Feb. 12, 2009
Box Score
RUSTON -- Louisiana Tech junior Kyle Gibson showed Thursday night why he is one of the WAC's top players after scoring a season-high 26 points while leading Tech to a 55-42 win over Fresno State in the Thomas Assembly Center.
Gibson finished the night shooting 8-of-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from behind the three-point line while locking down defensively with five steals.
"Kyle was just terrific for us tonight," Tech head coach Kerry Rupp said. "We tried to get him the ball after he knocked down a few three-pointers. We noticed he was getting into a grove and that was great for us. It was nice to see him have the game he had."
Gibson came out firing in the first half scoring 13 points on perfect shooting from the field and free throw line and put Tech up by as much as 19-11 with over five minutes to play in the first half. Fresno State would close the gap, however, and Tech took a 25-21 lead into the halftime locker room.
Tech opened second half with an 18-4 run over the first seven minutes to take a 43-25 lead with 12:49 to play in the game. Fresno State would climb back into the ballgame, however, over the remainder of the second half, but would not reclaim the lead as Tech finished with the 55-42 win.
"At the end of the day, sometimes it's not pretty, but we found a way to win," Rupp said. "That is what we have been preaching to our guys about. Defensively, we played very well. We did some terrific things tonight. Offensively, we grinded it out, and it wasn't going to be pretty, but we got the win."
This win is Tech's first over rival Fresno State since the 2005-06 season. Fresno State had won the last five meetings between the two teams on the hardwood.
Gibson's 26 points were a game high for all players, while Sylvester Seay led Fresno State with 11 points.
The Bulldogs get back on the road Monday, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m. against New Mexico State in a televised ball game. Cox Sports local channel 26 will provide the action, while KXKZ 107.5 FM will broadcast for radio. A live audio stream can be found at www.z1075fm.com.
