Fresno State Athletics
Friday, November 11
Fresno, Calif.
7 p.m. PT
Fresno State
1-0
69
vs
66
UTSA
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTSA | 23 | 43 | 66 |
| Fresno State | 28 | 41 | 69 |
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Fresno State Men’s Basketball: Bulldogs beat UTSA in Opener
11/11/2016 9:26:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State will look to build on its season-opening win over UTSA when the Bulldogs raise their Mountain West championship banner before hosting Prairie View A&M on Monday night at 7 p.m. PT. Tickets are on sale starting at $10 through the Save Mart Center Box Office and www.ticketmaster.com.
FRESNO, Calif. --- The Fresno State men's basketball team opened the season with a 69-66 victory over the UTSA Roadrunners on Friday night at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State senior forward Cullen Russo scored a career-high 23 points, including a 10-for-12 clip at the free throw line, and 10 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.
Senior guard/forward Paul Watson also added 17 points and point guard Jaron Hopkins posted seven points, six rebounds and five steals for the Bulldogs, who owned a 14-to-4 advantage in steals over the Roadrunners.
How It Happened: Fresno State was in control for the majority of the contest and the Bulldogs used a strong second-half shooting effort, making 11-of-23 from the field (47.8 percent).
Notable:
Player Spotlights:
Cullen Russo – 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal
Russo posted a career-high 23 points … scored in double figures for the 13th time in his career … shot 6-of-10 from the field … had a career-high 10-of-12 from the free throw line … recorded his sixth double-double of his career.
Paul Watson – 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Watson became the 32nd player in program history to score 1,000 … scored in double figures for the 50th time in his career … went 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Jaron Hopkins – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
Hopkins made his Bulldog debut pulling down the second most Bulldog rebounds and had a significant amount of steals in the second half.
Quoteable:
Rodney Terry, Fresno State, Head Coach
"First, I would like to recognize Veteran's Day, and say how appreciative we are for those men and women who serve for us. We thank them for their sacrifices, leaving their families, and putting their lives on the line. We really appreciate what it is that they do for us on a daily basis. For our game, it puts everything in to perspective in terms of what everything really means."
On the team's effort...
"We had a lot of great teaching points tonight. Don't take anything away from UTSA, they came in and competed really hard. There has been a standard that has been set for us, and for our program, in terms of how hard we compete and the effort that we give. We know we have to get better. We had pretty good halfcourt defense tonight. We just didn't finish possessions with physical blockouts. Like I said to our team a little while ago, we are going to work on that."
On rebounding...
"We had pretty good shooting defense on some of those, we just didn't finish possessions with physical block outs. A lot like transition defense, you have to learn that your identity is going to be a little bit physical as well, in terms of identifying who is going to do what for the team. Everybody on the team is going to have to rebound as a group; it can't just be the big guys. We are going to come back as a group, and we are going to get better at that. We are going to give a better effort in terms of trying to get a physical block out."
On Cullen Russo and Paul Watson...
"I thought those guys kept working the game. They are older players, and the thing I try to press on them is how important it is to play all the way through the possessions. These guys have learned over the years that you have to play hard all the way through; you can't take a play off of offense or defense. When you have a team down and ready to be done, you have to be ready to finish the game. Again, we have a lot of new guys that we will have to bring up to speed to understand that and understand what that means. It is not just a pick-up game, we are here to finish plays and finish possessions."
On getting the new players to mesh with the team…
"This team is going to be a work in progress for a better part of the year. We have to bring some guys up to speed. We have some young guys that are trying to gain some experience in game situations. We need Bryson Williams to give us some physical presence. We need Terrell Carter II to have at least six or seven rebounds, tonight he had zero. We are going to have some guys step up and get some things done. It is early in the year, and we will have those kinds of games this early in the year. I think the thing for us is that we can't control how well we shoot the basketball, but we can control our effort and how well we try to play physically. Every year you have to try to take on some identity, and we just have to keep working. We said to the guys that we are chopping wood, and we have got to continue chopping wood to get better."
Cullen Russo, Senior, Forward
On his new hair do…
"To be honest, I kind of stole it, from my favorite player, Paul George. I saw it and I liked it, so I stole it from him."
On his career night...
"I feel like I did pretty good. I know I could've rebounded a lot more. I missed a couple assignments and let a couple guys get a couple of attempts or buckets. Other than that, overall I think I gave really good effort. I picked up my motor a lot. Last season that was a big question, you know, 'Where's his motor? Where's his motor?' I feel like this year I'm trying to prove that that won't be a question."
On rebounding...
"To me, it shows a couple of things. One, that we did great in making them take tough shots. Rebounds are from missed shot, so that is an improvement on the defensive part. Really just finishing the play is the big thing. I saw that they had 20 or so more shots than us, so we really have to work on finishing out the play. We got lucky with getting that win but we can't expect to keep going out like that during the season."
On team chemistry at this point in the season….
"Right now I feel like we're pretty good. There are a few things we can still work on to become closer on the court but I think every guy trusts every guy. Every guy likes every guy. We have a great team, we're fun to be around, we love to hang out. Its just about trusting in each other a little bit more and knowing what each guy is capable of doing and what they're not capable of doing.
Paul Watson, Senior, Forward
On the win...
"It is a big win for us being the first game of the season. It's nice to be able to protect home ourt but you know like Coach Terry says, being at home just isn't enough. We just have to watch the film, learn from it and move on to the next one."
On maturity progression and shot clock awareness from freshmen season to senior season…
"That is something that I have had to learn and grow with over the years, especially shot clock awareness. I have matured over the four years and I've experienced a lot of things so, no, I probably wouldn't have made that shot. It was a big play but I'm just happy we came out with the win."
On rebounding...
"We pride ourselves in when we play on the defensive end and it's about finishing out the possession. Coach always says it's something we have to address in practice and get it fixed. It's early right now in the season, so we have time to clean that up. It is definitely something we will be working on in practice."
Up Next: Fresno State continues its three-game season opening homestand on Monday at 7 p.m. PT versus Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs also host Lamar University on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. PT.
Non-conference single-game tickets start at $10, except for the Dec. 10 game vs. Cal Poly, which start at $15 for adults and $10 for youth (2-18 years old). Fans can also purchase non-conference single game tickets for center court and club seat sections for $65 on a limited availability.
Single game tickets can be ordered by visiting the Save Mart Center Box Office located at the northwest corner of the arena, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online through ticketmaster.com.
Group tickets for all games are on-sale now with discounts for groups of 10 or more. Please call 559-278-3647 and Press 1 to speak with a Bulldog Ticket Office sales representative.
Fresno State men's basketball season tickets and mini plans are also available, with season tickets starting at $149. Mini-plans also feature conference games and represent a significant discount when compared to the single game ticket price.
Tickets can be ordered by calling 559-278-3647 and then pressing "1" to order your tickets today.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Fresno State senior forward Cullen Russo scored a career-high 23 points, including a 10-for-12 clip at the free throw line, and 10 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.
Senior guard/forward Paul Watson also added 17 points and point guard Jaron Hopkins posted seven points, six rebounds and five steals for the Bulldogs, who owned a 14-to-4 advantage in steals over the Roadrunners.
How It Happened: Fresno State was in control for the majority of the contest and the Bulldogs used a strong second-half shooting effort, making 11-of-23 from the field (47.8 percent).
Notable:
- With Friday's win over UTSA, Fresno State extended its home winning streak to nine straight games.
- Fresno State senior guard/forward Paul Watson became the 32nd Bulldog in program history with at least 1,000 career points.
- Fresno State registered 14 steals.Last season, the Bulldogs recorded at least 14 steals in five games, including twice in non-conference play.
- For the second straight season, Fresno State won its season and home opener by the score of 69-66.
- Fresno State is now 6-0 in home openers and 4-2 in season openers under head coach Rodney Terry.
- At halftime, Fresno State was leading 28-23. During the 2015-16 season, the Bulldogs were 16-1 when leading at the half.
- Fresno State led UTSA 58-46 with five minutes left and went on to win the game. During the 2015-16 season, the Bulldogs were 20-0 when leading with five minutes left.
- Fresno State also earned its 10th consecutive victory in single possession games. During the 2015-16 season, the Bulldogs were 6-0 in games decided by one possession.
Player Spotlights:
Cullen Russo – 23 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, 1 steal
Russo posted a career-high 23 points … scored in double figures for the 13th time in his career … shot 6-of-10 from the field … had a career-high 10-of-12 from the free throw line … recorded his sixth double-double of his career.
Paul Watson – 17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
Watson became the 32nd player in program history to score 1,000 … scored in double figures for the 50th time in his career … went 5-of-6 from the free throw line.
Jaron Hopkins – 7 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals
Hopkins made his Bulldog debut pulling down the second most Bulldog rebounds and had a significant amount of steals in the second half.
Quoteable:
Rodney Terry, Fresno State, Head Coach
"First, I would like to recognize Veteran's Day, and say how appreciative we are for those men and women who serve for us. We thank them for their sacrifices, leaving their families, and putting their lives on the line. We really appreciate what it is that they do for us on a daily basis. For our game, it puts everything in to perspective in terms of what everything really means."
On the team's effort...
"We had a lot of great teaching points tonight. Don't take anything away from UTSA, they came in and competed really hard. There has been a standard that has been set for us, and for our program, in terms of how hard we compete and the effort that we give. We know we have to get better. We had pretty good halfcourt defense tonight. We just didn't finish possessions with physical blockouts. Like I said to our team a little while ago, we are going to work on that."
On rebounding...
"We had pretty good shooting defense on some of those, we just didn't finish possessions with physical block outs. A lot like transition defense, you have to learn that your identity is going to be a little bit physical as well, in terms of identifying who is going to do what for the team. Everybody on the team is going to have to rebound as a group; it can't just be the big guys. We are going to come back as a group, and we are going to get better at that. We are going to give a better effort in terms of trying to get a physical block out."
On Cullen Russo and Paul Watson...
"I thought those guys kept working the game. They are older players, and the thing I try to press on them is how important it is to play all the way through the possessions. These guys have learned over the years that you have to play hard all the way through; you can't take a play off of offense or defense. When you have a team down and ready to be done, you have to be ready to finish the game. Again, we have a lot of new guys that we will have to bring up to speed to understand that and understand what that means. It is not just a pick-up game, we are here to finish plays and finish possessions."
On getting the new players to mesh with the team…
"This team is going to be a work in progress for a better part of the year. We have to bring some guys up to speed. We have some young guys that are trying to gain some experience in game situations. We need Bryson Williams to give us some physical presence. We need Terrell Carter II to have at least six or seven rebounds, tonight he had zero. We are going to have some guys step up and get some things done. It is early in the year, and we will have those kinds of games this early in the year. I think the thing for us is that we can't control how well we shoot the basketball, but we can control our effort and how well we try to play physically. Every year you have to try to take on some identity, and we just have to keep working. We said to the guys that we are chopping wood, and we have got to continue chopping wood to get better."
Cullen Russo, Senior, Forward
On his new hair do…
"To be honest, I kind of stole it, from my favorite player, Paul George. I saw it and I liked it, so I stole it from him."
On his career night...
"I feel like I did pretty good. I know I could've rebounded a lot more. I missed a couple assignments and let a couple guys get a couple of attempts or buckets. Other than that, overall I think I gave really good effort. I picked up my motor a lot. Last season that was a big question, you know, 'Where's his motor? Where's his motor?' I feel like this year I'm trying to prove that that won't be a question."
On rebounding...
"To me, it shows a couple of things. One, that we did great in making them take tough shots. Rebounds are from missed shot, so that is an improvement on the defensive part. Really just finishing the play is the big thing. I saw that they had 20 or so more shots than us, so we really have to work on finishing out the play. We got lucky with getting that win but we can't expect to keep going out like that during the season."
On team chemistry at this point in the season….
"Right now I feel like we're pretty good. There are a few things we can still work on to become closer on the court but I think every guy trusts every guy. Every guy likes every guy. We have a great team, we're fun to be around, we love to hang out. Its just about trusting in each other a little bit more and knowing what each guy is capable of doing and what they're not capable of doing.
Paul Watson, Senior, Forward
On the win...
"It is a big win for us being the first game of the season. It's nice to be able to protect home ourt but you know like Coach Terry says, being at home just isn't enough. We just have to watch the film, learn from it and move on to the next one."
On maturity progression and shot clock awareness from freshmen season to senior season…
"That is something that I have had to learn and grow with over the years, especially shot clock awareness. I have matured over the four years and I've experienced a lot of things so, no, I probably wouldn't have made that shot. It was a big play but I'm just happy we came out with the win."
On rebounding...
"We pride ourselves in when we play on the defensive end and it's about finishing out the possession. Coach always says it's something we have to address in practice and get it fixed. It's early right now in the season, so we have time to clean that up. It is definitely something we will be working on in practice."
Up Next: Fresno State continues its three-game season opening homestand on Monday at 7 p.m. PT versus Prairie View A&M. The Bulldogs also host Lamar University on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. PT.
Non-conference single-game tickets start at $10, except for the Dec. 10 game vs. Cal Poly, which start at $15 for adults and $10 for youth (2-18 years old). Fans can also purchase non-conference single game tickets for center court and club seat sections for $65 on a limited availability.
Single game tickets can be ordered by visiting the Save Mart Center Box Office located at the northwest corner of the arena, by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online through ticketmaster.com.
Group tickets for all games are on-sale now with discounts for groups of 10 or more. Please call 559-278-3647 and Press 1 to speak with a Bulldog Ticket Office sales representative.
Fresno State men's basketball season tickets and mini plans are also available, with season tickets starting at $149. Mini-plans also feature conference games and represent a significant discount when compared to the single game ticket price.
Tickets can be ordered by calling 559-278-3647 and then pressing "1" to order your tickets today.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Team Stats
UTSA
FS
FG%
.357
.408
3FG%
.200
.333
FT%
.478
.697
RB
55
30
TO
20
11
STL
4
14
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
C
/ Men's BasketballG
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