Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Boise State
Olekaibe Goes for 28, 'Dogs Fall 70-63
12/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
BOISE, Idaho - Fresno State's Kevin Olekaibe delivered a season-high 28 points and the team provided a strong defensive outing, but Boise State managed to hit just enough key shots and owned the glass en route to beating the Bulldogs 70-63 on Monday night at Taco Bell Arena.
"We are going to keep building and we will get there," Terry said. "I am very proud of our effort, but it wasn't enough tonight. We came up short on a couple of 50-50 balls that are difference makers on the road."
Those difference makers and the Bronco's 18-5 advantage on the offensive glass helped give Boise State extra possessions that were crucial down the stretch.
BSU reserve forward Ryan Watkins was a big part of that equation. Watkins grabbed nine of the Broncos' 18 offensive rebounds and recorded his first double-double with 18 points and a career-best 11 total boards. In all, Boise State outrebounded Fresno State 41-25.
"Watkens was the huge difference," Terry said. "They really hurt us on the glass and made big shots when they had to."
There was no bigger shot for the Broncos then when Fresno State trailed 59-56 before BSU's Thomas Bropleh drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired to give Boise State a six-point lead with 2:41 remaining. Westly Perryman later stole the ball from Olekaibe and scored to make it 65-58 with 53.5 seconds left and seal it.
Anthony Drmic added 14 points and made four 3-pointers for the Broncos (9-3), who snapped a two-game slide and improved to 9-0 at home.
Olekaibe, who has been recovering from a minor ankle injury, shot the ball at a 10-for-17 clip (58.8 percent) from the field for his 28 - one shy of his career-high (29) a season ago.
"I am very pleased with how he bounced back," Terry said of Olekaibe. "He didn't try to force the issue and shots, like he did on Saturday. He is buying in on the defensive end and that showed tonight."
Bulldog sophomore Tyler Johnson added a career-best 17 points in the game that was featured on The Mtn., the first time for any Bulldog team on the flagship television network for the Mountain West Conference.
Defensively, the Bulldogs had eight steals and to just five by Broncos and junior Kevin Foster swatted his way to a career-high three blocks, yet the struggle on the glass proved too much to overcome.
Fresno State did start strong from the tip. Following a Bronco bucket to open the game, the 'Dogs rattled off 11 straight and forced three early turnovers to lead 11-2 at the 14:57 mark in the first half.
Boise State then tallied 11 unanswered of their own and later led 20-15 before Fresno State closed with an 8-6 spurt into the locker room to trail BSU 26-23 at halftime.
For the game, the 'Dogs outshot the Broncos 46.2 to 39.7 percent, but converted only 56.3 percent from the free throw, where they had been converting at 73.8 percent entering the non-conference game.
"We are going to stay positive," Terry said. "Our focus is on going to Arizona State and getting better every day."
Fresno State (4-8) will play its third game in six games during a Wednesday matinee at 3 p.m. PT with the Pacific-12's Arizona State (4-7), who lost on a heartbreaking buzzer beater to Southern Mississppi on Monday night. ASU will be the fifth Pac-12 opponent the Bulldogs have faced in their first 13 games of the year.
"We Are Your Team!" --- The Bulldogs are on the road leading up to the holidays and next play in Tempe against Arizona State on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. The game can be heard live on KMJ 580 AM or viewed online at: http://www.foxsportsarizona.com/pages/sundevils_stream/. Be sure to also follow Terry's Tweets from the road trip on Twitter (@RodneyTerry). The next chance to see the 'Dogs in the Save Mart Center is Jan. 2 when Boise State visits the Save Mart Center for the 2012 opener.
