Fresno State hands Rainbow Warriors fifth consecutive defeat
Advertiser Staff
The University of Hawai段 men's basketball team continued to dig itself into last place in the Western Athletic Conference with yet another loss.
Fresno State defeated the Rainbow Warriors, 61-51, tonight. It was the fifth consecutive loss for Hawai段.
A crowd of 3,202 at the Stan Sheriff Center watched the 腺ows drop to 9-14 overall and 2-8 in the WAC.
Hawai段 is currently in a tie with Boise State at the bottom of the WAC standings. Fresno State improved to 12-12 and 5-5.
Roderick Flemings had 21 points and eight rebounds, but he was the only Hawai段 player to score in double-figures.
The game was close until the closing moments, when the Bulldogs went 8 of 8 on free throws. The final margin of 10 points was the largest lead of the game.
Fresno State led by as many as seven points in the first half, and eventually took a 27-25 lead at intermission.
Both teams struggled in the first half. Hawai段 shot 45.8 percent from the field and committed 10 turnovers in the first half. The Bulldogs shot 39.1 percent from the field and committed seven turnovers in the first half.
The 腺ows opened the second half with a 10-4 run to take a 35-31 lead, but it would only be momentary. The Bulldogs answered with a 9-0 run to retake the lead at 40-35 with 10:31 remaining.
Fresno State maintained the lead the rest of the way. Sylvester Seay drained a fadeaway jump shot just as the 35-second shot clock expired, giving the Bulldogs an insurmountable 48-41 lead with 6:11 left.
Hawai段 never got closer than four after that.
Mike Ladd led the Bulldogs with 18 points, Greg Smith added 16, and Seay scored 13.
Hawai段 played without junior guard Dwain Williams, who is currently serving an indefinite suspension for violating team rules. He is second on the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game.
Fresno State played without its top player, sophomore Paul George. He sat out his fourth consecutive game with an ankle injury. He leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 17.0 points per game, and rebounding with 7.3 per game.
Hawai段's next two games will be on the road. The 腺ows will play WAC games at Louisiana Tech next Saturday, then at New Mexico State on Feb. 15.
