This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Fresno, Calif. • Kevin Olekaibe scored 26 points, including 17 in the second half, to lead Fresno State over Utah State 60-54 on Saturday night.
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 committed just three turnovers while recording 12 steals. The three turnovers equaled a school record. The Aggies finished with 16 turnovers and no steals.
After trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half, Utah State tied the game at 34 on Danny Berger's 3-pointer with 11:04 remaining.
But Olekaibe answered with a 3-pointer at the other end, giving the Bulldogs a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Aggies got to within one point four times in the second half. But with 3:47 left, Johnson found an open Brown for a corner 3-pointer, barely beating the shot clock and increasing Fresno State's lead to 50-46.
Utah State got to within 52-50 on a pair of Medlin free throws with 39 seconds left. But once the Aggies started fouling, Johnson and Olekaibe combined to make six straight free throws down the stretch.