NCAA West: Wisconsin cuts short Fresno State's trip

SALT LAKE CITY -- Jerry Tarkanian's return to the NCAA tournament after a nine-year absence didn't last long. <br><br>Jon Bryant scored 21 points, including four consecutive 3-pointers from the

Thursday, March 16th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SALT LAKE CITY -- Jerry Tarkanian's return to the NCAA tournament after a nine-year absence didn't last long.

Jon Bryant scored 21 points, including four consecutive 3-pointers from the left corner, as No. 8 seed Wisconsin beat ninth-seeded Fresno State 66-56 on Thursday night in the West Regional.

Tarkanian, the subject of decades-long investigations by the NCAA, had been away since 1991 when UNLV reached the Final Four, capping 16 trips to the tournament for him with the Runnin' Rebels.

It took five years and four straight trips to the lesser NIT for Tarkanian to get his alma mater of Fresno State into the NCAA tournament. Along the way, there were embarrassing player suspensions and arrests.

The Badgers (19-13) beat the Bulldogs (24-10) for the third time in the last three years.

Fresno State's Courtney Alexander, the nation's leading scorer with a 25.3 average, was held to 11.

A pro-Fresno State crowd had much to cheer about early in the second half when the Bulldogs built a seven-point lead on consecutive 3-pointers by Demetrius Porter and Terrance Roberson, who led the Bulldogs with 19 points.

Unlike his 16 appearances with UNLV in the tournament, the sad-eyed Tarkanian didn't chomp on his trademark white towel. He stood with his hands jammed in his pockets watching Alexander miss two straight baskets as the Badgers regained the lead midway through the second half.

Melvin Ely dunked to put the Bulldogs ahead 44-38 before the ever-patient Badgers milked the shot clock in pursuit of a high percentage shot. Their slowdown paid off with 14 straight points for a 52-44 lead with 6:12 remaining.

Duany started the run with his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Kelley, a two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year, stole the ball and scored on a layup in between inside baskets by Kowske.

The Bulldogs went 7:26 without a basket until Alexander hit a jumper that drew them within six.

By then, Bryant had found a favorite spot in the left corner and hit four consecutive 3-pointers, pushing Wisconsin's lead to 61-46 with 4:31 remaining. His shooting was part of a 26-2 run that broke open what had been a defensive battle.

The Bulldogs came in averaging 83.1 points with their pressure-oriented, uptempo style. But Wisconsin, which limited opponents to an average of 56 points in the regular season, stuck to its deliberate style and Fresno State never tried to get the Badgers running