'Dogs host SJSU on Star Wars Night

Saturday, January 4

Fresno, CA

4:00 PM PT

Fresno State

San Jose State

Photo by: Keith Kountz

'Dogs host SJSU on Star Wars Night

1/3/2020 2:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes: SJSU at Fresno State (PDF)

Tickets for Saturday’s game are on sale now starting at $18 through the Save Mart Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

Game 15: San Jose State (5-10, 1-2 MW) at Fresno State (4-10, 0-3 MW)
Jan. 4, 2020 • 4 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 92-77 (overall) & 55-36 (games played in Fresno)
Last Meeting: Fresno State 121, San Jose State 81 (3/9/19 • Save Mart Center • Fresno)
Next Up: at New Mexico (Jan. 7); vs. San Diego State (Jan. 14); at Wyoming (Jan. 18)
Fresno State's 2019-20 Ken Pom Ranking: No. 129

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.
This is the seventh of seven straight games Fresno State is playing in the state of California, including four home games at the Save Mart Center.
In addition to being Star Ways Day, the fifth annual Baby Race will take place at halftime.

Fresno State returns home to host Spartans
Fresno State is back home in the San Joaquin Valley and will host the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on KAIL-TV, the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio. Tickets for Saturday's game are on sale now starting at $18 through the Save Mart Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.com.

Fresno State & San Jose State: All-Time Series History
Fresno State has won its last four regular season meetings with San Jose State and the Bulldogs are 13-1 all-time against the Spartans in games played at the Save Mart Center. The 'Dogs lead the all-time series 92-77 (55-36 games played in Fresno, Calif.). Last season, Fresno State went 2-0 versus SJSU in Hutson's first season, which included a 121-81 home victory over the Spartans in the Bulldogs' regular season finale.

Hyder scores 23 in close 61-52 loss at No. 13/12 San Diego State
Fresno State went on the road and gave the No. 13/12-ranked San Diego State Aztecs a battle for much of Wednesday afternoon, but the Bulldogs lost 61-52 to the Aztecs on New Year's Day at Viejas Arena. Fresno State (4-10, 0-3 Mountain West) got a big effort off the bench from freshman guard Jarred Hyder, who had a game-best 23 points, along with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. Freshman forward Orlando Robinson added 11 points for the Bulldogs. The 'Dogs were missing four players due to injury, including two fifth-year seniors in guard Noah Blackwell and forward Nate Grimes. Fresno State did outrebound SDSU 34-31, but the 'Dogs had just four assists on 18 made field goals and 18 turnovers.

A proven winner and consistent contender in the MW

Fresno State has won the second-most MW games in the last three-plus seasons (35), which is since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Fresno State is one of four programs (Boise State, Nevada and San Diego State) with 58 or more MW wins in the last five seasons.
Fresno State is the only program to earn a MW Tournament first-round bye in each of the past five seasons.
Fresno State is one of two programs, along with San Diego State, with a .500 record or better in MW play in each of the last six seasons.
Fresno State is the only team to win at least 10 MW games in each of the last five seasons.
During the 2013-14 season, Fresno State started its conference slate 1-7 before finishing tied for fifth place with a 9-9 record in MW play.

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 blocked shots per game (4.3 bpg).
Fresno State is third in the MW in 3-pointers made per game (9.2/gm).
Fresno State senior forward Nate Grimes leads the Mountain West in blocked shots (2.0 bpg) and ranks fourth in rebounding (9.6 rpg), which ranks 36th in the nation, 15th in the MW in scoring (12.8) and 24th in the country with six double-doubles this season (20 in his Bulldog career).
Fresno State is 21-5 when leading at halftime during Hutson's tenure.
Fresno State's scoring margin against Division I opponents is even (+0.0).

Protecting the Yard

Fresno State is 184-81 (69.4 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State is 81-25 overall at home since the start of the 2013-14 season (16-7 in Hutson's tenure, including a 3-3 home record this season).
Fresno State has won 30 of its last 42 home games.
Fresno State has won 40 of its last 53 home games.
Fresno State has won 49 of its last 63 home games.
Fresno State has not lost back-to-back MW home games since 2014 (1/18/14 vs. New Mexico, 89-78, and 1/22/14 vs. Nevada, 96-86, 2OT).

More Bulldog Bones

To open MW play, Fresno State played back-to-back overtime games for the second time since 2013 (first time in Hutson's tenure). Fresno State had last played back-to-back overtime games during the 2017-18 season.
Fresno State's overtime game against then-No. 25 Utah State was the Bulldogs' first overtime contest when playing an Associated Press Top 25 opponent since 2015 (then-No. 25 Wyoming).
Justin Hutson is 25-4 all-time as a Division I head coach (5-2) or assistant coach (20-2) when coaching against one of his former teams.
During the Justin Hutson era, Fresno State has outscored autonomy-five conference schools – TCU, Northwestern, Miami, Cal (twice) and Oregon – by a combined score of 438-427 (+11).

"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.