KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News SourceFresno St. Basketball: Men & Women Win Again

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Olekaibe scored 26 points, including the clinching dunk with 4.8 seconds left, to lead Fresno State over Utah State 60-54 on Saturday night.

"I'm real proud of our guys for how hard they fought and played tonight," first-year Bulldogs head coach Rodney Terry said. "Utah State has a great team that plays at a very high level."

Jerry Brown added 14 points and Tyler Johnson had 12 for the Bulldogs (11-14, 3-6 Western Athletic), who won consecutive conference games for the first time this season while ending a 10-game losing streak to the Aggies.

Morgan Grim and Preston Medlin led Utah State (12-12, 4-5) with 13 points apiece.

Fresno State never trailed during the contest and tied a school record with just three turnovers, which equaled the three committed in 1984 against Long Beach State.

The 'Dogs also recorded 12 steals and forced 16 turnovers by the Aggies, who had no steals.

"Give them (Bulldogs) credit... "They were excited to play," reigning WAC Coach of the Year Stew Morrill said of the Bulldogs. "Their pressure was good and they forced a lot of turnovers."

RUSTON, La. - Fresno State newcomers Ki-Ki Moore and Madison Parrish met Louisiana Tech for the first time on Saturday night. The duo wasn't phased by the loud crowd of 7,034 and combined for 35 points as the Bulldogs defeated the Lady Techsters 61-59.

"Louisiana Tech had a great environment," said head coach Adrian Wiggins. "We played a good and competitive team tonight. I'm proud of effort and attitude on and off the court."

The `Dogs (19-4, 7-0 WAC) finish the first half of Western Athletic Conference play undefeated and in first place.

It came down to the last final seconds for the Bulldogs. La Tech had the ball with less than 10 seconds left and the `Dogs defense forced a turnover giving Fresno State the win.

"We executed things towards the end of the game better than we have in previous games," said Parrish. "And I think that helped us get the win."

Moore finished the night with 20 points, four rebounds and five steals. Parrish was the only other Bulldogs to score in double figures with 15 points. Junior Rosie Moult led the team with 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs opened the game with a steal leading to a fast break layup for Moore. The `Dogs recorded 12 steals against the Lady Techsters and are averaging 12.1 steals per game this season, which is among the top 20 in the nation.

"It doesn't matter who we play," said Parrish. "We come out playing our game and tonight we did that and got the win."

Also defensively, the Bulldogs forced 20 turnovers and scored 14 points off La Tech turnovers.

La Tech's Shantale Bramble-Donaldson made a 3-pointer to take an early lead, but was held scoreless for next 4:32 as the Bulldogs went on a 12-0 run to pull ahead 14-3 with 15:02 left on the clock. 

The Bulldogs maintained a comfortable lead throughout the first half and headed to halftime with a 31-21 lead over La Tech.

Parrish led all scorers in the first half with 11 points. Moore had three first half steals and the `Dogs recorded a total of seven steals in the first 20 minutes of the game. Moult led the team with five rebounds.

Moore scored a quick eight points to open the second half. The Lady Techsters cut away at the Bulldogs double figure lead and trailed Fresno State by three points with 10:43 left in the game.

A three-pointer from the Lady Techsters brought them within one of the Bulldogs with 8:08 left to play. Another trey from Andrews tied the game at 49-49.

A jumper from senior Veronica Wilson gave the Bulldogs a two-point edge with under six minutes to play. The `Dogs continued to answer with back-to-back layups from Moore as Fresno State's lead grew 59-53 with 3:05 left in the game.

Under Wiggins, the Bulldogs are 10-9 against La Tech and have won two games in a row over the Lady Techsters.

The Lady Techsters held their "Pack the House" night against the Bulldogs and had an announced crowd of 7,034. Fresno State hosts its own "Pack the House" night on March 1 against La Tech. Don't miss the action and help the Bulldogs pack the Save Mart Center.

Courtesy: Fresno St. Athletics