’Dogs face tough road test in Bakersfield

11/21/2016 10:16:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes: Fresno State at CSUB (PDF)

Fresno State (2-1) will play at CSU Bakersfield (2-1) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PT before a packed house inside the Icardo Center. The game will be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

By: By Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

Game 4: Fresno State (2-1) at CSU Bakersfield (2-1)

November 22, 2016 -- 7 p.m. PT -- Bakersfield, Calif. (Icardo Center)
TV/Online: WAC Digital Network (Corey Costelloe)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN Radio (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Fresno State leads 9-4 (overall); Series tied 2-2 (games played in Bakersfield)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 76, CSU Bakersfield 68 (Dec. 16, 2015 • Fresno, Calif.)
Last Meeting in Bakersfield: Fresno State 63, Bakersfield 61 (Dec. 6, 2014)
Next Up: at Oregon State (Nov. 25 • 6 p.m. PT); vs. Menlo College (Nov. 30 • 5 p.m. PT)

Bulldog Bones
• Fresno State has won four straight true road games, which is currently tied for the second-longest active true road game winning streak.
• By winning the 2016 Mountain West Basketball Championship, Fresno State earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001.
• Fresno State has improved its conference win total in each of the last four seasons since head coach Rodney Terry arrived in 2011, rising from 3-11 (11-12) to 5-11 (12-13) to 9-9 (13-14) to 10-8 (14-15) to 13-5 (15-16).
• Fresno State is one of eight teams in the nation to have improved its conference win total in each of the last four seasons.
• This season, Fresno State was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West by the league's media in a preseason poll in mid-October.
• Before the 2015-16 season, Fresno State was picked to finish fifth in a preseason poll. The Bulldogs went on to win the 2016 MW Championship and earn the MW's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Bulldogs hit the road for the 'Battle of the 99'
Fresno State (2-1) will play at CSU Bakersfield (2-1) on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. PT before a packed house inside the Icardo Center. The game will be broadcast live on the WAC Digital Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

'Dogs face tough road test in Bakersfield
Fresno State is 2-2 all-time when playing CSUB on the road and those four games have been decided by an average of 7.25 points. Two of the last three games between the Bulldogs and Roadrunners in Bakersfield have been decided by a single possession. Fresno State, who has won its last four true road games, is one win away from tying Kansas for the nation's longest active true road game win streak. Fresno State is currently tied with Wright State for the second-longest in the country. Fresno State's last road loss was back on Feb. 13, 2016 when the Bulldogs fell 77-72 in overtime at Nevada. Fresno State's program record for consecutive road wins is eight (1963).

Here is a list of the Bulldogs' road wins during the streak:
• March 12, 2016: Fresno State 95, UNLV 83 (MW Quarterfinals)
• March 5, 2016: Fresno State 86, Utah State 85
• Feb. 27, 2016: Fresno State 92, New Mexico 82
• Feb. 17, 2016: Fresno State 79, Wyoming 75

About the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners
The CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners (2-1) are under the direction of Rod Barnes, who guided CSUB to the WAC Tournament championship title and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance last season. CSUB is led by Jaylin Airington (21.3 ppg/4.7 rpg). Fresno State leads the all-time series 9-4 with the Bulldogs winning the last seven meetings, including a 76-68 victory in Fresno last season and a 63-61 road win at CSUB back on Dec. 6, 2014. Fresno State's last loss in the series, which dates back to the 1922-23 season, was on Nov. 17, 2007 when the Bulldogs were edged 65-64 by the Roadrunners inside Bakersfield's Rabobank Arena.

• REFERENCE: "Fresno State" (never: FSU, CSUF, Fresno State University, or just simply "Fresno"); ABBREVIATION: Fresno St. or FS

Watson rises to 28th on all-time scoring list
Bulldogs' senior guard/forward Paul Watson - the 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year - gives Fresno State a versatile option on the wing and the post. Watson played both positions last season, primarily on the wing. Now in his fourth season at Fresno State, he has converted 41.5 percent (349-for-841) of his field goal attempts and 37.1 percent (146-for-394) of his 3-point field goal attempts. He has 1,039 career points to rank 28th on the program's all-time scoring list and currently sits 28 points away from tying Mitch Arnold (1982-85) for 27th.

Key Situations to Watch
• Fresno State has won four straight true road games, which is currently tied for the second-longest active true road game winning streak.
(Last loss: Nevada 77, Fresno State 72 [OT] • Reno, Nev. • 2/13/16)
• Fresno State has won 10 straight times in single possession games.
(Last loss: Pacific 71, Fresno State 68 • Stockton, Calif. • 12/20/14)
• Fresno State has won 31 of its last 33 games when leading at halftime.
• Fresno State has won 26 straight games when leading with five minutes remaining in the second half.
(Last loss: Siena 61, Fresno State 57 • Fresno, Calif. • 3/31/14 • CBI Finals)
• Fresno State has won 20 straight games when converting at least 50 percent of its field goal attempts.
(Last loss: Utah 90, Fresno State 77 • Salt Lake City • 12/7/13)

Notable Tidbits
• Fresno State has scored at least 80 points in five of its last nine games.
• Fresno State has scored 80 or more points once this season.
• Fresno State has won 18 straight games when scoring 80 or more points.
(Last loss: Nevada 96, Fresno State 86 [2OT] • Fresno, Calif • 1/22/14)
• Fresno State scored 80 or more points in 12 games last season and the 'Dogs scored 80 or more points three times during the 2014-15 season.
• Fresno State is 28-2 when scoring 80 or more points since Terry's arrival in 2011 and 22-1 in those games since the start of the 2013-14 season.

Fresno State continuing to improve in MW Play
Fresno State is one of eight teams in the country to have won more conference games in each of the past four seasons. The Bulldogs won 13 league games during the 2015-16 season after winning 10 MW games in 2014-15, nine MW games in 2013-14, five MW games in 2012-13 and three conference games in 2011-12 as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Two of the other schools are Texas A&M and South Carolina.