’Dogs beat Aztecs 63-55 at Viejas Arena

Wednesday, February 22

San Diego, CA

8 p.m. PT

Fresno State

17-11 (9-7MW)

San Diego State

16-11 (8-7MW)

Fresno State

San Diego State

’Dogs beat Aztecs 63-55 at Viejas Arena

2/22/2017 10:54:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Fresno State men’s basketball team defeated San Diego State for the Bulldogs’ first road win over the Aztecs since 1999. The 'Dogs are now tied for fourth in the Mountain West standings.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

SAN DIEGO --- The Fresno State men's basketball team beat the San Diego State Aztecs 63-55 on Wednesday night inside Viejas Arena.

How it happened: Fresno State (17-11, 9-7 Mountain West) delivered an aggressive and strong road performance as the Bulldogs pounded their way to 11-point lead in the second half and finished off the Aztecs down the stretch.

The Bulldogs' defense held San Diego State (17-10, 8-7 MW) to just 34.6 percent shooting from the field, including a 29.6 percent clip from beyond the 3-point arc.

Fresno State freshman forward Bryson Williams tied a career-high with 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting and added six rebounds and two blocks to headline the Bulldogs' inside attack. Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor added 15 points, including a perfect 9-for-9 effort (all in the second half) at the free throw line.

The Bulldogs used a 14-3 first half run and led for the final 31 minutes of the game after Fresno State junior guard Jahmel Taylor made a running floater at the top of the key and a corner 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions midway through the first half.

But Fresno State knew SDSU would make a run and the Aztecs did. With the Bulldogs up 44-33 on SDSU with 11:07 remaining, the Aztecs scored 10 straight points to pull within one, but SDSU got no closer.

Deshon Taylor made three big free throws and the Bulldogs' defense came through with key defensive stops throughout the second half.

Fresno State outrebounded SDSU 37-27, and the Bulldogs committed just nine turnovers in the 40-minute battle.

What it means: Fresno State is now tied for fourth place with New Mexico in the Mountain West standings with both teams having a 9-7 record in conference play.

While Fresno State and New Mexico split the season series, the Bulldogs currently own the tiebreaker over the Lobos by virtue of Fresno State's 2-0 record versus Nevada, who currently has the tiebreaker over Colorado State for first place in the MW due to the Wolf Pack's 2-0 record versus Boise State, while CSU is 0-2 versus Boise State. New Mexico is 0-2 versus Nevada.

The top five teams in the Mountain West standings at the end of the regular season earn a bye into the quarterfinals of the 2017 MW Championships, which will be held March 8-11 in Las Vegas at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Quoteable:
Rodney Terry, Fresno State head coach.
"I thought our guys were really connected, and really connected in terms of what we were asking them to do from a defensively standpoint and an offensive standpoint. I though they really stayed the course and worked the game. We knew we weren't going to come in here and knock these guys right out. This is a good program, a good team and you know they're going to make a run at home and you're going to have to keep working the game. Our guys did a good job responding to that."

On freshman Bryson Williams' growth…
"I thought Bryson (Williams) was more physical (than the first meeting). This is one of the more physical front lines that he's going to go up against, with length. I thought he responded well to it. He was aggressive trying to score the ball inside for us. We needed an inside presence and he gave us that tonight."

Deshon Taylor, Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard
"Our coaches told us they're going to make a run, but we have to make sure we bounce back and keep the lead and don't let the crowd have an effect on how we play and how they play. We had to take care of the ball."

Player Notes:
Bryson Williams (18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks)
Tied a career-high with 18 points … grabbed at least six rebounds for the 12th time this season … also tied a career-high with two blocks … made a career-high eight field goals.

Deshon Taylor (15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steals)
Scored at least 15 points for the 11th consecutive game (13th time this season) … tied a career-high with four assists.

Team Notes:

Fresno State beat San Diego State on the road for the first time since Feb. 25, 1999.
Fresno State has now won 18 of its last 25 games when playing a MW team.
Fresno State has now won 45 of its last 48 games when leading at halftime.
Fresno State has now won 14 consecutive games when holding an opponent to under 60 points.
Fresno State is one of two teams in the NCAA to hold SDSU to 55 points or fewer in a game this season (No. 1 Gonzaga).

Next up: Fresno State will travel to play at Boise State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

The Bulldogs' final home game is March 4 at 4 p.m. PT when Fresno State hosts UNLV at the Save Mart Center. Tickets are available for $15 and fans are encouraged to arrive early for a pre-game ceremony honoring Fresno State's senior class of Karachi Edo, Cullen Russo and Paul Watson.

"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.