Fresno State
Stanford
Bulldogs' Rally Stymied by Cardinal
11/14/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
STANFORD, Calif. - Fresno State went shot-for-shot with Stanford for a half before the Cardinal used a stronger defensive effort after halftime to hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season 75-59 Monday night in the NIT Season Tip Off.
"We played hard, but not hard enough," head coach Rodney Terry said. "We battled, but have to compete at a higher level. We are going to make some adjustments and get back on the floor tomorrow ready to do everything we can to beat SMU."
Sophomore guard Kevin Olekaibe scored 19 points to lead the Bulldogs (1-1), who won their season opener over Illinois State in Rodney Terry's head coaching debut.
"We just need to regroup and get this game out of us and come back stronger tomorrow," Olekaibe said. "We left a lot of points on the floor, but had a chance in the second half to get back in it. It's a tough loss."
Senior Jonathan Wills added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Aaron Bright scored a career-high 21 points in helping Stanford draw a date with Colorado State on Tuesday.
Josh Huestis recorded his first double-double with a career-best 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinal (2-0), who have now beaten the Bulldogs nine straight times.
Josh Owens and Jack Trotter also each scored 11. Chasson Randle added 10 as the Cardinal had five players in double figures for the second straight night.
Olekaibe, Fresno State's leading scorer, was limited to four points in the first half on 2-of-7 shooting. He made his first three shots after halftime, including two 3-pointers.
Down 48-35, Bulldog forward Jerry Brown drained a pair of free throws to spark a second half rally that saw Olekaibe swish a transition 3-pointer and added another a minute later to pull the 'Dogs within five with 11:25 to play.
Stanford locked down, kept pounding the ball inside to work their way to 38 free throw attempts compared to just 15 by the 'Dogs and muscled to the 16-point victory that moved the Cardinal into the NIT Season Tip Off West championship game on Tuesday night.
Fresno State will next face the SMU Mustangs, who are coached by former North Carolina Tar Heel Matt Doherty, on Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. The game can be heard live on KMJ 580 AM.
"Our Town. Your Team!" --- Fresno State will play at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Maples Pavilion. 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.
