Fresno State Men’s Basketball: Fiery energy fuels ’Dogs to win over Lamar

Saturday, November 19

Fresno, Calif.

11 a.m. PT

Fresno State

2-1

Lamar

2-1

Lamar

Fresno State

Photo by: Kiel Maddox

Fresno State Men’s Basketball: Fiery energy fuels ’Dogs to win over Lamar

11/19/2016 1:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

After heading on the road next week to play at CSU Bakersfield and Oregon, the Bulldogs will next play at the Save Mart Center on Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. PT vs. Menlo College. Tickets are available starting at $10.

By: By Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

FRESNO, Calif. --- The Fresno State men's basketball team turned up its energy dial that helped lead the Bulldogs to a dominating 83-64 win over the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday at the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State (2-1) used a 23-5 run in the first half en route to a 38-24 lead over Lamar at halftime, and the Bulldogs got a big lift on the bench from junior center Terrell Carter II, who had a career-high 15 points.

Fresno State junior guard Jaron Hopkins posted a career-high 23 points (9-for-18) with five rebounds, five steals, one assist and a block. Senior guard/forward Paul Watson had 17 points with six rebounds, and junior guard Jahmel Taylor added 16 points with four 3-pointers.

Lamar (2-1), who had forced 27 turnovers in its 63-60 upset win at Oregon State on Wednesday, lost for the first time this season as Fresno State won the turnover battle 13 to 10.

Fresno State shot 56.6 percent from the field (30-for-53) and forced eight steals.

How it happened: Fresno State held Lamar without a point for seven minutes and 34 seconds in the first half as the Bulldogs went on a 10-0- run to turn a 4-point deficit into a 6-point lead. Fresno State extended that run to 23-5 in leading 31-17 with 4:13 remaining in the first half. Fresno State led for over 31 of 40 minutes.

Quotable:

Rodney Terry, Fresno State head coach
"I was really pleased with our effort and energy today from start to finish. Our guys came out with a lot of intensity on the defensive in and they were engaged, which led us to have a really good game. I was really proud of the way this team carried themselves today."

"We knew that we had to make deceive plays against Lamar and drive to the basket with authority. Jaron and Paul drove to the basket today at a very high level and helped our offensive. Our guys did a good job of attacking on our terms."

On Terrell Carter II…
"He set a standard that he can perform against the best competition in the country. He stayed very positive through adversity at the start of the season. We knew at some point it was going to click for him and he was going to have the kind of game that he had today. I was pleased with what he did on the floor today."

On Bakersfield (the Bulldogs' next opponent)...
"Every time we play Bakersfield it's a one-possession ball game, so we look forward to a highly contested game at their place. Hopefully we are able to bottle up the defense that we had today because defense travels. We have to go and play at a very high level."

Paul Watson, Fresno State senior/forward

"We focused on keeping our energy up for this, especially with is being an early game. We put an emphasis on energy. We kept our composure on the floor tonight. They made a run but runs are going to happen in basketball, so we just focused on executing down the stretch."

Jaron Hopkins, Fresno State junior guard

"We played well today. We are getting better every day and we see it. We're going to get back to practice and keep getting better. We learned a lot from the last game. Today, we were able to contest shots, finish plays and block-out on the rebounds."

Team Notes:

Fresno State remained undefeated all-time versus Lamar and improved its all-time record when playing the Cardinals to 3-0.
Fresno State was a season-best 30-of-53 from the field, shooting 56.6%.
The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 when leading with five minutes left in the game.

Jaron Hopkins – 23 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 1 assist, 1 block
Hopkins scored a career-high 23 points … this was his second career game scoring in double-digits … matched his career-high of five steals … Hopkins made a career-high five free throws and had a career-high six free throw attempts.

Paul Watson – 17 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal
Watson moved into the 28th spot on the Bulldogs' all-time leading scorers list (1,039 career points) … this was his 53rd time scoring in double-digits.

Jahmel Taylor - 16 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Taylor scored a career-high 16 points … this is the fourth game of his career scoring in double-digits and second of the season … the junior tied his career-high of 3-pointers made in a game with four.

Up Next: Fresno State visits CSU Bakersfield on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PT and Oregon State on Friday night at 6 p.m. PT. The Bulldogs' next home game is Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 5 p.m. PT versus Menlo College.