Defense, 3-point shooting fuels 74-67 road win at Boise State

Tuesday, February 28

Boise, ID

7 p.m. PT

Fresno State

18-11,10-7MW

Boise State

18-10,11-6MW

Fresno State

Boise State

Photo by: Brian Losness-USA TODAY Sports

Defense, 3-point shooting fuels 74-67 road win at Boise State

2/28/2017 9:59:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Fresno State men’s basketball team earned its first road win at Boise State since 2004 as Bulldogs’ redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor scored a game-high 26 points. The ’Dogs host UNLV on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the Bulldogs’ season finale. Tickets start at $15.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

BOISE, Idaho --- The Fresno State men's basketball team defeated the Boise State Broncos 74-67 on Tuesday evening inside Taco Bell Arena.

This was the Bulldogs' first road win at Boise State since 2004.

How it happened: Fresno State (18-11, 10-7 Mountain West) raced out to a 10-2 lead and held a 33-26 advantage at halftime.

The Bulldogs built a 14-point lead in the second half and withstood a Boise State run as the Bulldogs used their defense to fuel their offense from start to finish.

Fresno State collected 11 steals, including five steals by Bulldogs' redshirt junior guard Jaron Hopkins, and the 'Dogs made big defensive stops throughout the contest.

Fresno State redshirt sophomore guard Deshon Taylor scored a game-high 26 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including perfect 4-for-4 (3-point shooting) and 8-for-8 (free throw shooting) clips.

Hopkins added 18 points, paired with six rebounds, five assists and those five steals. Fresno State senior guard/forward Paul Watson also had 18 points and six rebounds.

Boise State (18-10, 11-6 MW) was led by Paris Austin, who had a team-high 17 points.

What it means: Fresno State – the defending MW tournament champion – has clinched a first round bye for the 2017 Mountain West Basketball Championships and will begin its title defense on March 9 at either 2:30 p.m. PT or 8:30 p.m. PT in the quarterfinals.

Fresno State can earn the No. 3 seed with a win over UNLV and a Boise State loss at Air Force on Saturday. Otherwise, Fresno State will be the No. 4 seed.

Quoteable:
Rodney Terry, Fresno State head coach
"We did a nice job with our defensive scheme in terms of working the game and trying to force some guys into some difficult shots. Boise State is a really good shooting team. They're a really good team in transition. I thought we did a pretty good job for a better part of the game, give or take a little here in the second half. But our guys have really been trying to execute the defensive game plan and do it at a high level. They've really been trying to play for each other, having each other's backs, and lock in with the execution at the defensive end."

On the Bulldogs' defense...
"They've gotten really good (at executing the scouting report). Coach (Jerry) Wainwright has done a great job with the defense. Coach (Byron) Jones does a great job with the personnel. And our guys are really believing and locking in with what we're trying to what we're trying to do from a defensive standpoint. Our ball screen defense has gotten so much better over the course of the past 10 games. We're just building it right now. We're trying to play our best basketball at the right time."

On Paul Watson...
"I think he has got back to really being lost (focused) on defense. He's playing really hard defensively and really taking defensive assignments the way he was earlier in the year and it has made his offense come a lot easier."

On driving the ball...
"We had to get some points in the paint on the road. You look at these last two wins on the road, we've done a nice job of taking care of the basketball. We haven't turned the ball over. We had under 10 turnovers in this ball game and we had under 10 turnovers in the game on the road at San Diego State, so our guys are taking care of the basketball as well.

Paul Watson, Fresno State senior guard/forward
"There are going to be nights where you're not really making shots, but you have to find ways to affect the game in different ways, which I've been trying to do the past couple of games. If it's not my night shooting the ball, I have to find a certain ways to affect the game for the team. But if you go into the game as confident as possible, the right things will happen for you. Following the defensive game plan was the difference for us. Everybody is really focused right now. We're coming off two big road wins. But everybody is bought in. Everybody has two feet in right now. We can only keep this win for tonight and we have just get back and watch tape and get prepared for Saturday and UNLV."

Player Notes:
Deshon Taylor (26 points, 2 assists, 2 steals)
Posted his 12th straight game with at least 15 points … third time in his career he has scored 25 or more points in a single game … tied a career-high with four 3-pointers … sixth time this season he has had at least two assists and two steals in the same game … ninth time this season he has been perfect at the free throw line … his nine made free throws were a career-high for most makes without a miss in a single game … has made 17 consecutive free throws … has made 71 of his last 74 free throw attempts (96.0 percent, last eight games).

Jaron Hopkins (18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals)
Posted his eighth game this season with at least 18 points … has scored in double figures in 11 of the last 12 games … grabbed at least six rebounds for the 15th time this season, including six of the last eight games … dished out at least five assists for the seventh time this season … collected at least five steals for the fourth time this season (first time during conference play) … second time this season he has had six rebounds, five assists and five steals in the same game.

Paul Watson (18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal)
Posted his sixth game this season with at least 18 points … grabbed at least six rebounds for the 13th time this season … scored in double figures for the 19th time this season and 68th time in his four-year Fresno State career … tied a season-high with three 3-pointers (seventh time this season) … only Bulldog to start all 29 games this season … has now made 124 career starts.

Team Notes:

Fresno State won its first road game at Boise State since Jan. 15, 2004.
This is the 25th time in program history that the Bulldogs have won 18 or more games in a single season.
This is the third straight season the Bulldogs have won at least 10 conference games.
Fresno State is on a season-best four-game winning streak. Last season, the Bulldogs ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak, which they extended to a nine-game winning streak entering the 2016 NCAA Tournament by winning three more games during the 2016 MW Championships, including a 68-63 win over San Diego State in the title game.
Fresno State improved to 42-7 since the start of the 2014-15 season when limiting an opponent to under 70 points.
Fresno State has won 10 of its last 19 true road games.
12 of Fresno State's 15 road games this season have been decided by nine points or fewer (four of six road wins by five points or fewer).
Fresno State has won 19 of its last 26 games when playing a MW team.
Fresno State has won 46 of its last 49 games when leading at halftime.

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