Your Sunday game report links for Saturday's WAC games

This had to be the best game to watch of the WAC night:

Bulldogs outlast Gents in 2 OTs
Jimmy Watson
Shreveport News
December 13, 2009

It's a shame that wildly entertaining battles like the one Centenary and Louisiana Tech waged on Saturday night in the Gold Dome are rapidly coming to a close.

Instead of crowds of nearly 3,000 seeing the Bulldogs overcome a 22-point second-half deficit to defeat the Gents 102-96 in two overtimes, the series will likely end with Centenary set to drop to Division III in the near future...

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Daniel Lyght/Fresno Bee has the scoop on why the 'Dogs fell to BYU:

Dogs turn over win to BYU
Miscues cost Fresno State in loss to coach's former team.
Daniel Lyght
The Fresno Bee
December 12, 2009

Brigham Young guard Jackson Emery tipped the pass near the top of the key, sprinted after the ball, gathered it, and scored a layup as Fresno State's Paul George and Brandon Sperling followed after him.

The bucket slowed the Bulldogs' late rally, pushed the Cougars' lead back to 10 and once again told the story of a Fresno State loss.

Fresno State forced 18 turnovers while playing inspired defense and gave effort until the final buzzer sounded, but BYU scored 22 points off the Bulldogs' 21 turnovers and won 72-67...

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Matt James/Fresno Bee has a column on Greg Smith, who isn't producing like a typical freshman.

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Chris Murray/Reno Gazette-Journal cover the Wolf Pack win over South Dakota State:

Nevada heats up at Lawlor
Chris Murray
Reno Gazette-Journal
December 13, 2009

As cold as the weather was outside Lawlor Events Center on Saturday night -- and it was a winter wonderland -- that's how hot the Nevada basketball team was in the first half of its game against South Dakota State.

The Wolf Pack nailed 19 of its first 27 shots en route to an 18-point halftime lead before cruising to a 92-72 victory over the Jackrabbits in front of 3,130 fans...

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Here's Travis Mason-Bushman with his early report on Idaho's scraping by Eastern Oregon.

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Per Nick Jezierny/Idaho Statesman, San Diego enjoyed the cold and topped host Boise State, aided by a whistle that was later pulled back:

Broken plays and an inadvertent whistle help San Diego exit Boise with a victory.
Nick Jezierny
Idaho Statesman
12/13/09

So much for getting hot at home.

Instead, the Boise State men's basketball team was slowed in its tracks Saturday night in a 59-56 loss to San Diego in front of 2,359 fans at Taco Bell Arena.

The Broncos (5-4) squandered a 10-point lead early in the second half and two of its last three shots were airballed 3-pointers that let the Toreros (5-6) win their first road game of the season...

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Hot-shooting Aggies whip the Wolverines
Jared Eborn
Deseret News
Dec. 13, 2009

LOGAN — Whatever shooting woes had been plaguing Utah State over the past couple of weeks, they're gone — at least for one game.

Behind some dead-eye shooting from the 3-point line, the Aggies (5-3) blew aside Utah Valley in a 87-56 contest that was close only for the first few minutes...

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and

Ags bounce back big
Shawn Harrison
Herald Journal
December 13, 2009

5 players reach double figures

Nothing like starting a new streak with a blowout win.

Utah State bounced back from its first home loss in more than two years in a big way Saturday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in front of a crowd of 9,147. The Aggie men’s basketball team got balanced scoring, owned the glass and came close to putting together a complete game against Utah Valley University.

Ten minutes into the contest there was no doubt in the outcome. USU would maintain close to a 30-point lead throughout most of the second half in a 87-56 victory...

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and

Ags in a runaway
Newbold spurs Utah State's domination of Utah Valley.
Tony Jones
The Salt Lake Tribune
12/13/2009

For most of the season, Utah State's Tyler Newbold's been missing his jumper.

There was no reason for his shooting woes. He wasn't rushing his shot. He wasn't hesitating. It just wasn't going in with the consistency that it had in the past.

Newbold fixed that on Saturday night. In leading the Aggies to an 87-56 win over Utah Valley University, the junior guard scored 11 points on one end, locked down Jordan Swarbrick on the other and hit a trio of three-pointers in the process...

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Hawaii had no problem hosting Chicago State last night:

Hawaii routs Chicago State
'Bows spread scoring, use zone to claim third straight victory, 83-58
Dayton Morinaga
Honolulu Advertiser Staff Writer

Here's a Christmas wish for the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team: more Chicago States on the schedule.

The Rainbow Warriors got into a festive mood last night in an 83-58 romp over Chicago State.

"Going into the game, I told them I wanted them to have fun," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "Not the fun in the sense that you're laughing and giggling, but you're sharing the basketball, you don't care who scores ... I thought they played with that mentality..."

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and

UH roars past Chicago State
Brian McInnis
Honolulu Star Bulletin
Dec 13, 2009

No one will confuse what happened for most of the first half of Hawaii's game at the Stan Sheriff Center last night with exquisite basketball.

Then Adhar Mayen did his best Kobe Bryant impression, and the rout was on.

UH's No. 24 hit a banked 3-pointer from the top of the arc at the halftime buzzer (reminiscent of the Lakers star's banked game-winner from that spot against the Miami Heat on Dec. 4) and ignited the Rainbow Warriors to an 83-58 win over Chicago State.

The Rainbows (5-4) won their third straight game -- tying the longest streak in Bob Nash's three-year tenure as head coach -- as the team heads into a nine-day break from games for final exams. Then it's on to the inaugural Diamond Head Classic on Dec. 22, UH's new signature holiday tournament...

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