Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Pacific
Olekaibe Scores 17, Bulldogs Fall to UOP
12/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. - In the Dogs' final tuneup before starting Western Athletic Conference play next Wednesday, Fresno State struggled to find an offensive rhythm in a 65-55 loss to Pacific on Tuesday night in the Save Mart Center.
Bulldog freshman Kevin Olekaibe hit five 3-pointers on the evening when he scored a career-high 17 points. Olekaibe, a native of Las Vegas, Nev., continued his hot streak as he became the team's leading scorer by averaging 10.3 points per game through the Bulldogs' first 10 contests of the season.
"Our effort and energy were good, but we didn't execute and finish shots," head coach Steve Cleveland said. "That was about as poor an offensive performance as we have had this season. Kevin hit some key shots down the stretch. As a team, we need to hit our free throws and did not get the job done at the line tonight. We are going to need to play a lot better next Wednesday against San Jose State."
The Dogs' slow start against the Tigers, who delivered a solid showcase of their deliberate and steady style of play that resembles features of Utah State and Idaho's sets, put Fresno State in a hole that Olekaibe and the Dogs could recover from in time.
"We got off to a slow start," Olekaibe noted. "I felt comfortable on the floor, but all the credit goes to my teammates for finding me at the right times."
After falling behind 24-13 late in the first half, the Bulldogs used the full 35-second shot clock before freshman Bracken Funk knocked down his only field goal of the night as the shot clock expired to close the gap to eight.
The Tigers responded with two more points before Fresno State closed the half with a Tyler Johnson jumper and Nedeljko Golubovic's miraculous prayer of a lay-up. The senior team captain worked the offensive glass that he converted into a basket that looked more like a jolt of lava spouting out of a volcano.
Demetrece Young scored a game-high 21 points for Pacific, who led 26-20 at the half. Young shot 7 for 11 from the field, including 3 of 5 behind the 3-point line, and added five assists and four rebounds. Sam Willard had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Tigers, who led by as many as 20 before Olekaibe's late surge from long range.
Fresno State will take a break for the holidays before starting WAC play versus rival SJSU on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. in the Save Mart Center.
POST GAME NOTES
• With the 65-55 loss to Pacific, Fresno State had its three-game win streak snapped to close its 2010 non-conference slate. The Bulldogs will also play non-conference games against Seattle University (Jan. 24), CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 7 and Feb. 16) and an ESPN BracketBusters foe (TBD).
• Fresno State falls to 4-6 on the season before starting Western Athletic Conference play in eight days against San Jose State on Dec. 29 at 8 p.m.
• Nine of the Bulldogs' ten games this season have been decided by 10 or more points.
• Fresno State turned the ball over a season-low eight times.
• Freshman guard Kevin Olekaibe scored a team-high 17 points for his seventh game with 10 or more points in the past eight contests. He drained five of seven 3-point attempts on the night.
• Junior point guard Steven Shepp played in his first game of the season after sitting out the first nine games of the year due to academics. He scored three points and dished out three assists in his return to the hardwood.
• With 10 steals in the game, Fresno State recorded 10 or more steals for the third straight game and fifth time this season.
"We Are Your Team!" --- The Bulldogs are hosting a five-game homestand during the holiday season. The home stretch continues when the Dogs start WAC action against San Jose State (Dec. 29) and Nevada (Jan. 3). Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
