Fresno State
San Jose State
Dogs Win WAC Opener, 75-62
12/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. --- With a clean slate at the start of WAC action, Fresno State's focus on shooting and defensive fundamentals took center court powered the Dogs to a hard-fought 75-62 victory over San Jose State on Wednesday evening at the Save Mart Center.
"That was as good a win as we have had all year," head coach Steve Cleveland said. "I was really pleased with our effort and energy tonight, especially down the stretch when the game was on the line."
Sophomore Greg Smith and junior Tim Steed each provided a fearless effort and consistently attacked the basket. The duo both scored a game-high 16 points while senior Nedeljko Golubovic netted 13 points.
"This was a team effort tonight," Steed noted of the win that moved Fresno State into a tie for first-place in the WAC standings. "Our defense was strong and we came together. We knew what we needed to do."
At the top of the to-do list, the Bulldogs executed a gameplan to contain SJSU's Adrian Oliver. The fifth-year senior transfer from Washington entered the contest as the nation's second-leading scorer at 25.8 points per game before Fresno State limited Oliver to a team-high 15 points. He added five assists, but coughed over six turnovers.
The Dogs built an 11-point lead with 4:37 left in the first half when junior point guard Steven Shepp drained a jumpshot to lift Fresno State to a 26-15 advantage before the Spartans shot back with a 14-8 run to close to within four (33-29) at the break.
In the second half, San Jose State used an 8-0 run to tie it at 47 with 9:47 left, but Fresno State responded with a 7-0 surge. The Bulldogs never trailed in the final 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs surged past the Spartans for the 13-point victory to open conference play by snapping SJSU's three-game winning streak.
Fresno State moved to 5-6 on the season and 1-0 against WAC opponents while San Jose State fell to 8-4 on the year and 0-1 in WAC action.
The Dogs will finish their five-game homstand on Monday night in WAC contest against the Nevada Wolf Pack at 8 p.m. in the first WAC Sports Network men's basketball broadcast.
POST GAME NOTES:
• Fresno State improved to 4-1 on the season when at least three Bulldogs score 10 or more points.
• Greg Smith and Tim Steed led all scorers with 16 points each.
• Junior Steven Shepp dished out five assists with no turnovers. Since returning to the Fresno State lineup, Shepp has recorded eight assists and committed zero turnovers.
• Fresno State held SJSU to its lowest scoring output of the season.
"We Are Your Team!" --- Fresno State closes their five-game homestand on Monday night against rival Nevada at 8 p.m. in the Save Mart Center. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com. The game can also be seen in the first WAC Sports Network men's basketball broadcast. Check www.wacsports.com for affiliates across the country to watch the game.
