Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Princeton (McCaffrey Classic)
Men's Basketball Bounced by Princeton 72-67
12/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec 7, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - Judson Wallace scored 26 points as Princeton used its methodical half-court offense to defeat Fresno State 72-67 on Saturday in the McCaffrey Classic.
Renaldo Major scored 20 points for Fresno State, which lost for the first time since 1995 in its own tournament. Coincidentally, that 1995 loss came to Princeton.
Konrad Wysocki added 11 points and Will Venable 10 points and nine assists for Princeton (4-1), which shot 53.2 percent from the field and 11 of 22 from three-point range.
"We shot 57 percent from the floor, but it was our defense and rebounding that cost us this game," Lopes said. "This team has to learn that no matter how we do on offense, it is going to be our ability to defend and our ability to rebound the ball that is going to get us wins."
Fresno State (1-3) pulled to within 68-65 on Major's three-pointer with 56 seconds remaining. Princeton then patiently worked the ball to Wallace, whose hook shot bounced through the hoop with 20 seconds left to put the Tigers back ahead by five.
The Bulldogs had one final chance to tie the score following a Princeton turnover but Marcus West's three-pointer with :07 left clanged off the rim. Princeton went to the free-throw line for its final two points.
After starting just 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, the Tigers caught fire for the last 10 minutes of the first half and part of the second, netting eight of their next 10.
Shantay Legans added 18 points and seven assists for Fresno State. Mustafa Al-Sayyad had 13 points.
Princeton led 40-33 at halftime despite 65 percent shooting by the Bulldogs. The teams combined for 32 assists and 17 turnovers.
