Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Bulldogs Edged by Warriors, 62-58
2/11/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
HONOLULU - The Bulldogs men's basketball team battled Hawai'i to the brink, but missed too many shots down the stretch in losing 62-58 at Hawai'i late Saturday night before a near-capacity crowd at the Stan Sheriff Center.
"We fought hard, but missed too many wide open looks when we needed them," Fresno State head coach Rodney Terry said. "Hawai'i took advantage of their opportunities and we didn't. It's disappointing, but there is still a lot of basketball to be played this season."
Redshirt sophomore Jerry Brown III delivered yet another solid effort as he led the Bulldogs (11-16, 3-8) with 17 points, which tied a career-high. Junior Kevin Foster helped Fresno State inside and pulled down 13 rebounds - one shy of his career-best - and limited the size advantage down low for UH.
The Bulldogs uncharacteristically turned the ball over eight times in the first half, but responded in the second half by not coughing up any in the second half.
The Bulldogs did not score in the first 5:22 of the game as Hawai'i took a 9-0 lead. The Rainbow Warriors led by 11 points in the first half, but Fresno State tied it at 24-all on a Kevin Foster tip-in with 4:30 remaining in the first half.
Hawai'i got the last four points of the half to lead 28-24 at the break.
Hawai'i used a 10-0 run to take a 45-37 lead with 12:22 remaining. Fresno State pulled to within a basket with about four minutes to play following a pair of Tyler Johnson free throws, but it got no closer.
Vander Joaquim danced around the low post with 23 points and 11 rebounds to help the Rainbow Warriors (14-10, 6-4 Western Athletic) remain a longshot in the conference title hunt - three games back of Nevada with four to play.
UH's Hauns Brereton scored 12 points and Joston Thomas added 11 in the late night affair.
For Fresno State, who played for nearly 3,000 miles away from home and less than 50 hours after suffering a double overtime loss at San Jose State, Terry was proud of the effort, but emphasizes the power of going for a knockout punch.
"We've got to have a killer instinct," Terry noted. "We have to be able to lock down and make a stop on defense when the game is on the line. We have to play with a sense of urgency and find ways to win."
Fresno State will play its first of two non-conference opponents next Saturday at Northridge as the 'Dogs take a two-week break from WAC action and end the regular season by hosting a four-game homestand.
"We are one of the best conditioned teams in the country," Terry said. "At this time of year, it's more mental than physical. You have to be ready to execute and make plays. Our focus is now squarely on being ready for Northridge."
We Are Your Team!" --- Fresno State will visit Cal State Northridge for the 2012 Sears Bracketbusters on Feb. 18 in the Matadome, with tip off slated for 7 p.m. PT. This will be 30th meeting (and first since 2005) between the CSU programs, with Fresno State owning a 24-5 all-time series lead. The 'Dogs have won six of the past seven and 10 of the last 12 games against the Matadors. Fresno State then returns to the Save Mart Center for its final four regular season contests. Tickets are available at www.gobulldogs.com.
