Fresno State Athletics
Dogs Host Defending WAC Champs Saturday
1/12/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. - As winners in six of its past eight outings, the Fresno State men's basketball team will host the defending Western Athletic Conference champion Utah State Aggies on Saturday night at 8 p.m. PT in the Save Mart Center.
GAME NOTES: Utah State vs. Fresno State 
Fresno State (7-7, 3-1 WAC) at Utah State (14-2, 3-0 WAC)
Date: Saturday, January 15, 2011 (Tip Off: 8 p.m. PT - Approx.)
Site: Save Mart Center (15,596), Fresno, Calif.
Radio: KMJ 580 AM (Paul Loeffler/Randy Rosenbloom)
TV: None
Online: www.gobulldogs.com (Gametracker/Audio/Video)
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Next Game: Fresno State vs. Idaho [Jan. 17 - 7 p.m.]
About the Utah State Aggies
The Utah State Aggies enters the week at 14-2 on the season and 3-0 in WAC play.
Fresno State Starts Strong, Opens WAC Play with 3-1 Record
For the second straight season, the Bulldogs opened WAC action with a 3-1 record. Fresno State defeated San Jose State (75-62) and Nevada (80-74) at home before beating Louisiana Tech (63-56) and losing to New Mexico State (80-68) on the road in a WSN broadcast.
Smith Stepping Up as a Sophomore, Dominating Low Post
Sophomore Greg Smith, the 2009-10 WAC Freshman of the Year and a 2010-11 Preseason All-WAC selection, helped the Fresno State pound Louisiana Tech while grabbing a career-high 12 rebounds, including nine in the first half. Smith's aggressive approach continues to dominate the low post and frontcourt with an average of 10.6 points per game.
Olekaibe Scoring Double-Digits on Nightly Basis
Freshman guard Kevin Olekaibe (pronounced O-lay-key-bay) earned his way into the Dogs' rotation for his ability to score and dynamic style of play. He is averaging a team-high 11.2 points per game with 10 or more points in nine of the past 12 games. Olekaibe, a native of Las Vegas, is also the team leader in assists (31, 2.2 apg), steals (20, 1.4 spg) and 3-pointers (29). He scored a career-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, on the road at NMSU.
Shepp Dishing and Dashing His Way Back on the Hardwood
Junior point guard Steven Shepp, who missed the first nine games of the season academically ineligible, is back on the hardwood and hasn't missed a beat. The veteran has produced an extremely efficient performance through his first five games with 21 assists and seven turnovers. Shepp's experience and maturity have been key to his 3.00 assist-to-turnover (A-TO) ratio and leading Fresno State to a 3-1 WAC record as the Dogs' starting point guard.
Fresno State's Lasting Success One of West Coast's Best
Over the 32-year period (1978-2010), the numbers show that Fresno State is one of the top Division I basketball programs on the West Coast. Fresno State ranks fourth among the 33 Division I programs in wins (577) and winning percentage (58%).
"We Are Your Team!" --- Fresno State returns to the Save Mart Center on Saturday at 8 p.m. against defending WAC regular season champion Utah State. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com and a special discount package for $32.99 that includes two tickets, a parking spot, a $10 concession credit and 20% off at the Bulldog Shop can be found at the two Fresno and one Clovis Costco locations.
