Fresno State Athletics
Friday, November 10
Fresno, Calif.
5 p.m. PT
Fresno State
1-0
96
vs
65
UC Santa Cruz
0-1
1
2
F
UC Santa Cruz
25
40
65
Fresno State
52
44
96
Photo by: Keith Kountz
’Dogs dominate UC Santa Cruz 96-65 in fun season-opening win
11/10/2017 7:49:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The energy was back in the Save Mart Center as the Bulldogs competed hard and well on both ends of the floor in a 96-65 season-opening rout of UC Santa Cruz.
FRESNO, Calif. --- The Fresno State men's basketball team defeated UC Santa Cruz 96-65 early Friday evening at the Save Mart Center to open its season with a win.
Fresno State junior guard Deshon Taylor had a team-best 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting (75.0 percent), six assists (no turnovers), three rebounds and three steals in just 26 minutes.
Fresno State (1-0) has now won its last 17 home openers and the Bulldogs will next host CSUN on Monday at 7 p.m. PT.
How it happened: Fresno State came out firing on all cylinders, especially behind the 3-point arc as the Bulldogs made their first seven 3-pointers they attempted. The 'Dogs quickly built a 14-point lead behind a 20-5 run that propelled Fresno State up 22-8 midway through the first half.
In the first half alone, Fresno State converted 59.4 percent of its field goal attempts (19-for-32) and a fiery 70 percent clip (7-for-10) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Bulldogs finished shooting 52.9 percent from the field for the game and 50.0 percent on their 3-point assault.
After leading 52-25 at halftime and by as many as 45 in the second half, Fresno State cruised to its 70th season-opening win in program history.
A total of six Bulldogs scored at least 12 points, including a team-high 16 points from Deshon Taylor and arguably the best offensive night of Sam Bittner's career (14 points and 5-for-6 FG, including a perfect 4-for-4 clip from beyond the 3-point arc).
Fresno State outscored UC Santa Cruz 44-22 in the paint and turned 23 UCSC turnovers into 36 points. The Bulldogs also had 23 assists on their 36 made field goals, and a combined 12 steals as a team.
Quotes:
Head Coach Rodney Terry on the tempo of the team at this point of the season…
"I'm really trying to challenge the team right now to play with a lot of energy, activity and communication. This month is huge for growth in terms of our defensive intensity and we have to set the tone defensively every game. We don't know if we're going to shoot the ball well every night, but we have to know every night we're coming in that we're going to compete really hard and have each other's back in terms of communicating and getting out there defensively."
Head Coach Rodney Terry on pick and roll defense…
"That was definitely an area we had to try and improve our rotations, our tags, and we still have room to grow in there. But we're definitely getting better. Our guys are more conscious and getting more aware of the role guy and our rotation out of that action. Our guys are doing a much better job of communicating."
Head Coach Rodney Terry on sophomores and juniors leading the scoring…
"The best teams in the country are teams that on any given night, you could have a different guy that leads you in scoring. I think that this team has that type of makeup, where on any given night, any guy could be our lead scorer. This is going to be an unselfish group in terms of sharing the basketball. We're getting better and you're going to see us get better every day. We had 23 assists tonight, our ball movement was really good and guys are watching and paying attention to details. We need to balance scoring, and our older players know what we expect from them."
Junior Guard Sam Bittner on his three-point shooting tonight…
"I'm not really concerned about how I shoot, I'm more focused on my defense, and the way our team performs on the defensive side. We pride ourselves on setting our tone defensively so it felt good to have a good defensive side to make me be able to go perfect from the three-point line."
Junior Guard Deshon Taylor on pressuring the ball…
"Yeah, that was our strategy going into the game, to pressure the ball. We try to be the best defensive team in the conference so we have to start doing it now."
Team Notes:
• Fresno State has won now 17 straight home openers, including all 15 at the Save Mart Center.
• Fresno State improved to 76-19 all-time in home openers, including a perfect 7-0 record in Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry's first seven seasons at Fresno State.
• Fresno State improved to 70-25 all-time in season openers, including a 5-2 record in Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry's first seven seasons at Fresno State.
• Fresno State improved to 13-0 versus non-Division I opponents in Terry's tenure.
• Fresno State has now won 25 straight games against non-Division I opponents.
• Fresno State has won its last four home games played on a Friday.
• Fresno State has won six of its last seven games played on a Friday.
• Fresno State improved to 41-7 (.854) overall at home since the start of the 2014-15 season, including a 19-3 record against nonconference opponents in that stretch.
• Fresno State improved to 30-4 overall at home since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Fresno State has won 13 of its last 14 home games.
Up Next:
Fresno State hosts CSUN on Monday at 7 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. The contest is the first of four games the Bulldogs will play as part of the 2017 Cancun Challenge. Two of the other games will be played in Cancun on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, and the final game will also be played in Fresno when the 'Dogs host Montana State on Nov. 26.
Tickets for Monday's game are on sale starting at just $10 through www.Ticketmaster.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office. Fans can also get free admission by showing the Save Mart Center Box Office on gameday that you follow Fresno State Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.
A limited number of single-game center section lower bowl tickets (Sections 109, 110, 122 and 123) are also available for $40.
Upcoming Promotions – Nov. 13 vs. CSUN (7 p.m. tip off)
Fresno State junior guard Deshon Taylor had a team-best 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting (75.0 percent), six assists (no turnovers), three rebounds and three steals in just 26 minutes.
Fresno State (1-0) has now won its last 17 home openers and the Bulldogs will next host CSUN on Monday at 7 p.m. PT.
How it happened: Fresno State came out firing on all cylinders, especially behind the 3-point arc as the Bulldogs made their first seven 3-pointers they attempted. The 'Dogs quickly built a 14-point lead behind a 20-5 run that propelled Fresno State up 22-8 midway through the first half.
In the first half alone, Fresno State converted 59.4 percent of its field goal attempts (19-for-32) and a fiery 70 percent clip (7-for-10) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Bulldogs finished shooting 52.9 percent from the field for the game and 50.0 percent on their 3-point assault.
After leading 52-25 at halftime and by as many as 45 in the second half, Fresno State cruised to its 70th season-opening win in program history.
A total of six Bulldogs scored at least 12 points, including a team-high 16 points from Deshon Taylor and arguably the best offensive night of Sam Bittner's career (14 points and 5-for-6 FG, including a perfect 4-for-4 clip from beyond the 3-point arc).
Fresno State outscored UC Santa Cruz 44-22 in the paint and turned 23 UCSC turnovers into 36 points. The Bulldogs also had 23 assists on their 36 made field goals, and a combined 12 steals as a team.
Quotes:
Head Coach Rodney Terry on the tempo of the team at this point of the season…
"I'm really trying to challenge the team right now to play with a lot of energy, activity and communication. This month is huge for growth in terms of our defensive intensity and we have to set the tone defensively every game. We don't know if we're going to shoot the ball well every night, but we have to know every night we're coming in that we're going to compete really hard and have each other's back in terms of communicating and getting out there defensively."
Head Coach Rodney Terry on pick and roll defense…
"That was definitely an area we had to try and improve our rotations, our tags, and we still have room to grow in there. But we're definitely getting better. Our guys are more conscious and getting more aware of the role guy and our rotation out of that action. Our guys are doing a much better job of communicating."
Head Coach Rodney Terry on sophomores and juniors leading the scoring…
"The best teams in the country are teams that on any given night, you could have a different guy that leads you in scoring. I think that this team has that type of makeup, where on any given night, any guy could be our lead scorer. This is going to be an unselfish group in terms of sharing the basketball. We're getting better and you're going to see us get better every day. We had 23 assists tonight, our ball movement was really good and guys are watching and paying attention to details. We need to balance scoring, and our older players know what we expect from them."
Junior Guard Sam Bittner on his three-point shooting tonight…
"I'm not really concerned about how I shoot, I'm more focused on my defense, and the way our team performs on the defensive side. We pride ourselves on setting our tone defensively so it felt good to have a good defensive side to make me be able to go perfect from the three-point line."
Junior Guard Deshon Taylor on pressuring the ball…
"Yeah, that was our strategy going into the game, to pressure the ball. We try to be the best defensive team in the conference so we have to start doing it now."
Team Notes:
• Fresno State has won now 17 straight home openers, including all 15 at the Save Mart Center.
• Fresno State improved to 76-19 all-time in home openers, including a perfect 7-0 record in Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry's first seven seasons at Fresno State.
• Fresno State improved to 70-25 all-time in season openers, including a 5-2 record in Bulldogs' head coach Rodney Terry's first seven seasons at Fresno State.
• Fresno State improved to 13-0 versus non-Division I opponents in Terry's tenure.
• Fresno State has now won 25 straight games against non-Division I opponents.
• Fresno State has won its last four home games played on a Friday.
• Fresno State has won six of its last seven games played on a Friday.
• Fresno State improved to 41-7 (.854) overall at home since the start of the 2014-15 season, including a 19-3 record against nonconference opponents in that stretch.
• Fresno State improved to 30-4 overall at home since the start of the 2015-16 season.
• Fresno State has won 13 of its last 14 home games.
Up Next:
Fresno State hosts CSUN on Monday at 7 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. The contest is the first of four games the Bulldogs will play as part of the 2017 Cancun Challenge. Two of the other games will be played in Cancun on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, and the final game will also be played in Fresno when the 'Dogs host Montana State on Nov. 26.
Tickets for Monday's game are on sale starting at just $10 through www.Ticketmaster.com and the Save Mart Center Box Office. Fans can also get free admission by showing the Save Mart Center Box Office on gameday that you follow Fresno State Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat.
A limited number of single-game center section lower bowl tickets (Sections 109, 110, 122 and 123) are also available for $40.
Upcoming Promotions – Nov. 13 vs. CSUN (7 p.m. tip off)
- Social Media Madness Game
- Free admission if you follow and like Fresno State Athletics on Social Media
- Live National Anthem performance by Silvio Montoya
- The introduction of the Fresno State wrestling and water polo teams
- Follow Fresno State Athletics on social media for some fun in-game contests
Team Stats
UCSCM
FS
FG%
.535
.529
3FG%
.412
.500
FT%
.522
.571
RB
28
36
TO
23
8
STL
3
12
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
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