Thursday, February 11
USAFA, Colo.
6 p.m. PT
Fresno State
8-7,6-7Mountain West
69
at
63
Air Force
4-15,2-13Mountain West
1
2
F
Fresno St.
33
36
69
Air Force
22
41
63
Photo by: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Bulldogs win 69-63 on the road
2/11/2021 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State’s Junior Ballard scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 69-63 road win at Air Force in the opener of a two-game series, which wraps up Saturday at 12 p.m. PT again at Clune Arena.
USAFA, Colo. – The Fresno State men's basketball team defeated the Air Force Falcons 69-63 on Thursday night at Clune Arena.
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Fresno State (8-7, 6-7 Mountain West) used a strong effort on both ends of the floor to build as much as a 16-point lead on the road and fended off Air Force (4-15, 2-13 MW) down the stretch.
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Fresno State junior guard Junior Ballard scored a team-high 17 points, which included three 3-pointers. He also made four free throws in the final 30 seconds. In total, the Bulldogs sealed the win by making their final eight free throws, with six in the final 30 seconds.
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For the game, Fresno State shot 60 percent from the field, included a season-high 62 percent clip in the first half. The Bulldogs outscored the Falcons 26-10 in the paint and survived committing 20 turnovers, which led to 16 Air Force points.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On what it took to finish off the win…
"I thought the group that we had in at the end fought and finished the game out. I thought that was very important. They fought and finished the game out, made big free throws and had big stops at the end."
On what needs to be improved...
"The 20 turnovers is unacceptable... it really is. They opened up with a press, we went through it and they backed off. Our 20 turnovers, I'd say 18 of them were self-inflicted. Yes, we did move the ball. There were some bright spots. We made some big plays and some guys played pretty well. We have to be much better than that."
Notable Stats:Â Fresno State shot a season-best 62 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the first half and led by 16 early in the second half.
Next up: Fresno State and Air Force will meet again at Clune Arena on Saturday at 12 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
"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.
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Fresno State (8-7, 6-7 Mountain West) used a strong effort on both ends of the floor to build as much as a 16-point lead on the road and fended off Air Force (4-15, 2-13 MW) down the stretch.
Â
Fresno State junior guard Junior Ballard scored a team-high 17 points, which included three 3-pointers. He also made four free throws in the final 30 seconds. In total, the Bulldogs sealed the win by making their final eight free throws, with six in the final 30 seconds.
Â
For the game, Fresno State shot 60 percent from the field, included a season-high 62 percent clip in the first half. The Bulldogs outscored the Falcons 26-10 in the paint and survived committing 20 turnovers, which led to 16 Air Force points.
Quotes:
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On what it took to finish off the win…
"I thought the group that we had in at the end fought and finished the game out. I thought that was very important. They fought and finished the game out, made big free throws and had big stops at the end."
On what needs to be improved...
"The 20 turnovers is unacceptable... it really is. They opened up with a press, we went through it and they backed off. Our 20 turnovers, I'd say 18 of them were self-inflicted. Yes, we did move the ball. There were some bright spots. We made some big plays and some guys played pretty well. We have to be much better than that."
Notable Stats:Â Fresno State shot a season-best 62 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the first half and led by 16 early in the second half.
Next up: Fresno State and Air Force will meet again at Clune Arena on Saturday at 12 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network and 940 AM ESPN Radio.
"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.
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Team Stats
Fresno
USAFA
FG%
.600
.400
3FG%
.500
.423
FT%
.778
.870
RB
31
14
TO
20
15
STL
5
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
6
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
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