Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Jose State
Fresno State Shoots Down Spartans, 82-73
1/14/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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FRESNO, Calif. - The simplicity of taking the grind of a long season "one game at a time" cannot be overstated.
Bulldogs head coach Rodney Terry remains steadfast in looking at the next game as the biggest and most important of the season.
"We came in and bounced back like men," Terry said. "You have a win or loss for one night. You have to be ready for your next challenge."
So after suffering three setbacks to start conference play, the Bulldogs used their season-long approach of never getting too high or too low and buckled down to beat San Jose State 82-73 in a Western Athletic Conference tilt Saturday night at the Save Mart Center.
"We got off to a really good shooting night to start the ball game," Terry said. "We put a lot of extra work in shooting. Our guys are confident. I feel real good about our team's effort on such a quick turnaround."
The renewed aggression on offense and defense sparked a scorching start to the game that saw Fresno State go on a 28-6 run and lead by as many as 19 in the first half.
"They really knocked down shots coming out of the locker room," San Jose State head coach George Nessman said. "Fresno (State) came out really inspired and played really well. Give them a lot of credit. Both teams fought really hard. It was a really emotional game."
Fresno State trailed for less than two minutes and used career nights by sophomore Kevin Olekaibe (32 points) and Kevin Foster (19 points/14 rebounds) to lock up their first conference win of the season.
"I was really happy for our guys. Our coaches and guys have done a great job in terms of preparation," Terry said.
That preparation led to one of the Bulldogs most efficient efforts all season, including a 21-12 assist-to-turnover ratio, a 24-for-48 shooting night from the field (50 percent)and a 23-for-29 conversion clip at the free throw line.
But the penetrating complement to a deadly long-range stroke by Olekaibe and Foster's resurgent execution frustrated the Spartans, who closed to within five, yet never mounted a charge that wasn't squashed quickly.
"The credit goes to Steven (Shepp) and TJ (Tyler Johnson)," Olekaibe said. "They were finding everyone on the floor. Everything was in the flow of the offense. Coach Terry also tells us it is mental and to fight back. Fighters fight back and nothing dictates their game."
Nessman knew Olekaibe, who is one of the nation's top sophomore scorers, would be an impact player.
"He's really good at moving off the ball and moving his feet and they run a lot of action for him," Nessman said. "He's a good player. We knew that. We're not surprised that he scored 32. We're disappointed but we're not surprised."
Fresno State (8-11, 1-3 WAC) sealed the win by making 16 straight free throws over the final 3:30.
Wil Carter led San Jose State (6-11, 0-3) with 20 points and 13 rebounds, scoring 12 of his points during the final three minutes.
James Kinney added 18 points for the Spartans, who got just seven bench points compared to the Bulldogs' 24.
Fresno State finishes its three-game homestand when CSU San Marcos visits the Save Mart Center on Wednesday night before the Bulldogs hit the road for three straight WAC contests starting next Saturday at Nevada, which will be featured on the WAC Sports Network.
"We Are Your Team!" - Fresno State closes its three-game homestand on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. when the Bulldogs host the CSU San Marcos Cougars in a non-conference contest. Tickets are available at www.gobulldogs.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office. Be sure to also follow @RodneyTerry on Twitter for updates all year long.
