Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs, Runnin' Rebels face off Saturday
2/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game 23: UNLV (13-10, 4-6 MW) at Fresno State (14-8, 5-4 MW)
Feb. 6, 2016 -- 4 p.m. PT -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV: ESPN3/WatchESPN (Trey Bender/Bill Herenda)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Randy Rosenbloom - English) & 1600 AM ESPN Deportes (Jesse Beltran/Octavio Duarte - Spanish)
Series History: UNLV leads 30-9 (overall) and 10-5 (games played in Fresno)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 69, UNLV 66 (Dec. 30, 2015 - Las Vegas, Nev.)
Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State is looking to secure its second-ever season sweep of UNLV.
• Fresno State is off to its best 22-game start (14-8, six games above .500) since the 2006-07 season when being eight games above .500 (15-7).
• Fresno State leads the MW in offensive rebounding (13.7/game).
• Fresno State was picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West by the league's media in a preseason poll in mid-October.
• Fresno State has improved its conference win total in each of the last three seasons since head coach Rodney Terry arrived in 2011.
• REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS
A Special Day: Tark Toy Drive & 'Night in Navy'
The Red Wave and Rebel Nation are encouraged to donate new stuffed toys at Saturday's game as the Tarkanian Family launches the Tark Toy Drive to raise awareness for how strokes can happen at any age. The toy donations for children at Valley Children's Hospital and University Medical Center of Southern Nevada will be collected at the Save Mart Center's northwest entrance/concourse on gameday from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT. Tickets for the game start at $15 with all fire, police, paramedics, veterans and active military getting free admission for Heroes Night. All fans are asked to wear NAVY as part of a special "Night in Navy" promotion as the Bulldogs will wear their alternate navy uniforms and 2,500 limited edition navy t-shirts, courtesy of Table Mountain, will be given away throughout the game.
Harris Climbing Up the Record Books
• Harris is ranked No. 3 on Fresno State's all-time scoring list (1,716 points) - 23 points away from tying Wil Hooker (1,739) for second.
• Harris is ranked No. 5 all-time on Fresno State's career steals list (173) - nine steals away from tying Wil Hooker (182) for third.
• Harris is ranked No. 6 all-time on Fresno State's career field goal attempts list (1,346) - 18 away from tying Roy Jones & Wil Hooker (1,362) for fifth.
• Harris is ranked No. 8 all-time on Fresno State's career assists list (330) - 14 assists from tying Wil Hooker (344) for seventh.
'Dogs, Runnin' Rebels Face Off Saturday
Fresno State (14-8, 5-4 Mountain West) will host the UNLV Runnin' Rebels (13-10, 4-6 MW) on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network, 940 AM ESPN Radio and 1600 AM ESPN Deportes. Fresno State's rotation is headlined by a veteran backcourt in three senior guards, including 2015-16 Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year Marvelle Harris, and frontcourt in juniors Karachi Edo and Cullen Russo.
About the UNLV Runnin' Rebels
The UNLV Runnin' Rebels (Mountain West) are 13-10 this season, including a 4-6 start in conference play and sit in seventh place in the league standings. UNLV is led by Patrick McCaw (12.8 ppg) and Stephen Zimmerman, Jr. (11.1 ppg/9.2 rpg). UNLV leads the all-time series with Fresno State 30-9, but the Bulldogs and Rebels are even at 3-3 in the series since Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry arrived in 2011.
Between the Baselines: Statistical Notes
• Fresno State has a +4.7 rebounding margin/game (870-767) this season.
• Fresno State has a +3.3 turnover margin/game (262-334) this season.
• Fresno State owns a +3.2 steal margin/game (173-104) this season.
• Fresno State owns a +1.2 block margin/game (96-71) this season.
• Fresno State has limited 19 of its 22 opponents to under 80 points.
• Fresno State has not committed more turnovers than its opponents in 18 of 22 games this season, 33 of its last 41 games, and 118 of the 156 games (75.6 percent) since head coach Rodney Terry's arrival in 2011.
Between the Baselines: Harris Highlights
• Harris scored a season-high 32 points in 81-74 win over San Jose State.
• Harris is No. 3 in the MW in scoring (19.0 ppg, conference games only).
• Harris is No. 3 in the MW in scoring (18.6 ppg, full season).
• Harris is No. 3 in the MW in assists (90, 4.1 apg).
• Harris is No. 3 in the MW in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9 A-T/O, 90-47).
• Harris is averaging 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Edo Flying High, Continuing to Improve
Karachi Edo has been a fan favorite since his arrival at Fresno State in 2013 for his high-flying athleticism and passionate play. On the floor, Edo has made significant progress during his Fresno State career - his scoring average is up to 9.3 ppg this year as a junior after doubling his scoring average to 8.0 ppg as a sophomore from 4.0 ppg as a freshman. He is also averaging 7.1 rpg up from 4.3 rpg as a sophomore from 3.3 rpg as a freshman. Edo leads the MW in offensive rebounding (3.6/game). He also has a team-best nine career double-doubles, with six coming this season.
Watson's Versatility Key as Bulldogs Rise
Bulldogs' junior guard/forward Paul Watson - the 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year - gives Fresno State a versatile option on the wing and the post. Watson has played both slots this year, primarily on the wing. This season, he has stretched opposing defenses behind 27-for-71 (38.0%) from beyond the 3-point arc and has the second-most blocks on the team.
Russo Earning Bigger Role for MW Stretch Run
Junior college transfer Cullen Russo, a 6-9 versatile forward, has used his agility and length to separate himself as a key contributor, especially on the boards and offensively in the paint. Russo made his first start in the Bulldogs' 71-60 win over Wyoming when he posted a double-double (10 points/10 rebounds) for his second double-double of the season. Defensively, he disrupts lanes and gets in good position to rebound. Offensively, Russo also gets his teammates involved as a good distributor of the ball as he is one of five rotation players with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
Protecting the Yard
• Fresno State is 11-2 at home this season - the third-straight season the Bulldogs have won at least 11 home games and eighth all-time at the SMC.
• Fresno State is one of two MW teams with a league-leading 11 home wins this season and one of four schools to have hosted 13 home games already this season.
• Fresno State is 22-5 overall at home since the start of the 2014-15 season.
• Fresno State is 138-67 (67.3 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.
• Fresno State has won 13 of its last 15 home games.
• The Bulldogs own a +7.7 rebounding margin at home, compared to a +0.4 rebounding margin in road games.
Fresno State Continues MW Ascent
Fresno State continued its ascension in conference play with 10 league wins and posted wins over four of the 68 teams that made it to the 2015 NCAA Tournament (Boise State, San Diego State, UC Irvine and Wyoming) during the 2014-15 season. Each of those four teams won either their regular season or conference tournament championship. The Bulldogs also earned a first-round bye as the No. 6 seed in the 2015 MW Tournament.
