Fresno pounds Maine

FRESNO, Calif.- Led by first-year head coach Jerry Tarkanian, the all-time winingest coach by percentage in the NCAA, Fresno State rolled past the University of Maine basketball team 66-49 in the first round of the 17th annual Coors Light Classic Friday night.

Spoiling Maine’s season-opener was Bulldog’s junior guard Kendric Brooks, who shot an astronomical 6-of-6 from 3-point territory and 9-of-11 overall for 27 points.

Maine center Greg Logan grabbed 16 rebounds, nine offensive, while guard Ramone Jones was the Black Bears leading scorer with 13.

Maine senior guard Casey Arena finished the evening with 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting (0-for-8 from the 3-point range). Overall, the Black Bears three big guns of, Arena, Matt Moore and John Gordon – were 1-for-13 from 3-point range.

The scoring drought continued for the Bears as they went scoreless for the first 5:39 of the second half.

With last nights loss, the Black Bears wil play Boise State in the Coors Light Classic consolation game at 8:30 p.m. tonight.

In the Classics first game, Princeton improved to 3-0 this season with a 61-41 victory over the Broncos. The Tigers and Fresno State will play in the championship game at 10:30 p.m. tonight.

The first half wasn’t the way Maine wanted to start off this regular season.

Playing a close battle for the first eight minutes of the game – when Fresno State and Maine had five ties and three lead changes – the Black Bears went into their locker room at halftime down 35-20 after shooting a dismal 23 percent (7-of-31) from the field.

Things were actually going well for the Black Bears, making only their second trip to California in the programs 75 seasons, afer taking a 10-6 lead at the 15:45 mark.

Bulldog starting point guard James Graywas called for his third personal with 12:53 remaining in the first half.

Fresno State took a timeout. Gray stayed in after that, but the Bulldogs switched to a man-to-man defense to a 2-3 matchup zone.

That was when the problems started for the Black Bears.

Maine, not prepared for the defensive change could not penatrate Fresno State’s suffocating defense and missed 17 consecutive shots while turning the ball over nine times.

Meanwhile, the Bulldogs put together a 16-0 run in the next 6:30, building a 26-9 lead.

With 7:40 remaining in the first half, Logan made one of two free throws to end Maine’s scoring drought. Two minutes later, junior guard Ramone Jones made the teams only 3-pointer out of seven attempts in the first half.

Arena, all-North Athletic Conference last season, scored eight points and collected three steals in the first half.