Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Fresno Pacific (Exhibition)
Dogs Down Sunbirds
11/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 4, 2006
FRESNO, Calif. - The game plan called for a win. That's exactly what the Fresno State Bulldogs gave coach Steve Cleveland Saturday afternoon in a 63-54 win over Fresno Pacific at the Save Mart Center. The Dogs beat their cross-town neighbor Sunbirds for the second straight year in an exhibition game. The attendance for Saturday's game was 10,513.
For much of the game Fresno State had a hard time getting the ball through the basket. After 27 minutes, the Dogs were shooting just 19 percent from the floor and trailed the Sunbirds 39-35. From that point, the Dogs outscored Fresno Pacific 29-15 thanks to good defense, making free throws and timely shooting. The Dogs had more rebounds than the Sunbirds by a margin of 10 (48-38). Fresno State finished shooting 29 percent for the game, making 18-of-63 shots and 5-of-26 from three point range. The Bulldogs went to the free throw line 27 times making 22.
"Having a game like this was good for us," Cleveland said. "I told the guys afterward that a game like this will help us down the road. It put us in position to have to make stops and get the ball back. I don't care about the final score or style points. Winning by 40 or 50 points wouldn't do us any good. Winning a game like this will help us. Fresno Pacific gave us a game for 40 minutes and that's what's important. We had to earn this game."
Fresno State got its first lead 45-44 on a Ja'Vance Coleman free throw with 8:02 remaining in the game. The Dogs never trailed again. Coleman led all scorers with 17 points. Junior guard Kevin Bell, who had a game-high five assists, scored 16 points for the Dogs. Senior standout Quinton Hosley had 10 points, 16 rebounds and three steals.
"I like playing Fresno Pacific and we will continue to play them," Cleveland said. "This is a good game for both schools and I like the competition we get. They are a good team and well coached."
Fresno State's defense held the Sunbird to less than 35 percent field goal shooting and forced 18 turnovers and had seven steals. Dan Apolonario led the Sunbirds with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bulldogs finished their exhibition schedule with two wins, after beating Cal State Los Angeles 91-59 on Halloween night. None of the records or statistics of exhibition games will count toward the 2006-07 records. The Dogs have 18 home games remaining this season, including three this week.
Fresno State Tournament
Fresno State opens the 2006-07 season by hosting the Fresno State Tournament Nov. 10-12 at the Save Mart Center. The teams in the tournament include Winston-Salem State, UC Irvine and South Alabama. The Jaguars were 24-7 last season and went to the NCAA tournament from the Sun Belt Conference.
Fresno State Tournament
Nov. 10
UC Irvine vs. S. Alabama, 6 p.m.
Fresno State vs. Winston-Salem State, 8 p.m.
Nov. 11
UC Irvine vs. Winston-Salem State, 6 p.m.
Fresno State vs. South Alabama, 8 p.m.
Nov. 12
S. Alabama vs. Winston-Salem State, 3 p.m.
Fresno State vs. UC Irvine, 5 p.m.
Ticket Mini-Plans Available for 2006-07 Season
With high expectations for the 2006-07 Bulldog basketball seasons, fans will be able to take advantage of unprecedented ticket options for the Fresno State men's and women's basketball seasons. The Fresno State athletics department introduced four different mini-plans for the upcoming season. Three, five, seven and 10-game packages will be offered. Visit gobulldogs.com for details on the various ticket plans and specials.
Join the State - Fresno State! All of these ticket plans are available now by calling the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS. Fans can also purchase tickets online at www.gobulldogs.com or single game tickets from Ticketmaster.
