Feb. 23, 2008

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FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Eddie Miller scored 25 points and Kevin Bell added 19 points and nine assists to lead Fresno State over Cal Poly 76-70 on Saturday night.

Miller's 3-pointer with 2:28 left, his sixth of the game, put Fresno State (13-15) ahead for good in the nonconference game between Central California teams.

Lorenzo Keeler had 21 points and Trae Clark added 19 for Cal Poly (10-15), which fell short after rallying from a 10-point deficit in the final 14 minutes.

With Fresno State trailing 62-60, Tyson Parker tied the game with 3:13 left by tipping in his own missed layup. Following Miller's go-ahead 3-pointer, Bell dished to Parker for a fast-break layup that put the Bulldogs ahead 67-62 with 1:50 left.

Cal Poly began fouling on every possession, but Fresno State made 9 of 10 free throws down the stretch to keep the Mustangs at bay. Dwight O'Neil added 15 points for the Bulldogs.

Shawn Lewis had 14 for Cal Poly, which got only two points off the bench.

The Bulldogs won their second straight game despite being outrebounded 41-35 and committing 18 turnovers compared Cal Poly's 14.

Fresno State led 41-33 at halftime thanks to an 8-0 surge midway through the period capped by consecutive 3-pointers by O'Neil and Miller.

At halftime, Fresno State honored its 1983 team that won the National Invitational Tournament. Coach Boyd Grant and several players from that team were in attendance.

Head Coach Steve Cleveland
"We did not handle their zone very well and that our fault as coaches. We missed some great opportunities inside. We will work on that this week. We have not seen much zone this year. "

"When you have three players score in like we did tonight, you should win the game. I think Cal Poly is a good basketball team. Shelton and Clark are good players. Even though Matt Hanson only had two points tonight, he's a very good player."

"I thought Dwight (O'Neil) played very well in the first half. Tyson played well, especially the final four our five minutes. We got some really good efforts from a lot of players tonight."

On the NIT Anniversary Celebration
"It was great to have those guys back in campus. It was a special night. I owe a lot of my coaching philosophy of Coach Grant. As a high school coach, he always welcomed me and showed me great respect. All I know about man-to-man defense I learned from him. He was a great teacher and needless to say a great basketball coach."

1983 Remembered
Fresno State honored the 1983 NIT Championship team in halftime ceremonies of Saturday night's game. In one of the greatest moments in Fresno State Athletics history, the Bulldogs and the Red Wave took New York City by Storm in March of 1983.

The Bulldogs, under legendary head coach Boyd Grant, were having a terrific season that would eventually see them win 25 games.

After missing a change to play in the NCAA tournament, the Dogs showed their resilience and talent as they entered the National Invitational Tournament.

The Dogs opened the NIT with a 71-64 victory of UTEP and Hall of Fame Coach Don "Bear" Haskins and followed that up with a win over another legendary coach Jud Heathcoate in a 72-58 win at Michigan State.

The Dogs were on the road for the third round, returning to the West Coast to defeat Oregon State 76-67 in Corvallis. That win earned the Dogs a trip to New York City's famed Madison Square Garden and a date in the NIT Final Four. No Bulldog basketball team had ever made such a national statement.

After a win over Wake Forest, 86-62, the Bulldogs found themselves in the NIT Championship against the powerful DePaul Blue Devils and their legendary coach Ray Meyers. The feisty Bulldogs would not be denied, earning a 69-60 victory and a special place in college basketball history.

Ron Anderson was named the 1983 NIT Most Valuable Player and Tyrone "T-Bone" Bradley and Bernard Thompson were selected to the NIT All-Tournament team.

Members of that championship team at the game include:

In addition to a solid 15 points against Cal Poly, Dwight O'Neil had a season-high three steals. O'Neil will be the featured guest on Sunday's Bulldog Insider show on KSEE 24 TV, which is live at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Join the State - Fresno State! The Fresno State men's basketball team will host New Mexico State in the Save Mart Center on Saturday, March 1 at 7 p.m. Stick around at halftime as we honor longtime Fresno State athletic trainer Ed Ferreira for his 29 years of service in a special ceremony. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com, by phone at (559)-485-TIXS, or in person at the Save Mart Center box office.