Another home-cooked win
A win at home gives Fresno State an 8-1 record at home
Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
Above: Having missed two games due to an incomplete grade, the Bulldogs' Dwight O'Neil came back with a passion Thursday, scoring 11 points. Below: With another 23 points against New Mexico State, Fresno State's Quinton Hosley halped lead the Bulldogs to its three point victory.
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By Chhun Sun
The Collegian
It was exactly what coach Steve Cleveland wanted.
When the inside game is nonexistent, he wants his Bulldogs to operate from the perimeter. Or better yet, in the case of Thursday night’s game against New Mexico State, throw shots up from beyond the arc and see what happens.
“There’s no one to throw inside the post like a Tyrone Nelson,” Cleveland said referring to the Aggies 6-foot-9 forward. “So we have to shoot.”
And they did exactly that.
 The Bulldogs made 14 three-pointers to defeat the Aggies 75–72 at the Save Mart Center. The win takes away some pain they endured last week at Hawaii when the Bulldogs set a Western Athletic Conference record for three-pointers with 37 and lost 65-73.
Not this time, although the Bulldogs (10–7, 3–3 WAC) only hit one more than they did against Hawaii.
“Before, I couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean,” said Quinton Hosley, who made four three-pointers to finish with 23 points. “The shots fall when you’re shooting with confidence.”
Even with the consistency of three-pointers, the game went down to the final seconds.
“There was a little bit of irony tonight,” Cleveland said. “What happened tonight was the exact same thing that happened at their place.”
What Cleveland is referring to is the Bulldogs loss to New Mexico State on Jan. 12, with the Aggies winning by making last-second free throws to seal the score 73–70.
Thursday night’s game was a role-reversal.
 In the second half, the Bulldogs let a 14-point lead slip. Elijah Ingram made a fancy lay-up before being fouled with about two minutes left, and then made the free throw to cut the lead to five.
Ingram, who finished with 16 points, came through again with 29 seconds left when he converted a three-point play to cut the lead to one.
“Ingram is a mighty good point guard,” Cleveland said simply.
But the Bulldogs didn’t let down. They got help from Dwight O’Neil, who returned for his first game after missing two because of academic ineligibility.
“Some nights he hits shots, and some nights he doesn’t hit the shots,” Cleveland said. “But he always gives a great effort.”
Cleveland admitted he was worried about O’Neil being rusty, but it didn’t show when the Bulldogs needed the sophomore guard, who had 12 points.
He made two crucial free throws with eight seconds left to give Fresno State a three-point cushion.
That was the kind of night it was for the Bulldogs, who were down 10 early in the first half. Then came the hot shooting. Kevin Bell and Quinton Hosley both made three 3-pointers to help Fresno State come back from behind and go into the locker rooms 38–33.
“When my opportunities come to shoot the ball, I’m gonna shoot,” Bell said.
He certainly did, and the sophomore point guard finished with 11 points to go along with eight assists.
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