Fresno State Athletics
School Info - Official Athletic Site
Selland Arena's Greatest Games Fan Poll
Fresno State's 68-43 victory over fifth-ranked UNLV in 1984 was the winner of the Selland Arena Greatest Games fan poll. Over 3,000 users voted online, with nearly 28 percent choosing the Bulldogs' 68-43 win over the Rebels.The Jerry Tarkanian-led Runnin' Rebels entered that game 23-1, ranked No. 5 in the nation and riding the wave of a 14-game winning streak, the longest in the country. Their only loss to that point was to second-ranked Georgetown, who would eventually go on to win the national championship.
The Bulldogs were 17-7 and had lost all four games to UNLV since the Rebels entered the Pacific Coast Athletic Association the year prior. But each game had been close, and a rivalry had been building, creating pressure-cooker like intensity heading into the game.
A sold-out crowd invaded Selland Arena expecting a game fraught with tension. But the Bulldogs refused to follow the script, winning the game 68-43 and handing UNLV its first conference loss in nearly a year.
Ron Anderson led Fresno State with 27 points while Bernard Thompson added 10 boards and Mitch Arnold dished out 10 assists. But it was the Bulldogs' stifling defense that wreaked havoc with a Rebels offense that came in averaging 87.9 points per game.
"Obviously, we got our butts kicked," Tarkanian said after the game. "Their matchup [zone] killed us."
Grant called the victory his "biggest surprise in coaching. I didn't see any way we could win by that margin."
Fresno State went on to once again defeat UNLV in the PCAA Tournament at The Forum and received a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
Here are the final results:
1984 vs. UNLV: 27.6%
2000 WAC Tournament vs. Tulsa: 25.3%
2000 WAC Tournament vs. Hawaii: 23.5%
1985 NIT vs. Santa Clara: 12.5%
1977 vs. California: 10.2%
Others: .01%
A warm Bulldog thank you goes out to all those that voted in the poll.