Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Pepperdine
Swipe Party Sparks Dogs' 64-51 Victory
12/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. --- The pressure has been ready to burst for a Bulldog lockdown on the defensive end of the floor and Fresno State applied a steady dose of disruption in their 64-51 non-conference victory over Pepperdine on Saturday night in the Save Mart Center.
"I was very pleased with our effort tonight," head coach Steve Cleveland said of the Dogs' performance that held the visiting Waves to season lows in every statistical category. "It's nice to have energy off the bench. We have an opportunity to get some momentum during this homestand."
The momentum of a two-game winning streak can be credited to energy, heart and discipline as the Bulldogs forced 15 steals for the most swipes in game by a Fresno State team in almost three years and caused the Waves to turn the ball over 27 times.
Fresno State's junior Tim Steed, who transferred to the Dogs this season from Chicago's Highland Community College, asserted himself in an aggressive fashion and recorded career-bests in both scoring (17 points) and rebounding (7).
Greg Smith added 14 points and freshman point guard Kevin Olekaibe notched 11 points for his fifth double-digit night in the past six games. Bracken Funk chipped in seven points, including a perfect clip at the charity stripe (5-5), and paced the Dogs with a career-high four steals.
After leading 30-26, the Bulldogs seized the momentum with a 13-4 run midway through the second half.
Keion Bell scored a game-high 18 points for Pepperdine (4-8) and Taylor Darby added 13. Both finished with six rebounds.
Fresno State (3-5) won its second straight in the tip off of a five-game homestand that featured giveaways from China Peak Mountain Resort, including free lift tickets and a snowboard to a lucky fan at halftime.
"It feels great to get back to back wins," Funk noted. "This helps us get ready for conference play and we will be ready to go next Saturday against North Dakota State."
The Dogs will take their finals this week and host the North Dakota State Bison next Saturday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
"We Are Your Team!" --- The Bulldogs are hosting a five-game homestand during the holiday season and next face North Dakota State (Dec. 18). All fans are asked to bring teddy bears to toss on the court at halftime so they can be donated to families in need. The home stretch will then continue against Pacific (Dec. 21), San Jose State (Dec. 29) and Nevada (Jan. 3). Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
