Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Begin Homestand Against Nevada
2/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2004
- Game Notes (Section I)
- Game Notes (Section II)
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Game #26: Nevada (17-8, 10-5) at Fresno State (12-13, 8-7)
Saturday, Feb. 28 | 6 p.m. | Save Mart Center (16,116) | Fresno, Calif.
TV: None | Radio: KMJ AM 580 | Spanish Radio: KOOR AM 790
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State kicks off its season-ending three-game homestand tonight against a Nevada team that rests near the top of the conference. The Bulldogs are 12-13 (8-7 WAC) and have lost eight of their last 11 games, including Monday's three-point defeat at Rice. While Fresno State may be struggling, the Wolf Pack are sniffing the top seed in the conference tournament. Nevada is 17-8 (10-5) and just one game behind first place UTEP. The Wolf Pack are playing their final road game of the year this evening.
Nevada leads the all-time series 35-32, including victories in four of the last five. The Wolf Pack handed Fresno State its worst loss of the season earlier this year, an 84-65 defeat at the Lawlor Center. Last year's meeting in Fresno between these two teams was one for the ages, a 107-99 victory by the Bulldogs in double overtime that gave Fresno State the WAC title. Of the 66 times Nevada and Fresno State have met, 49 came before 1973. The Bulldogs have won six of the last eight meetings in Fresno.
No team in the WAC this year has had more heartbreaking losses than Fresno State. In what has seemed like a broken record all season, the Bulldogs just simply cannot come up with victories in close games. Monday's 63-60 loss at Rice dropped the team to 2-8 in games decided by five points or less. Of Fresno State's last five losses, four have come by five points or less. That record is actually 0-8 this year against teams not named SMU, against which the Bulldogs own their only "close" victories of the year - 55-54 in Fresno and 75-74 in double overtime in Dallas. The struggles come one year after Fresno State was a sparkling 8-4 when the margin of victory was five or less.
