Saturday, January 2
Fresno, Calif.
4 p.m. PT
Fresno State
2-3, 0-3MW
74
vs
78
Wyoming
7-1, 1-0MW
1
2
F
Wyoming
31
47
78
Fresno State
33
41
74
Photo by: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
’Dogs battle tough in Game 1 loss
1/2/2021 7:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud scored a team-high 19 points in the Bulldogs’ 78-74 loss to Wyoming in the first game of a two-game conference series.
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State men's basketball team battled with physicality and energy, but came up short in losing 78-74 to the Wyoming Cowboys on Saturday at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State (2-3, 0-3 Mountain West) consistently attacked the basket and held a 33-31 halftime lead over Wyoming (7-1, 1-0 MW), who used a game-high 22-point effort from Hunter Thompson to edge the Bulldogs in the final minutes.
Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud scored a team-best 19 points with five rebounds and Isaiah Hill added 17 points and three assists for the Bulldogs, who lost their third consecutive contest.
Orlando Robinson played through foul trouble for much of the contest and finished with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, but helped Fresno State outscore Wyoming 38-18 in the paint. Yet, the Cowboys took advantage of the Bulldogs' 16 turnovers and outscored Fresno State 27-11 in points off turnovers.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys will close out the two-game MW series on Monday night at 6 p.m. PT on the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On moving on to game two on Monday…
"We are going to pick and choose what we are going to watch as the coaches watch the game tonight. We are not going to have a taxing shootaround physically, but mentally we are going to have to practice and see if there are some adjustments we are going to make. There are also things we are working on getting better at, in game five, you are working on getting better at some stuff so everything is a coaching move and adjustment. The things we have taught and are looking for and let's see when we did it well and when we did not do it well and also add a couple wrinkles in there."
On the play of Valley natives Isaiah Hill, Deon Stroud and Braxton Meah…
"I am sure it is nice to the fans to see some Valley guys on the team and that is exciting me being a Valley guy myself."
Sophomore guard Isaiah Hill
On what he takes from tonight's game…
"Coming off the two 22-point losses from Colorado State, we just wanted to get better as a team, play more together and that is what we did tonight, but we just have to keep being consistent. They played a better game so they won, but we will be back on Monday."
On what went well tonight…
"I think we all played well and I was really focused on getting in the paint and getting my teammates some looks. I got a couple layups here and there, but overall we played a great team and it was a tough loss."
On moving on to Wyoming on Monday…
"We got a good look in the corner and that is a shot JR (Junior Ballard) takes everyday and we are going to bounce back on Monday and we are going to be the same team and hopefully come up with the victory this time."
Player Notes
Deon Stroud – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
"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 call 559-278-7160.
Fresno State (2-3, 0-3 Mountain West) consistently attacked the basket and held a 33-31 halftime lead over Wyoming (7-1, 1-0 MW), who used a game-high 22-point effort from Hunter Thompson to edge the Bulldogs in the final minutes.
Fresno State sophomore guard Deon Stroud scored a team-best 19 points with five rebounds and Isaiah Hill added 17 points and three assists for the Bulldogs, who lost their third consecutive contest.
Orlando Robinson played through foul trouble for much of the contest and finished with 15 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, but helped Fresno State outscore Wyoming 38-18 in the paint. Yet, the Cowboys took advantage of the Bulldogs' 16 turnovers and outscored Fresno State 27-11 in points off turnovers.
The Bulldogs and Cowboys will close out the two-game MW series on Monday night at 6 p.m. PT on the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On moving on to game two on Monday…
"We are going to pick and choose what we are going to watch as the coaches watch the game tonight. We are not going to have a taxing shootaround physically, but mentally we are going to have to practice and see if there are some adjustments we are going to make. There are also things we are working on getting better at, in game five, you are working on getting better at some stuff so everything is a coaching move and adjustment. The things we have taught and are looking for and let's see when we did it well and when we did not do it well and also add a couple wrinkles in there."
On the play of Valley natives Isaiah Hill, Deon Stroud and Braxton Meah…
"I am sure it is nice to the fans to see some Valley guys on the team and that is exciting me being a Valley guy myself."
Sophomore guard Isaiah Hill
On what he takes from tonight's game…
"Coming off the two 22-point losses from Colorado State, we just wanted to get better as a team, play more together and that is what we did tonight, but we just have to keep being consistent. They played a better game so they won, but we will be back on Monday."
On what went well tonight…
"I think we all played well and I was really focused on getting in the paint and getting my teammates some looks. I got a couple layups here and there, but overall we played a great team and it was a tough loss."
On moving on to Wyoming on Monday…
"We got a good look in the corner and that is a shot JR (Junior Ballard) takes everyday and we are going to bounce back on Monday and we are going to be the same team and hopefully come up with the victory this time."
Player Notes
Deon Stroud – 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
- Stroud led the team with 19 points, recording a new season-high.
- Stroud scored in double figures for the fourth time this season.
- Stroud grabbed a season-high five rebounds.
- Hill scored in double figures for the fourth time this season.
- Hill set a new season-high with 17 points.
- Hill played a team-high 39 minutes.
- Hill went 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
- Robinson scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game.
- Robinson recorded a season-high two blocks.
- Robinson logged a season-high three assists.
Team Notes
- This was the 32nd meeting in the all-time series between Fresno State and Wyoming with the Bulldogs now holding a 20-12 advantage in the first 32 contests.
- Since joining the MW in 2012, Fresno State is now 11-6 against Wyoming, including a 4-1 record in Hutson's tenure. The Bulldogs are 6-3 versus the Cowboys in games played at the Save Mart Center.
- Fresno State dropped to 3-6 in MW home openers (1-2 in Hutson's tenure).
- Fresno State is now 2-1 when leading at halftime this season (26-8 in Hutson's tenure).
- Fresno State is now 2-1 this season when at least four players score 10 or more points (17-4 in Hutson's tenure).
"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 call 559-278-7160.
Team Stats
WYO
FS
FG%
.431
.491
3FG%
.400
.313
FT%
.846
.682
RB
30
35
TO
13
16
STL
9
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
6
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
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