Bulldogs push Hurricanes to the brink

Friday, November 23

Fullerton, Calif.

11 a.m.

Fresno State

2-2

Miami

5-0

Miami

Fresno State

Photo by: ESPN Images

Bulldogs push Hurricanes to the brink

11/23/2018 3:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Fresno State senior guard Braxton Huggins scored a career-high 28 points in the Bulldogs’ 78-76 loss to Miami in the 2018 Wooden Legacy semifinals.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

FULLERTON, Calif. --- The Fresno State men's basketball team pushed the ACC's Miami Hurricanes to the brink before giving up a late dunk in the final second as the Bulldogs were edged 78-76 by the Canes on Friday inside Titan Gym.

Neither team – Fresno State (2-2) or Miami (5-0) – led by more than six points in the contest with the Bulldogs being led by senior guard Braxton Huggins, who finished with a career-high 28 points.

Senior guard Deshon Taylor also had 25 points while junior forward Nate Grimes added nine points and a season-high 15 rebounds for the Bulldogs.

How it happened: In a game that featured some great runs, Fresno State had a 41-37 lead over Miami at halftime and the Bulldogs were up 70-66 on the Hurricanes with under five minutes remaining in the second half.

Miami then went on a 7-0 run to take a 73-70 lead, but two minutes later, Fresno State and Miami were tied again after Huggins made a lay-up and Grimes converted a free throw. The teams traded a triplet of free throws each to make the score 76-76 heading into the final possession.

Miami's Chris Lykes missed a 3-pointer, but his teammate Zach Johnson crashed the glass hard for the game-winning dunk with 0.6 seconds to play and the Canes intercepted the Bulldogs' inbounds pass as time expired. Johnson finished with 24 points for UM.

For the game, Fresno State outrebounded Miami 43-29, but the Bulldogs couldn't overcome committing 20 costly turnovers and allowing the Hurricanes to shoot 10 more free throws. UM also outscored the Bulldogs 16-8 in points off turnovers.

Up Next: Fresno State will return to action on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT when the Bulldogs play either Hawai'i or Seton Hall in the third-place game of the 2018 Wooden Legacy.

Player Notes:

Braxton Huggins scored a career-high 28 points today before fouling out… In his career, his teams (New Mexico State and Fresno State) are now 10-1 when he scores 20+ points.
Deshon Taylor contributed 25 points, reaching double digit scoring for the 48th time in his last 52 games… It also marked the sixth time in his career he has scored at least 25 points.
Nate Grimes pulled down 15 rebounds, just two shy of his career best… This was his sixth career game with 10+ rebounds… His 15 rebounds is tied for sixth most in a Wooden Legacy game, and is the most since 2015 in this event.

Team Notes:

Fresno State is playing in its first ESPN event (1-1 record in those).
Overall, Fresno State is now 14-7 in its last 21 non-conference or postseason tournament contests, including non-conference tournaments, MW Tournament, NCAA Tournament and NIT.

Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On Miami...
"That's a good team over there. Very well coached. Not a surprise. Coach has been doing it for a long time and I was proud of our guy's fight throughout the game. There were ups and downs but if we had fewer turnovers, it would have helped us. 20 turnovers are not going to beat a team like that."

On his approach as Huggins and Taylor played through foul trouble in the second half...
"Get them out and get them back in, try to make sure you keep them fresh so they don't make a mental mistake while they're tired. They recognize they have four fouls but sometimes when you get tired, fatigue makes us all do silly things. Get them out, get them in, keep reminding them so they don't pick up the pressure. "

Braxton Huggins, Fresno State senior guard
On having a hot hand...
"I guess a little bit. I was just trying to get it going on defense and get some stops. That was the main thing our team was focused on, trying to get some stops to win the game."

On the end of the game Miami's missed three-point attempt and game-winning put-back dunk...
"That possession wasn't the one that made us lose the game. Like Coach said, throughout the game we had silly turnovers, we had our pick-and-roll issues and our defense wasn't that good. We have to get back and work on that, watch some film."

Jim Larranaga, Miami head coach
On Fresno State...
"I thought Fresno State was able to get the tempo they wanted to start the first half. We got into some early foul trouble in our frontcourt so it made us smaller and we were able to survive until halftime. In the second half, I thought we played really well and it was a great contest. They (Fresno State) are very good and I thought we played really well. It came down to one possession and one missed shot that turned into an offensive rebound dunk."

"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.