Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Pepperdine
George, Dogs Ride Past Waves, 80-72
12/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2009
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) - The sharp-shooting of Paul George and Steven Shepp, the low post intensity of Greg Smith and Sylvester Seay, and the defensive focus of a motivated Bulldog roster sparked a 80-72 win at Pepperdine on Tuesday night in the Firestone Fieldhouse.
George produced his second 29-point performance of his career, with the other coming last season at home against Boise State, catapulted by a deadly stroke in the second half.
Throughout the first half, Fresno State maneuvered through a choppy patch of Waves while sophomore transfer Steven Shepp surpassed his career-high with five deep 3-pointers in the first half alone to trail by only three at the break, 39-36. One of the big highlights of the opening session came when George elevated high into the air for huge swat on an assuming Wave.
After halftime, the Bulldogs scored on their first six possessions for a 13-0 run to take a 52-39 lead just three minutes into the half and extended it to a 16-2 run a minute later. On the opening possession of the second half, George hit a 3-pointer from the left wing, which got a friendly roll off the front rim to tie the score at 39-39.
The Dogs took the lead on a Smith slam and then George caught even more fire. He scored the Bulldogs next 11 points that started with a two-handed dunk and three straight 3-pointers to spark the quick run out of the locker room. George netted 14 points in less than a four minute span.
Pepperdine rediscovered their stroke as they rode a strong wave to a 54-52 advantage midway through the half before Smith tied the game when he forced a steal and delivered a monster slam dunk to even the tilt at 54-54.
The Bulldogs (4-4) took control late as Smith had three slam dunks during an 8-1 spurt that put the Bulldogs in front to stay at 60-55 with eight minutes to go. The Dogs registered 53.9 percent second-half shooting and a steady 81 percent clip from the free throw line for their second win this week heading into the marquee home game of Fresno State's season. Pepperdine fell to 3-6 on the year.
Pepperdine's Keion Bell had team highs of 24 points and seven assists. Dane Suttle Jr. added 15 points and Mychel Thompson had 11.
The Dogs returns home to face the BYU Cougars on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a "Conquer the Mountain" Save Mart Center showdown. This marks the first visit to the arena by BYU and the first meeting in ten years. It also is the first time head coach Steve Cleveland will compete against his former team of eight seasons.
"We Are Your Team" - On December 12, the Cougars of BYU will be at the Save Mart Center to confront your Fresno State Bulldogs. Tip-off for this intense match-up has been scheduled for 7 p.m. You can catch the game on the Bulldog Sports Network (KAIL MY53 - Comcast Cable, Channel 13) with the pre-game show, "Hittin' the Hardwood", airing at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the Save Mart Center Box Office, by calling 559-485-TIXS or through Ticketmaster.com.
