Fresno State Men's Basketball: 'Dogs earn road win at Oregon State

Friday, November 25

Corvallis, OR

6 p.m. PT

Fresno State

3-2

Oregon State

2-4

Fresno State

Oregon State

Photo by: Oregon State Athletics

Fresno State Men's Basketball: 'Dogs earn road win at Oregon State

11/25/2016 8:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Fresno State junior Jahmel Taylor scored a career-high 21 points in the Bulldogs' first win over a Pac-12 team since 2011.

By: By Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

CORVALLIS, Ore. --- Fresno State sharpshooting guard Jahmel Taylor ignited the Bulldogs' offense as the Fresno State men's basketball team earned a 63-58 road win at Oregon State on Friday night inside Gill Coliseum.

Fresno State (3-2) dissected and exploited Oregon State's predominately zone defense as Taylor erupted for a career-high 21 points, including career-best six 3-pointers and three steals. Senior Paul Watson added 13 points with nine rebounds and three assists, and junior Jaron Hopkins also reached double figures in scoring with 10 points.

Oregon State (2-4) was led by Tres Tinkle, who had 31 points, 10 rebounds and six steals, as the Beavers dropped their fourth consecutive game.

How it happened: Fresno State found itself behind 21-10 before going on a 17-5 first-half closing run to take a 27-26 lead over the Beavers at halftime. Taylor hit a halftime buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the 'Dogs the advantage.

The Bulldogs then built a 49-34 lead over the Beavers midway through the second half and Fresno State held a 55-40 lead with 6:20 remaining. OSU answered with a 15-4 run to pull within four points in the final minute, but the 'Dogs were able to withstand the surge with big defensive stops and key free throws in the waning seconds.

Fresno State scored 22 points off 17 Oregon State turnovers and the Bulldogs also won the rebounding battle with the Beavers, 32-31.

Quotes:

Rodney Terry, Fresno State head coach
"Our guys took a big step forward tonight in terms of growth. We made big plays when we needed to make big plays. Our seniors made big free throws when they needed to make them down the stretch. We did a better job of taking care of the basketball. I thought our seniors really stayed the course. Those guys ran down some tough rebounds. They just kept playing and working the game."

Jahmel Taylor, Fresno State, junior guard
"I'm really proud of my team. I thought we came here really focused. We came out really prepared tonight. Yesterday, we had a great practice. This was a great win for us and because of the preparation, we got the win. We just have to stay focused. The same preparation that we had tonight and the night before is the same thing we need going forward."

Team Notes:

This was Fresno State's first win over a Pac-12 team since a 68-65 win at Arizona State on Dec. 21, 2011 and the third over a Pac-12 opponent in head coach Rodney Terry's six seasons at Fresno State.
Fresno State has now won 10 consecutive games in its first game after a loss.
Fresno State improved to 32-6 since the start of the 2014-15 season when limiting an opponent to under 70 points.
Fresno State improved to 23-3 since the start of the 2013-14 season when limiting an opponent to under 60 points.
Fresno State improved to 40-11 in head coach Rodney Terry's now six seasons at Fresno State when limiting an opponent to under 60 points.
Fresno State has won five of its last six true road games.
Fresno State has won 32 of its last 34 games when leading at halftime.
Fresno State has won 27 straight games when leading with five minutes remaining in the second half.
Fresno State improved to 5-0 when playing on Fridays since the start of the 2015-16 season.
Fresno State tied the overall series with Oregon State at 9-9 and improved to 5-4 when playing the Beavers on the road.

Player Notes:

Jahmel Taylor – 21 points, 4 assists, 3 steals
Taylor scored a career-high 21 points with a career-best six 3-pointers (6-for-10 3FGA) … scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half … also had a career-best three steals.

Paul Watson – 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists
Made his 100th start … scored in double-digits for the 53rd time in his career (fourth time this season).

Up Next: Fresno State returns home to play Menlo College on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT.