Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
7-11,3-4Mountain West
UNLV
12-7,1-6Mountain West
Bulldogs power past Runnin' Rebels, 76-63
1/21/2023 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State's Isaiah Hill scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Bulldogs to a 76-63 win over UNLV.
In addition to Hill's standout performance, Eduardo Andre added a career-high 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his third double-double of the season for Fresno State (7-11, 3-4 Mountain West).
Jordan Campbell chipped in nine points off the bench and Leo Colimero tacked on eight points and dished out three assists to help Fresno State defend its homecourt.
UNLV (12-7, 1-6 MW) was led in scoring by Elijah Harkless with 15 points and Keshon Gilbert added 11 for the Rebels, who dropped their fourth straight game.
How It Happened
Taking a 37-33 lead into the halftime break, a three-pointer from Jemarl Baker put the 'Dogs up eight six minutes into the second half at 47-39.
Continuing to lead by eight after a hook shot by Andre with 7:30 to play in the second half, the Rebels cut the 'Dogs lead down to four at 63-59 three minutes later, when Fresno State head coach Justin Hutson called a key timeout.
After a pair of free throws by UNLV got the Rebels back within five at 68-63, the 'Dogs closed out the game on an 8-0Â run to complete a 13-point victory.
As a team, Fresno State shot season-best 54.3 percent from the field (25-for-46), including a perfect 8-for-8 contribution from the Bulldogs' bench, who combined for 20 points.
Justin Hutson, Fresno State head coach
On what impressed him the most about Eduardo Andre's double-double…
"He plays with a nice spirit and energy, and it's fun to watch. He's really eager to learn. We were going to try and get him the ball; we didn't want him to lose his cool and stay away from a couple of fouls because of how he played in the game."
On Isaiah Hill's career night…
"He played a lot of minutes. Defensively he hung in there too, which is tough. His ball went in. If it wasn't for going in, I think Isaiah would have kicked it a little bit more and got people some shots. But his ball was going in so he's turning into a guy who knows when he can score and when he can facilitate."
On calling a critical timeout when UNLV cut the Bulldogs' lead to four…
"We have to finish it; they will not give it to us. We need defensive stops to get good shots on the other end."
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On having the win for one night before turning the focus to Boise State (next game)…
"It's always on to the next, but it's nice to get a win. The guys did a really good job, worked hard, and were attentive. It was nice to see them get paid for that."
On how the Bulldogs prepared during its bye week…
"We tried to get healthy first. There wasn't a lot of 5 on 5 going on. Not a lot of live play going on. Jog through versus the scout team knew how UNLV was going to pressure. We knew they were going to switch, so we worked a couple of days on attack and how they were going to guard."Â
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Isaiah Hill, Fresno State guard
On winning at home…
"It feels good, but it feels good to get a win. We had been on a three-game losing streak; that's what I care about. I'm just happy we won."
On playing nearly a full 40 minutes…
"When I'm out there, my adrenaline is going, and I want to do anything that it takes to win. If I have to play 40 or 20 minutes, I will do whatever it takes to win."
On how he was feeling returning from injury…
"Since my concussion, I was out for two weeks, so I got some legs back. We still practice hard, so just really staying in the treatment room, getting rest, taking ice baths, and just making sure I'm healthy.
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On finding advantages…
"Like coach said, we watched it on film all week, practiced it all week so we already knew what was coming. And tonight, either I was going to shoot the shot or kick it out for my teammate. That was the plan tonight and it worked."
Notes
- This was Fresno State 34th all-time MW regular season win by 10 or more points (13th in Hutson's tenure).
- Fresno State has now 10 of the last 14 meetings in the series and owns a 5-3 advantage over UNLV in games played at the Save Mart Center.
- Fresno State's 76 points were its most in a conference game this season (second-highest single game point total this season).
- Isaiah Hill's career-high 28 points were the 45th individual scoring MW game by a Bulldog in program history (21st time a Bulldog has scored at least 28 points in a MW game).
- Eduardo Andre recorded his third double-double as a Bulldog (career-high 16 points with 13 rebounds, along with four blocks and a steal).
Up next
The 'Dogs head out on the road on Tuesday traveling to Boise State (15-5, 5-2 MW) for a contest at 6 p.m. on FS1 and the Bulldog Sports Network.
"Fresno State Athletics - For The V: The Central Valley" – Bulldog student-athletes, coaches, and staff proudly wear the "Green V" to show their pride in representing the Central Valley. Stories of why the Bulldogs play for the "Green V" will be shared throughout the next year with #ForTheV. To become a Bulldog Foundation member or join "The Green V Society," please call 559-278-7160 or visit bulldogfoundation.org.
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