led the WAC in threes made per game 3.19 and Jefferies ranked sixth at 2.06.

Raiders of the Lost Arc II
While Travis DeManby is leading the Bulldogs in three point shooting, the sophomore from Medford, Ore.., has been in a terrible slump. DeManby has not made a three-pointer in five consecutive games, missing all seven attempts in that span. He has missed his last 11 consecutive attempst and has made just four of his last 17 attempts (.235). He has gone nine games without make two three pointers in a game.

WAC Honors
The Western Athletic Conference men's basketball postseason award winners as selected by the league,s nine head coaches were announced today. The first team is led by Fresno State junior Melvin Ely who was also voted the WAC,s Player of the Year. In conference games only, Ely averaged 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and led the WAC in field goal percentage (.627). UTEP senior forward Brandon Wolfram is a first-team selection for the second straight year. Rice's Mike Wilks, Fresno State's Chris Jefferies and Hawai'i's Predrag Savovic were also first team selections. Fresno State guard Tito Maddox was named the WAC's Freshman of the Year. Maddox averaged 13.7 points 8.1 assists and 1.9 steals in conference only games. Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian was named the Don Haskins Coach of the Year after leading the 25th-ranked Bulldogs to a 24-5 record and Fresno State's first ever WAC regular-season title (13-3).

2001 WAC Men's Basketball Postseason Award Winners
First Team
Melvin Ely, Fresno State, C, 6-10, 256, Jr., Harvey, Ill. (Thornton Township)
Brandon Wolfram, UTEP, F, 6-9, 230, Sr., Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo)
Mike Wilks, Rice, G, 5-11, 180, Sr., Milwaukee, Wis. (Rufus King)
Chris Jefferies, Fresno State, G/F, 6-8, 216, So., Fresno, Calif. (Arkansas)
Predrag Savovic, Hawai'i, G/F, 6-6, 225, Jr., Herceg Novi, Yugoslavia (UAB)

All-WAC Second Team
Jeryl Sasser, SMU, G, 6-6, 200, Sr., Dallas, Texas (Kimball)
Kevin Johnson, Tulsa, F, 6-7, 215, So., Missouri City, Texas (HCYA)
Tito Maddox, Fresno State, G, 6-4, 190, Fr., Compton, Calif. (Compton)
Damon Hancock, SMU, G, 6-3, 195, Jr., Lancaster, Texas (Lancaster)
Eugene Costello, UTEP, G, 5-10, 165, Jr., New Orleans, La. (Midland College)

Player of the Year: Melvin Ely, Fresno State
Freshman of the Year: Tito Maddox, Fresno State
Don Haskins Coach of the Year: Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State

All-Newcomer Team
Chris Jefferies, Fresno State, G/F, 6-8, 216, So., Fresno, Calif. (Arkansas)
Tito Maddox, Fresno State, G, 6-4, 190, Fr., Compton, Calif. (Compton)
Eugene Costello, UTEP, G, 5-10, 165, Jr., New Orleans, La. (Midland College)
Andre Hazel, Nevada, G, 5-11, 175, Fr., Garden Grove, Calif. (Artesia HS)
Phil Martin, HawaiOei, F, 6-7, 198, Fr., Ontario, Canada (Cathedral HS)

All-Defensive Team
Melvin Ely, Fresno State, C, 6-10, 256, Jr., Harvey, Ill. (Thornton Township)
Chris Jefferies, Fresno State, G/F, 6-8, 216, So., Fresno, Calif. (Arkansas)
Derrick Davenport, TCU, C, 6-10, 184, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind. (Florida CC)
Mike Wilks, Rice, G, 5-11, 180, Sr., Milwaukee, Wis. (Rufus King)
Dante Swanson, Tulsa, G, 5-10, 170, So., Wagoner, Okla. (Wagoner)

WAC Leaders
Several Fresno State players led the WAC in various categories. Here's a look at the WAC leading Bulldogs.

Free Throw % in WAC Games: Demetrius Porter (.860, 43-50)
Assists in WAC Games: Tito Maddox (8.12)
Blocked Shots (Overall, WAC Games): Melvin Ely (2.86, 3.00)
Field Goal % in WAC Games: Melvin Ely (.627, 131-193)
Assist-Turnover Ratio (Overall, WAC Games): Demetrius Porter (2.32, 2.58)

Nationally Ranked 'Dogs
Here's where Fresno State players rank in the most recent (March 5) NCAA statistics:

Field Goal Percentage: Melvin Ely (.583, 186-319), 16th
Blocked Shots: Melvin Ely (2.9), 15th
Team Scoring: Fresno State (83.3), 6th
Winning Percentage: Fresno State (.828), 9th
Scoring Margin: Fresno State (12.1), 15th

Tark's 25
When Jerry Tarkanian wins 25 games as basketball coach, his teams have been successful in the NCAA tournament. Tark's teams have failed to advanced to the "Sweet 16" only four times in 11 NCAA appearances when it wins 25 regular season games. This is the first 25-win season at Fresno State for Tarkanian.

3,000 Miles To Graceland
Despite being approximately three hours apart, the Bulldogs and Bears will be traveling nearly across the nation to play at Memphis in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is Fresno State's second appearance in Memphis in NCAA tournament action. The Bulldogs lost to Louisiana Tech 66-56 in the first round of the 1984 NCAA tournament.

Porter Point
Senior guard Demetrius Porter has been one of the premier and yet under appreciated guards in the WAC. Over the last two seasons, no player in the WAC has been ranked in the top 15 in as many statistical categories and yet he failed to receive at least second-team All-WAC in either season. Here is where he ranks in the Fresno State career lists:

Career Assists                           Career Steals2. Chris Herren (1996-99)       465      1. Dominick Young (1995-97)     2273. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     450      2. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     194
Career Three-Pt FG Attempts              Career Three-Pt FG Goals3. Wil Hooker (1989-92)         677      3. Wil Hooker (1989-92)         2624. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     539      4. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     218
Career Three-Pt FG Percentage1. Brian Santiago (1993-94)     .448 (99-221)2. Demetrius Porter (1998-)     .404 (218-539)

Ely, Maddox Classification
Fresno State head coach Jerry Tarkanian said that Melvin Ely, who is listed as a senior in the 2001 media guide and Tito Maddox, who is listed a sophomore, are both on track to regain an extra year of eligibility. Both Ely and Maddox were NCAA non-qualifiers and had to sit-out their first years at Fresno State. This same situation happened with former Bulldog Terrance Roberson, who gained his fourth-year because he was on track for graduation in four years. Ely will be listed a junior and Maddox as a freshman for eligibility purposes.

Mount Margin
When the Bulldogs win they win big. During Fresno State's 25 wins this season, they are averaging a margin of victory of 17.0 points per game. In their 17 home victories, the average margin of victory was 21.9 points per game. Here's a breakdown of Fresno State's winning margins.

NUMBER OF VICTORY BY SCORING MARGIN0-5 ------ 26-10 ----- 411-15 ---- 716-20 ---- 521-25 ---- 426-30 ---- 131-35 ---- 036-40 ---- 140+ ------ 1

NCAA Tournament History
The Bulldogs are 1-4 in NCAA Tournament games. Here's a look at their previous NCAA Tournament games.

Appearances: Four (1981, 1982, 1984, 2000)
Record: 1-4

1981
Northeastern 55, Fresno State 53 (March 13, 1981 - El Paso, Texas)
Coach Boyd Grant guided Fresno State to a 25-3 regular season record and led the 'Dogs to their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Fresno State's 13-game winning streak was snapped by Northeastern in the first round. The 'Dogs had a six-point lead at halftime 36-30, but a scoring drought over the last 5:13 proved costly. Rod Higgins scored a game-high 24 points for Fresno State.

1982
Fresno State 50, West Virginia 46 (March 13, 1982- Logan, Utah)
The Bulldogs returned to the NCAA tournament for the second straight season and earned their first win over West Virginia 50-46. The game was close throughout, but a Rod Higgins baseline jumper from 17 feet at 8:05 of the second half gave the 'Dogs a lead they would never give up. Higgins scored 18 points and Tyrone Bradley scored 11 for Fresno State.

Georgetown 58, Fresno State 40 (March 18, 1982 - Provo, Utah)
Fresno State advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament and had to play the Georgetown Hoyas in Provo, Utah. Led by future NBA all-stars Eric "Sleepy" Floyd and Patrick Ewing, the talented Hoyas easily beat the Bulldogs 58-40. The last tie of the game came at the 13:45 mark of the first half at 8-8. From there, Georgetown went on an 11-2 run and dominated the game. Floyd scored 15 for the Hoyas and Ewing added 15. Higgins scored 12 for the 'Dogs.

1984
Louisiana Tech 66, Fresno State 56 (March 15, 1984 - Memphis, Tenn.)
Fresno State reached the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons but had to travel to the Mid-South Coliseum and the Midwest Regional for a first round matchup with Louisiana Tech. Led by Karl Malone, who scored 24 points and had 12 rebounds, Louisiana Tech overcame a seven-point first half deficit to take a two-point halftime lead. La. Tech would never give up the lead and won 66-56. Ron Anderson scored 18 points and Scott Barnes scored 16 points and had 10 rebounds for Fresno State.

2000
Wisconsin 66, Fresno State 56 (March 16, 2000 - Salt Lake City, Utah)
Fresno State reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 16 years but met the red-hot Wisconsin Bagders in the first round. The Bulldogs were the No. 9 seed in the West regional and led by NCAA scoring champion Courtney Alexander, but Alexander was held to a career-low 11 points by the defense-minded Badgers, which held the Bulldogs to just 48 field goal attempts. Terrance Roberson led the Bulldogs with 19 points. It was Jerry Tarkanian's first-ever first round loss in the NCAA tournament. Wisconsin used that win to gain momentum and eventually reached the 2000 Final Four.

Fresno State Athletics

Men's Basketball Plays California in NCAA Tournament

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