Dec. 10, 2009

FRESNO, Calif. - After a resounding 69-37 victory over the San Diego Toreros and a smooth 80-72 ride past the Pepperdine Waves to start the week in style, the Fresno State Bulldogs welcome the three-time defending Mountain West Conference champion Brigham Young University Cougars for their first visit to the Save Mart Center at 7 p.m. Saturday night.

The contest marks the first time head coach Steve Cleveland will meet his former team of eight seasons and starts a home-and-home series with the perennial postseason participant Cougars. Fresno State will start the 2010-11 season in Provo, Utah on Nov. 12, 2010 in the Marriott Center. The two schools last met when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference in 1999.

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GAME #9: Fresno State (4-4) vs Brigham Young University (7-1)
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2009 (Tip Off: 7:00 p.m. PT)
Site: Save Mart Center (15,596); Fresno, Calif.
Radio: KMJ 580 AM (Paul Loeffler/Randy Rosenbloom)
TV: Bulldog Sports Network (Ralph Wood/Bob Donewald)
Online: Bulldog All-Access: www.gobulldogs.com or www.ESPN360.com

Cleveland Primed to Compete Against BYU for First Time
When Steve Cleveland made the decision to restore the academic and athletic excellence of his hometown Bulldogs, he left the BYU program he built in the reliable hands of his top assistant, Dave Rose. As the Cougars' head coach for eight seasons (1997-2005), Cleveland transformed the program into a consistent championship contender as he collected a 138-108 mark, garnered 2003 MWC Coach of the Year honors and won a trio of conference titles with three NCAA appearances. Cleveland continues to visit Provo throughout the year.

Bulldog Legend Brian Santiago Returns to Alma Mater with BYU
Brian Santiago, one of Fresno State's best shooters and competitors during his two seasons (1992-94) with the Bulldogs, makes a special return to his alma mater as the BYU Senior Associate Athletics Director. An instrumental facilitator in fostering the home-and-home series between Fresno State and BYU, Santiago remains the best 3-point shooter in Bulldog history with a career 45% clip (99-221) and ranked as one of the top Bulldog career assist men (354). Santiago will be honored during the first half of Saturday's contest.

About the Cougars
Brigham Young University, the three-time defending Mountain West Conference champion, is 7-1 on the season with key victories over Arizona State, Bradley and Hawai'i. The lone loss occured on the road at Utah State. The Cougars are led by Jimmer Fredette, who averages 18.0 ppg. Dave Rose, who took over for Cleveland in 2005, is in his fifth season with BYU and sports a 104-35 record as the head coach of the Cougars. Brian Santiago, a former Bulldog men's basketball standout player, now works as the Senior Associate Athletics Director at Brigham Young University.

Against the Cougars
Fresno State trails the overall series with BYU, 11-3. The last meeting came on Feb. 18, 1999. The Bulldogs won the contest, but later vacated the victory due to the use of an ineligible player. The most recent game that remains in the record book came on Feb. 24, 1996 when Fresno State won 95-83. The schools first met during the 1935-36 season when the Cougars swept the Dogs in a pair of contests. In the 1994 NIT, Fresno State defeated BYU 68-66.

THIS WEEK: Bulldogs Rout Toreros, Ride Waves for Perfect Record
On Sunday afternoon, the Fresno State men's basketball team dominated from start to finish against formidable foe San Diego as the Bulldogs applied a suffocating defensive pressure and executed their offensive game plan to near perfection for a 69-37 victory over the Toreros. The Dogs were sparked up and down the roster and highlighted by senior forward Sylvester Seay's game-high 21 points and 10 rebound to mark three games with more than 20 points. Sophomore forward Paul George added nine points, nine rebounds and four steals for Fresno State, which held San Diego to 18.6 percent shooting and 11 field goals, the best defensive effort in recent memory. The Toreros recently knocked off nationally-ranked Oklahoma, Stanford and Houston. The sharp-shooting of Paul George and Steven Shepp, the low post intensity of Greg Smith and Sylvester Seay, and the defensive focus of a motivated Bulldog roster led to an 80-72 win at Pepperdine on Tuesday night in the Firestone Fieldhouse. George produced his second 29-point performance of his career, with the other coming last season at home against Boise State, catapulted by a deadly stroke in the second half. Shepp netted five 3-pointers in the first half alone.

Come See Dogs Fly During the Holiday Season
With the Fresno State men's basketball team expected to compete for a WAC championship with exciting offensive sets and strong defensive pressure, Bulldog fans can see their Dogs fly and packages are available for every budget. The Bulldogs will play six home games this month so the Red Wave can celebrate throughout the holiday season with their family and friends. Tickets are available at the Save Mart Center Box Office or Ticketmaster locations. All seating for mini plans is in the premier lower bowl and can be purchased at the Bulldog Ticket Office by calling (559) 278-3647 or by logging onto www.gobulldogs.com.

"We Are Your Team" - On December 12, the Cougars of BYU will be at the Save Mart Center to confront your Fresno State Bulldogs. Tip-off for this intense match-up has been scheduled for 7 p.m. You can catch the game on the Bulldog Sports Network (KAIL MY53 - Comcast Cable, Channel 13) with the pre-game show, "Hittin' the Hardwood", airing at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through the Save Mart Center Box Office, by calling 559-485-TIXS or through Ticketmaster.com.