Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Illinois State
Fresno State Downs Illinois State, 55-47
11/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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FRESNO, Calif. - Sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe scored 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half as Fresno State rallied for a 55-47 nonconference victory over Illinois State on Saturday night to make Bulldogs' coach Rodney Terry a winner in his debut as a Division I head coach.
"We played with great energy tonight," Terry said. "We were diving all over the floor and playing hard. Our offense will get better, but to hold a team like Illinois State to 30 percent field goal defense, that's a good performance. They (ISU) will do well in the Missouri Valley this year."
Olekaibe's three-point play with 1:06 remaining sealed the victory for Fresno State after the Redbirds had closed to within a point on the previous possession.
Junior forward Kevin Foster, who also made his Fresno State debut, added eight points and six rebounds for the Bulldogs and senior guard Jonathan Wills made four straight free throws in the final 30 seconds. Jerry Brown crashed the glass all night for seven points and six boards.
"We haven't asked Jerry to score a single point for us this year, but we've asked him to be a defensive presence and he's done that," Terry said of Brown. "Jerry has really fallen into what we've asked him to do in terms of being a junk yard dog, being a multi-use player, getting rebounds and making that presence felt on both ends of the floor."
Nic Moore led Illinois State with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Jackie Carmichael added 12 points and nine rebounds for a Redbirds team that shot just 30 percent from the field.
Taking advantage of an 8:49 scoreless drought by Illinois State midway through the second half, the Bulldogs reeled off 12 straight points to turn a four-point deficit into a 46-38 lead.
Then it was Fresno State's turn to go 6:02 without scoring, which allowed the Redbirds to pull to within 48-47 on Moore's third 3-pointer with 1:26 left.
Illinois State immediately called timeout, but the Bulldogs seized the momentum to finish the game on a 7-0 run.
John Wilkins' one-handed runner with 1 second left pulled the Redbirds into a 26-26 halftime tie as Illinois State closed with a 17-6 run.
Moore helped erase what had been a double-digit deficit by making 3-pointers on consecutive trips. The second, with 1:21 remaining, tied the game at 24.
Fresno State led by as many as 11 points in the first half.
The Redbirds, after starting 3 of 16 from the field, scored 16 of their 26 first-half points in the final 6:20.
"Our Town. Your Team!" --- Fresno State will play at Stanford on ESPNU in the opener of the NIT Season Tip Off on Monday at 8 p.m. The next chance to see the Bulldogs at the Save Mart Center is Nov. 30 when the Academy of Art University Urban Knights visit the San Joaquin Valley. Season tickets are available through the Bulldog Ticket Office.
