Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Bulldogs Win 5th Straight at Home, Fly By Warriors 78-64
1/9/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif.--Sophomore guard/forward Paul George led an energized and motivated Bulldog men's basketball team with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds in Fresno State's 78-64 wire-to-wire victory over Western Athletic Conference rival Hawai'i on Saturday night in the Save Mart Center.
"I thought Paul had his best night with the ball as he had six assists and attacked the basket," head coach Steve Cleveland said after the Bulldogs' fifth straight home win. "We need to win at home. I was happy with our effort and we did very well in our speed gain offense. Hawai'i is a very good rebounding team and we held our own. Every win is a good win."
Four Bulldogs reached double figures for the sixth time this season. Senior forward Sylvester Seay scored 17 points and grabbed a game-high five offensive rebounds while sophomores Steven Shepp and Mike Ladd added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
"Shepp is deceptively fast," Cleveland said of one of the WAC's leading newcomers along with freshman Greg Smith. "We need to keep getting better, but we practice transition every day and really focus on using our athleticism to our advantage."
George credits Shepp for his style of play and ability to get the ball to right guy.
"Shepp is a great point guard," George said of the sophomore transfer from Alleghany College of Maryland. "We feed off his energy and it's like playing in the park. We have fun on the court and he is very talented."
Shepp started the scoring by turning a steal into a fast-break layup and the Bulldogs never looked back. Fresno State closed the first half with a 19-5 run that broke open the game and lead 47-29 at the break. The Bulldogs forced Hawaii into 15 first-half turnovers, resulting in numerous dunks and layups.
On the night, Fresno State outscored Hawai'i 40-22 in the paint, 32-10 off turnovers and 20-0 in fast-break plays.
Jeremy Lay scored 14 points for Hawaii (8-8, 1-2), which committed 20 turnovers. Roderick Flemings added 13 points, all in the second half.
Fresno State concludes their four-game homestand and three straight in Fresno to start WAC action by hosting San Jose State on Monday night at 7 p.m. in the Save Mart Center.
"We Are Your Team!" Catch the Bulldogs fly by the Spartans on Monday night at 7 p.m. in the Save Mart Center. Get your tickets today at www.gobulldogs.com.
