Fresno State Athletics
Tuesday, February 5
Fresno, Calif.
7:30 p.m. PT
Fresno State
16-6, 7-3MW
81
vs
82
Utah State
18-5, 8-2MW
1
2
F
Utah State
43
39
82
Fresno State
37
44
81
Photo by: Keith Kountz
Huggins scores 26 in 82-81 loss to Aggies
2/5/2019 10:29:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State redshirt senior guard Braxton Huggins scored a game-high 26 points as the Bulldogs and Aggies played another tight game. Fresno State next plays at UNLV and will host Boise State on Feb. 13.
FRESNO, Calif. -- The Fresno State men's basketball team rallied back from a double-digit deficit to take the lead before falling 82-81 to the Utah State Aggies on Tuesday night at the Save Mart Center.
Throughout the contest, Fresno State (16-6, 7-3 Mountain West) continued to the attack the basket and take and make jumpshots, but Utah State (18-5, 8-2 MW) got a big night from Aggies' freshman center Neemias Queta, who finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, six assists (no turnovers) and four blocks.
The Bulldogs were led by redshirt senior guard Braxton Huggins, who had a game-high 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting, with six rebounds and an assist. Deshon Taylor added 17 points and Sam Bittner posted 13 points for Fresno State.
How it happened:Â With the score tied early at 7-7, Utah State rattled off a 13-0 run to take a 20-7 lead on Fresno State.
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Later in the first half, the Bulldogs fought back with a 9-0 run on a trio of 3-pointers (one by Bittner and two by Huggins) to climb to within 27-24 of the Aggies with 8:52 remaining before halftime. Fresno State couldn't complete erase the early double-digit deficit before halftime with USU holding a 43-37 edge at the break.
Deshon Taylor hit a huge shot early in the second half to make it a two-point game at 47-45, which set the stage for a beautiful 3-pointer by Aguire Agau moments later to tie the score at 50-50 before the first media timeout. The Aggies regained the lead for over five minutes, until Taylor drove it once again drove hard into the paint for a layup and the Bulldogs' first lead of the game 64-62 with 9:35 left to play.
USU answered with a 9-0 spark of its own for a 73-67 lead, but Fresno State stayed within striking distance for most of the stretch run until Quinn Taylor drained a dagger of a 3-pointer with 14 seconds on the clock. Sam Merrill sealed the game at the free throw line for USU, who outscored the Bulldogs 14-5 in points off turnovers and were disciplined on defense. The Aggies committed only three personal fouls for a stretch of 23 minutes and 13 seconds of game action, including the first 19:50 of the second half before fouling twice in the final 10 seconds since Utah State still had three fouls to give.
Fresno State did win the battle on the offensive glass 11-9 despite being edged overall on the boards 30-28. The 'Dogs had eight steals in the contest, while only allowing the Aggies to register four steals of their own. Both teams made 12 3-pointers and converted over 49 percent of their field goal attempts, including marks of better than 44 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coachÂ
On the final minutes of the game…
"We had a possession that we worked really hard on and then we gave up a box-out. They made a big three pointer and those are the daggers, when you guard as hard as we did in the second half and all of a sudden it bounces out far and they get the rebound and kick it around and hit the three, that was one big one that really stuck. I thought that the last few possessions, we guarded really hard and they made some good shots."
On the strength of the Mountain West...
"There are some good teams in this conference and things start to change at this point. Some teams may give up some games towards the end and some may rejuvenate themselves and be better. We know Utah State, they are at the top of the conference for a reason. They have a great shot blocker; a great guard and they were tough to handle tonight."
On bouncing back from the loss…
"We have to learn from it. We have to watch some film to see what we can learn from. I told the guys that it is not a time for 'I told you so.' I thought that the effort was great in the second half but I did not like the way that we started the game. I haven't liked the start of our games and we need to talk about that and address it."
On the resiliency of the Bulldogs…
"It is interesting to see the way that our guys fight back. We start making the extra pass, start making big shots at times and our defensive intensity continues to go up. It is something that every coach strives for. As we dig deeper into this conference, I think our players understand how hard we need to play now. Our next step is realizing how hard we need to play for 40 minutes."
Sam Bittner, Fresno State senior forward
On the possibly of potentially earning a rematch with Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament…
"Right now, our focus is going to shift towards UNLV. We know it is going to be a big game down there at the Thomas and Mack Center. They are going to have a great crowd. We are looking forward to our next game."
On what he felt stood out about tonight's game…
"Utah State has gotten better each year that I have been in this league. They run their sets and they don't make a lot of mistakes. They are really fundamental. They are very well-coached and that is probably what stood out the most."
On the Bulldogs' upcoming road game at UNLV...
"I grew up in Las Vegas and a Rebel fan. Obviously, now I am a Bulldogs fan but it is always nice to go back to Vegas and showcase my skills and showcase how much I have developed as a player and a young man to all of my family and my friends who are back there. It is a special game for me, but it is just another game. We are going to have to go out there and compete, play hard and keep getting better."
Player Notes:
Braxton Huggins – 26 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
"Just the Ticket to Build our Community" – 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 call 559-278-7160.
Â
Throughout the contest, Fresno State (16-6, 7-3 Mountain West) continued to the attack the basket and take and make jumpshots, but Utah State (18-5, 8-2 MW) got a big night from Aggies' freshman center Neemias Queta, who finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds, six assists (no turnovers) and four blocks.
The Bulldogs were led by redshirt senior guard Braxton Huggins, who had a game-high 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting, with six rebounds and an assist. Deshon Taylor added 17 points and Sam Bittner posted 13 points for Fresno State.
How it happened:Â With the score tied early at 7-7, Utah State rattled off a 13-0 run to take a 20-7 lead on Fresno State.
Â
Later in the first half, the Bulldogs fought back with a 9-0 run on a trio of 3-pointers (one by Bittner and two by Huggins) to climb to within 27-24 of the Aggies with 8:52 remaining before halftime. Fresno State couldn't complete erase the early double-digit deficit before halftime with USU holding a 43-37 edge at the break.
Deshon Taylor hit a huge shot early in the second half to make it a two-point game at 47-45, which set the stage for a beautiful 3-pointer by Aguire Agau moments later to tie the score at 50-50 before the first media timeout. The Aggies regained the lead for over five minutes, until Taylor drove it once again drove hard into the paint for a layup and the Bulldogs' first lead of the game 64-62 with 9:35 left to play.
USU answered with a 9-0 spark of its own for a 73-67 lead, but Fresno State stayed within striking distance for most of the stretch run until Quinn Taylor drained a dagger of a 3-pointer with 14 seconds on the clock. Sam Merrill sealed the game at the free throw line for USU, who outscored the Bulldogs 14-5 in points off turnovers and were disciplined on defense. The Aggies committed only three personal fouls for a stretch of 23 minutes and 13 seconds of game action, including the first 19:50 of the second half before fouling twice in the final 10 seconds since Utah State still had three fouls to give.
Fresno State did win the battle on the offensive glass 11-9 despite being edged overall on the boards 30-28. The 'Dogs had eight steals in the contest, while only allowing the Aggies to register four steals of their own. Both teams made 12 3-pointers and converted over 49 percent of their field goal attempts, including marks of better than 44 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coachÂ
On the final minutes of the game…
"We had a possession that we worked really hard on and then we gave up a box-out. They made a big three pointer and those are the daggers, when you guard as hard as we did in the second half and all of a sudden it bounces out far and they get the rebound and kick it around and hit the three, that was one big one that really stuck. I thought that the last few possessions, we guarded really hard and they made some good shots."
On the strength of the Mountain West...
"There are some good teams in this conference and things start to change at this point. Some teams may give up some games towards the end and some may rejuvenate themselves and be better. We know Utah State, they are at the top of the conference for a reason. They have a great shot blocker; a great guard and they were tough to handle tonight."
On bouncing back from the loss…
"We have to learn from it. We have to watch some film to see what we can learn from. I told the guys that it is not a time for 'I told you so.' I thought that the effort was great in the second half but I did not like the way that we started the game. I haven't liked the start of our games and we need to talk about that and address it."
On the resiliency of the Bulldogs…
"It is interesting to see the way that our guys fight back. We start making the extra pass, start making big shots at times and our defensive intensity continues to go up. It is something that every coach strives for. As we dig deeper into this conference, I think our players understand how hard we need to play now. Our next step is realizing how hard we need to play for 40 minutes."
Sam Bittner, Fresno State senior forward
On the possibly of potentially earning a rematch with Utah State in the Mountain West Tournament…
"Right now, our focus is going to shift towards UNLV. We know it is going to be a big game down there at the Thomas and Mack Center. They are going to have a great crowd. We are looking forward to our next game."
On what he felt stood out about tonight's game…
"Utah State has gotten better each year that I have been in this league. They run their sets and they don't make a lot of mistakes. They are really fundamental. They are very well-coached and that is probably what stood out the most."
On the Bulldogs' upcoming road game at UNLV...
"I grew up in Las Vegas and a Rebel fan. Obviously, now I am a Bulldogs fan but it is always nice to go back to Vegas and showcase my skills and showcase how much I have developed as a player and a young man to all of my family and my friends who are back there. It is a special game for me, but it is just another game. We are going to have to go out there and compete, play hard and keep getting better."
Player Notes:
Braxton Huggins – 26 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
- Led the team in scoring for the 12th time this season and third consecutive gameÂ
- Scored his most points in a game since scoring 33 at Utah State on Jan. 9, 2019
- Had his eighth 20+ point outing this season, and of his career
- Had his third 25+ point outing this season, and of his career
- Was perfect from the free throw line for the fourth time this season (7-of-7)
- Logged 28 minutes for the BulldogsÂ
- Picked up his 14th double-digit scoring game this seasonÂ
- All four of his recorded rebounds against Utah State were offensive rebounds – has now recorded 10 offensive rebounds on the seasonÂ
- Has picked at least one steal in 14 of his 17 games played this seasonÂ
- Was perfect from the free throw line for the fourth time this season (2-of-2)
- Has shot 50 percent or better from the 3-point line in eight games this season (3-of-6 tonight)
- Logged 34 minutes for the BulldogsÂ
- Recorded his seventh double digit scoring outing this seasonÂ
- Has grabbed at least one rebound in every game this seasonÂ
- Picked up his fifth block of the seasonÂ
- Logged a team-high 36 minutes for the BulldogsÂ
- Has started all 22 games this season for the Bulldogs
- Fresno State dropped to 6-1 this season when scoring at least 80 points.
- This was the first time this season that Fresno State had given up over 78 points in game.
- After 80 minutes of playing time this season, Fresno State and Utah State are even at 159-159 while splitting the regular season series.
- Fresno State has made at least four 3-pointers in every game this season. The Bulldogs dropped to 26-5 in their last 31 games when making at least 10 3-pointers.
- Fresno State dropped to 62-15 overall at home since the start of the 2014-15 season, including a 31-9 record against MW opponents during that stretch.
- Fresno State will enter its next game at UNLV in sole possession of third place in the MW standings. Fresno State has earned a seed of No. 4 or better for the MW Tournament in each of the last three seasons.
"Just the Ticket to Build our Community" – 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 call 559-278-7160.
Â
Team Stats
USU
FS
FG%
.545
.492
3FG%
.462
.444
FT%
.769
.786
RB
30
28
TO
10
10
STL
4
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
26
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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