Bulldogs host UCR in 2019 finale

Saturday, December 28

Fresno, CA

6:00 PM PT

Fresno State

UC Riverside

Tickets

Orlando Robinson defense vs. San Francisco

Photo by: Keith Kountz

Bulldogs host UCR in 2019 finale

12/26/2019 2:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes: UC Riverside at Fresno State (PDF)

Tickets for Saturday's game start at $10 at the Save Mart Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

Game 13: UC Riverside (8-5) at Fresno State (4-8)
Dec. 28, 2019 • 6 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/Online: KAIL-TV/Mountain West Network (Ralph Wood/Matt Norville/Julia Vella)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: Fresno State leads 5-0 (overall) & 3-0 (games played in Fresno, Calif.)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 39, UC Riverside 30 (11/14/12 • Riverside, Calif.)
Next Up: at No. 15/14 San Diego State (Jan. 1); vs. San Jose State (Jan. 4); at New Mexico (Jan. 7)
Fresno State's 2019-20 Ken Pom Ranking: No. 117

Opening Tip

Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in his second season after winning 23 games in his first season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.
Hutson was named the 2018-19 Joe B. Hall National Coach of the Year.
Hutson, a Bakersfield native, had spent 12 seasons (San Diego State and UNLV) as one of the most respected assistant coaches in country.
Fresno State has won at least 20 games in each of the past four seasons (five of the past six seasons) and joined the Mountain West in 2012.
This is the fifth of seven straight games Fresno State is playing in the state of California, including four home games at the Save Mart Center.
The second annual Toddler Race will take place during halftime of Saturday's game.
Fresno State freshman forward Orlando Robinson scored a season-high 24 points (10-for-14 FG) with seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the Bulldogs' 71-69 late loss to San Francisco on Monday night.

Fresno State hosts UC Riverside in 2019 finale
Fresno State finishes its three-game homestand by hosting the UC Riverside Highlanders on Saturday at 6 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. The game will be broadcast on KAIL-TV (My Central Valley), the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio. Tickets are on sale starting at $10.

Fresno State & UC Riverside: All-Time Series History
Fresno State is 5-0 all-time against UC Riverside, including a 3-0 record against the Highlanders in home games played in Fresno, Calif. (1-0 at the Save Mart Center). Fresno State and UCR last met on Nov. 14, 2012 when the Bulldogs beat the Highlanders 39-30 at SRC Arena in Riverside, Calif.

'Dogs played three preseason AP Top 25 teams early

Fresno State was one of two teams (Michigan State) in the nation that had three teams ranked in the Preseason AP Top 25 poll on its schedule for the first eight games of the 2019-20 regular season.
Fresno State opened the season at Oregon (No. 15) on Nov. 5, and then played Saint Mary's (No. 20) in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center on Nov. 20 and visited Utah State (No. 17) on Dec. 7 (AP Top 25 preseason rankings).

Between the Baselines

Fresno State opened the season by playing seven of its first 10 games away from the Save Mart Center (six road games + one neutral site game).
Fresno State leads the MW in 3-pointers made per game (9.8/gm).
Fresno State leads the MW in blocked shots per game (4.2 bpg).
Fresno State senior forward Nate Grimes leads the Mountain West in blocked shots (2.1 bpg) and ranks fourth in rebounding (10.1 rpg).
Nate Grimes is one of four MW players averaging a double-double this season (12.8 ppg/10.1 rpg). Grimes also ranks 16th in the MW in scoring (12.8).
Fresno State is 21-4 when leading at halftime during Hutson's tenure.
Fresno State's scoring margin against Division I opponents is plus-1.1.

Nate Grimes: Double-Double Production
Fresno State senior forward Nate Grimes is tied for 16th in the country with six double-doubles this season (20 in his Bulldog career). Grimes is one of four MW players averaging a double-double this season (12.8 ppg/10.1 rpg). Grimes is one of 26 players in the nation averaging over 10 rebounds per games and ranks tied for 22nd in the nation in rebounding (10.1 rpg).

Williams rising on both ends of the floor
In the last five games, Fresno State senior guard New Williams has averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game - shooting 48.5 percent from the field (33-for-68) with 19 made 3-point field goals (3.8/game).

Youth Movement
Through the first seven weeks of the season, Fresno State has fielded five of the 21 freshmen who have appeared in games so far for Mountain West teams. Fresno State leads the league with freshmen averaging 102.7 minutes per game, which is nearly half of the Bulldogs' minutes per game average (49.3 percent). Fresno State's freshmen have accounted for 1,097 of the team's 2,500 total minutes played (43.9 percent) this season. Fresno State freshmen Jarred Hyder (12.0 ppg) and Orlando Robinson (10.8 ppg) have combined to produce an average of 22.8 points per game for the Bulldogs to lead the way for Fresno State's five freshmen, who are averaging a combined 32.7 points of the team's 71.8 points per game (45.5 percent).

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.