Bulldogs to face Sharks on Friday

Friday, November 12

Fresno, Calif.

7 p.m. PT

Fresno State

LIU

Photo by: Cary Edmondson

Bulldogs to face Sharks on Friday

11/11/2021 6:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Game Notes: LIU at Fresno State (PDF)

Fresno State is in the middle of a three-game homestand to open the 2021-22 season. Tickets start at $5.

By: Stephen Trembley / Director of Strategic Communications

Game 2: LIU (0-1) at Fresno State (1-0)
Nov. 12, 2021 • 7 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/WEB: Mountain West Network (Paul Loeffler & Marc Q. Jones)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (Paul Loeffler & Marc Q. Jones)
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 1-0 (overall)
LAST MEETING: Fresno State 104, LIU 86 [12/23/97 • Fresno, CA • Selland Arena]
NEXT UP: vs. Idaho (11/15); Pepperdine (11/22); Santa Clara (11/24)

The Breakdown

Fresno State Athletics is celebrating its centennial year and the 2021-22 men's basketball season is the 100th season of competition in program history.
Fresno State forward Orlando Robinson (14.6 ppg/9.2 rpg) is one of six returning Mountain West players who earned NABC All-District 17 honors in 2020-21 (Ranked No. 19 nationally in double-doubles)
Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson is entering his fourth season back home in the San Joaquin Valley.

Bulldog Bones

Fresno State returns all three of its double figure scorers from last season: Orlando Robinson (14.6 ppg), Deon Stroud (12.2 ppg) and Isaiah Hill (10.3 ppg). Junior Ballard (7.2 ppg/2.6 rpg) and Anthony Holland (5.5 ppg/4.7 rpg) also averaged over five points and 25 minutes per game last season for the Bulldogs.
Jemarl Baker (Kentucky/Arizona) is one of four newcomers to the Bulldogs' 14-man 2021-22 roster.
Fresno State returns 90.2 percent of its scoring and 89.3 percent of its minutes played from last season.
Fresno State is one of 18 schools nationally to return at least 90 percent of its scoring from last season.
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).
In 2020-21, Fresno State was one of three MW schools to play a full 20-game conference schedule.
A record eight Bulldogs earned 2020-21 Academic All-MW honors – which is the most men's basketball student-athletes to earn the designation in a single season in program history (2020-21: 3:09 team GPA).

Fresno State contending in the Mountain West
Since joining the Mountain West in 2012, Fresno State has won the 2016 conference 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 nine seasons in the Mountain West, which includes four top four finishes in the past six seasons. In those last six MW campaigns, the 'Dogs won an average of 10.8 MW contests per year -- twice going 13-5 against MW opponents, including Hutson's first season at Fresno State during the 2018-19 season. Fresno State averaged nearly 10 conference victories per season in Hutson's first three seasons as the Bulldogs' head coach.

Opening Tip

The Fresno State men's basketball team hosts the LIU Sharks on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center on the Mountain West Network (video) and Bulldog Sports Network (radio). Tickets start at $5.
Fresno State leads the all-time series 1-0 with the LIU Sharks, as the 'Dogs defeated LIU-Brooklyn 104-86 on Dec. 23, 1997 in the Coors Light Classic, which was hosted by Fresno State downtown at Selland Arena.
This is the second game of a three-game homestand to open the 2021-22 regular season.
This the first time Fresno State has opened the season with a three-game homestand since 2016.

Last Time Out

Fresno State started the 2021-22 regular season with a 74-54 win over the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (Nov. 9).
Fresno State is now 10-0 in home openers since joining the Mountain West (22 straight home opener wins).
Fresno State junior forward Orlando Robinson finished with 16 points, shooting 6-for-14 shooting from the field, with five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal.
Fresno State sophomore guard/forward Leo Colimerio had a career-high 10 points and nine rebounds (seven offensive rebounds), while making his second career start.
Fresno State had four Bulldogs score in double-figures in the 20-point win.
Fresno State improved to 81-19 all-time in home openers and 73-26 all-time in season openers.
LIU lost at San Francisco 98-64 in the Sharks' Nov. 9 opener up in the Bay Area.

Bulldog Bones (Game Notes)

Fresno State junior forward Orlando Robinson has scored in double figures in 10 consecutive games - one shy of tying his career-high 11 straight games to open the 2020-21 season.
During the 2020-21 season, there were two games that Fresno State's Orlando Robinson and Anthony Holland each had at least 10 rebounds:
- 12/19/20 [vs. Fresno Pacific]: Robinson (11) & Holland (10)
- 3/10/21 [vs. New Mexico • MW First Round • Las Vegas]: Robinson (12) & Holland (10)
Fresno State has won six straight Friday night home games dating back to 2013.
Fresno State is 10-0 when Anthony Holland has scored at least eight points in that game.

Bulldog Bones (The Justin Hutson Era)

In Hutson's tenure (since 2018), Fresno State is 13-0 when shooting at least 50 percent from the field.
Fresno State is 7-0 when scoring at least 90 points.
Fresno State is 17-2 when scoring at least 80 points.
Fresno State is 13-1 when allowing under 60 points.
Fresno State is 6-0 when five or more Bulldogs score in double figures.
Fresno State is 30-6 when recording a better assist-to-turnover ratio than its opponent (10 straight wins).

Robinson rising entering third season at Fresno State

Fresno State's Orlando Robinson is seeking to become the third Bulldog to earn postseason All-Mountain West first-team honors (Marvelle Harris – 2015 & 2016, Deshon Taylor – 2018 & 2019).
Robinson also has his sights set on MW Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Last season, Robinson was a second-team All-MW and NABC All-District honoree, and also earned 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-District and MW Scholar-Athlete honors.
Robinson is a communication major at Fresno State.
Fresno State has finished in the Top 4 of the Mountain West in four of the last six seasons.

"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.