Fresno State Athletics
Rematch: Fresno State gets second shot at SDSU
2/9/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Stephen Trembley
strembley@csufresno.edu
www.GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. --- When Fresno State and San Diego State met three weeks ago, the Bulldogs' men's basketball team went into Viejas Arena in San Diego and showed grit and fire in taking the league-leading Aztecs to overtime before falling 73-67.
On Wednesday, the rematch will be played in Fresno at the Save Mart Center, where the home team is 12-2 this season. Tip off is set for 8:05 p.m. PT.
"To have this game at home is a great opportunity," Fresno State head coach Rodney Terry said. "Hopefully, we'll have the crowd that we did on Saturday. Our crowd was huge for us against UNLV. They gave our guys a tremendous amount of energy. Hopefully we'll have them in here tomorrow night."
With an energized crowd behind them, Fresno State (15-8, 6-4 Mountain West) is coming off a thrilling 111-104 double overtime victory over UNLV on Saturday. Senior guard Marvelle Harris – the 2015-16 Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year – scored a season-high 37 points with nine rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocks to lead an up-tempo and dynamic effort. The 'Dogs were also incredibly efficient in recording 20 assists with just six turnovers in 50 minutes of high-pressure basketball.
"This time of year, our goal is to keep improving and become more efficient on both sides of the floor," Terry said. "We always like to win in February and we want to keep improving as a team."
And to keep the train the moving forward, Fresno State can draw on the improvement of two post players fresh off their best games of their Bulldog careers.
Junior forward Cullen Russo had 17 points and 11 rebounds and sophomore center Terrell Carter II delivered 14 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's win over the Runnin' Rebels that gave the 'Dogs more home wins than any other team in the league. In the first meeting with SDSU this season, Russo played 18 minutes off the bench and Carter did not play.
"Terrell has stayed positive throughout the season and he's taking full advantage of this opportunity that he has been given," Terry said of Carter.
Carter, who has made three starts this season in 18 appearances, relishes the opportunity to make an impact.
"Coach (Terry) always tells me to just stay ready," Carter said. "We have a lot of people who can make plays on our team. Whoever it may be, everybody has got to be ready."
This is especially critical when it comes to battling programs like San Diego State (18-6, 11-0 MW), who has proven to be one of the toughest road teams in the country with the nation's third-best road record since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. However, the Bulldogs used a strong start to defeat the then 25th-ranked Aztecs 59-57 last season for their first win over a Top 25 team since 2002.
"When we're full strength, we're a really good match-up," Terry said. "We feel like we have tried to upgrade our athleticism and our grit."
Those roster upgrades – which have included an infusion of power conference and junior college transfers and high school players – have helped Fresno State compete in a league perennially known for its high-major talent and tenaciously tough defenses.
"San Diego State is a really good team," Terry said of the Aztecs. "They've showed a lot of grit throughout conference play. They had a couple of close games that could have gone either way and they found a way to win. They are well-coached and have proven to be one of the better defensive teams in the country."
Tickets for Wednesday's game start at $15 and all fans are encouraged to wear white as part of a special "WHITE OUT" promotion.
"Be Bold." --- The flagship radio stations for Fresno State men's basketball are 940 AM ESPN Radio and 1600 AM ESPN Deportes.
