Fresno State returning to the court

Saturday, December 19

Fresno, Calif.

4 p.m. PT

Fresno State

Fresno Pacific

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

Fresno State returning to the court

12/17/2020 4:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Gameday Program Notes: Fresno Pacific at Fresno State (PDF)

Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of New Media

GAME 2: Fresno Pacific at Fresno State (1-0)
Dec. 19, 2020 • 4 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/Online: MyTV53 (OTA) / Mountain West Network (Ralph Wood/Matt Norville)
Radio: 940 AM ESPN (Paul Loeffler/Marc Q. Jones)
Series History: This is the first official meeting for Fresno State against Fresno Pacific. Fresno State leads 8-0 in previous "exhibition" games.
Last Meeting: Fresno State 77, Fresno Pacific 68 (Fresno, Calif. • Save Mart Center • 11/2/12)

Opening Tip

All-Mountain West candidate Orlando Robinson produced 16 points and 10 rebounds for his seventh career double-double in the Bulldogs' 87-47 season-opening win over William Jessup University on Nov. 25.
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is in his third season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.
Since joining the MW in 2012, Fresno State has won the 2016 MW tournament championship to earn the league's automatic bid into the 2016 NCAA Tournament and finished as high as second and no lower than seventh in the conference standings.

Fresno State returns to the hardwood
Fresno State (1-0) is set to return to action with its second game of the 2020-21 season when the Bulldogs host the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center. No fans will be able to attend the nonconference contest. The game will be on MyTV53 (OTA), the Mountain West Network (GoBulldogs.com/mwn) and 940 AM ESPN Radio. This will be the first official meeting counting towards the Bulldogs' season record, but it is the eighth meeting between Fresno State and FPU. The Bulldogs own an 8-0 exhibition record against the Sunbirds in the previous eight exhibitions. Saturday's game will be a regular season game for Fresno State and an exhibition contest for Fresno Pacific.

275th game at the Save Mart Center
When the Bulldogs and Sunbirds meet on Saturday afternoon, it will be the 275th Fresno State men's basketball game at the Save Mart Center, which has been the home arena for the program since December 2003. The Bulldogs are 189-85 (69.0 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.

Bulldog Breakdown: Situational Bones to Watch

Fresno State is seeking its fourth straight 2-0 home start to the season.
Fresno State is seeking its first 2-0 overall start since the 2017-18 season.
Fresno State is 10-0 in Hutson's tenure when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
Fresno State is 15-2 in Hutson's tenure when scoring at least 80 points.
Fresno State is 11-0 in Hutson's tenure when allowing under 60 points.
Fresno State is 189-85 (69.0 percent) all-time at the Save Mart Center.

Bulldogs open with 40-point win over Warriors
Fresno State opened the 2020-21 season with an 87-47 win over the William Jessup Warriors on Thanksgiving Eve at the Save Mart Center. Fresno State sophomore forward Orlando Robinson had 16 points with 10 rebounds for his seventh career double-double, while sophomore guard Isaiah Hill also had 16 points and Deon Stroud added 13 points in their Bulldog debuts.

Transfer make immediate impact
In the Bulldogs' season-opening 40-point victory, four Division I transfers and two junior college transfers combined for 64 of Fresno State's 87 points. Isaiah Hill (Tulsa) had 16 points, while Deon Stroud (UTEP) added 13 points. Jordan Campbell (Oregon State) scored 10 points, Kyle Harding (Allan Hancock College) tallied nine points and Christian Gray (Salt Lake CC) recorded eight points. Hill, Stroud and Harding went a combined 5-for-5 from beyond the 3-point line in the Thanksgiving Eve win.

Three 7-footers in the post: Robinson, Meah & Diouf
Fresno State features three 7-footers for the first time in program history with Orlando Robinson (7-0), Braxton Meah (7-1) and Assane Diouf (7-2). Fresno State is one of two teams (Utah State) in the nation this season with three 7-footers on its roster. Robinson, Meah and Diouf are three of the now six 7-foot or taller players to ever play for the Bulldogs (7-1: Neal McCoy, 1972-73; 7-0: Robert Upshaw, 2013 & Anthony Pelle, 1994-95).

Fresno State contending in the Mountain West
Since joining the Mountain West in 2012, Fresno State has won the 2016 Mountain West tournament championship and finished as high as second in the regular season. The Bulldogs have finished no lower than seventh in league play in its first eight seasons in the Mountain West, which includes four top four finishes in the past five seasons. Fresno State is one of four MW programs to win 65 or more MW games in the last six seasons. In the last five MW campaigns, the 'Dogs have won an average of 11 MW contests per year, including twice going 13-5 against MW opponents, including Hutson's first season at Fresno State during the 2018-19 season