Fresno State Athletics
Tuesday, February 3
Fresno, CA
8 p.m. PT
Fresno State
11-11,5-6Mountain West
98
vs
96
UNLV
10-12,5-6Mountain West
1
2
F
UNLV
50
46
96
Fresno St.
49
49
98
Team Stats
UNLV
Fresno
FG%
.554
.592
3FG%
.391
.533
FT%
.694
.727
RB
33
23
TO
19
15
STL
8
6
Game Leaders
Pts
29
FGM
9
3FGM
4
FTM
7
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
15
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
10
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
'Dogs secure thrilling buzzer-beater victory over UNLV
2/3/2026 11:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State men's basketball team secured a thrilling buzzer-beater victory over UNLV on Tuesday night in the Save Mart Center.
The Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run in the final six seconds of the game to snap a five-game skid against the Runnin' Rebels. David Douglas, Jr., drained a three-point shot with 1.5 seconds left on the clock to tie the game before Jake Heidbreder sealed the deal with a catch-and-shoot jump shot to put the Bulldogs on top, 98–96.
With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 11–11 overall and 5–6 in Mountain West play, while the Rebels fell to 10–12 on the season and 5–6 in conference action.
Jake Heidbreder led Fresno State with a game-high 29 points, knocking down four three-pointers and going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line while playing nearly all 40 minutes. Zaon Collins added 16 points and three assists, and DeShawn Gory chipped in 15 points. Bastien Rieber also finished with 15 points off the bench, going 10-of-13 at the free-throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening half was fast-paced and physical, with both teams attacking the paint early and frequently getting to the free-throw line. UNLV jumped out to an early 8–3 lead behind aggressive drives from Gibbs-Lawhorn and Fleming Jr., but Fresno State responded with defensive stops and transition baskets to settle in.
Midway through the half, the Bulldogs began to find their rhythm offensively. Heidbreder sparked a run with a pair of three-pointers and a layup in transition, while Jacques created second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds and finishes at the rim. Fresno State briefly took control, pushing its lead to nine points following a free throw from Heidbreder at the 6:57 mark.
UNLV answered with timely shooting of its own, using back-to-back threes and aggressive play inside to regain momentum. The Rebels closed the half strong, but Fresno State stayed composed, heading into the locker room trailing just 50–49 after a layup by Gasper Kocevar in the final second.
The second half continued the back-and-forth theme, with UNLV pulling ahead by as many as 13 points before the Bulldogs began chipping away. A Cameron Faas three-pointer and a pair of baskets from Gory trimmed the deficit, and the Bulldogs leaned heavily on their ability to get to the foul line. Fresno State attempted 44 free throws on the night, capitalizing on UNLV's foul trouble as five Rebels eventually fouled out.
Things looked bleak for the Bulldogs down the stretch as a Rebel free throw put UNLV up by nine with less than two minutes left. Fresno State cut the deficit with six made free throws from Douglas, Jr., Collins and Heidbreder.
The Runnin' Rebels went up five points with only six seconds remaining in the game, but a flagrant foul committed by Green put Bastien Rieber at the free-throw line, where he sank both shots. David Douglas, Jr., gave the Bulldogs a spark of hope with only 1.5 seconds left on the clock with a deep three-point shot that tied the game at 96.
UNLV inbounded the ball from the Fresno State baseline, but the pass went untouched and out of bounds, giving the Bulldogs possession. On the ensuing play, Bastien Rieber lobbed the ball to Jake Heidbreder, who knocked down a catch-and-shoot jumper to seal Fresno State's 98–96 victory.
NOTES
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs head to Reno this weekend for a rematch against the Wolf Pack on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
The Bulldogs went on a 7-0 run in the final six seconds of the game to snap a five-game skid against the Runnin' Rebels. David Douglas, Jr., drained a three-point shot with 1.5 seconds left on the clock to tie the game before Jake Heidbreder sealed the deal with a catch-and-shoot jump shot to put the Bulldogs on top, 98–96.
With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 11–11 overall and 5–6 in Mountain West play, while the Rebels fell to 10–12 on the season and 5–6 in conference action.
Jake Heidbreder led Fresno State with a game-high 29 points, knocking down four three-pointers and going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line while playing nearly all 40 minutes. Zaon Collins added 16 points and three assists, and DeShawn Gory chipped in 15 points. Bastien Rieber also finished with 15 points off the bench, going 10-of-13 at the free-throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening half was fast-paced and physical, with both teams attacking the paint early and frequently getting to the free-throw line. UNLV jumped out to an early 8–3 lead behind aggressive drives from Gibbs-Lawhorn and Fleming Jr., but Fresno State responded with defensive stops and transition baskets to settle in.
Midway through the half, the Bulldogs began to find their rhythm offensively. Heidbreder sparked a run with a pair of three-pointers and a layup in transition, while Jacques created second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds and finishes at the rim. Fresno State briefly took control, pushing its lead to nine points following a free throw from Heidbreder at the 6:57 mark.
UNLV answered with timely shooting of its own, using back-to-back threes and aggressive play inside to regain momentum. The Rebels closed the half strong, but Fresno State stayed composed, heading into the locker room trailing just 50–49 after a layup by Gasper Kocevar in the final second.
The second half continued the back-and-forth theme, with UNLV pulling ahead by as many as 13 points before the Bulldogs began chipping away. A Cameron Faas three-pointer and a pair of baskets from Gory trimmed the deficit, and the Bulldogs leaned heavily on their ability to get to the foul line. Fresno State attempted 44 free throws on the night, capitalizing on UNLV's foul trouble as five Rebels eventually fouled out.
Things looked bleak for the Bulldogs down the stretch as a Rebel free throw put UNLV up by nine with less than two minutes left. Fresno State cut the deficit with six made free throws from Douglas, Jr., Collins and Heidbreder.
The Runnin' Rebels went up five points with only six seconds remaining in the game, but a flagrant foul committed by Green put Bastien Rieber at the free-throw line, where he sank both shots. David Douglas, Jr., gave the Bulldogs a spark of hope with only 1.5 seconds left on the clock with a deep three-point shot that tied the game at 96.
UNLV inbounded the ball from the Fresno State baseline, but the pass went untouched and out of bounds, giving the Bulldogs possession. On the ensuing play, Bastien Rieber lobbed the ball to Jake Heidbreder, who knocked down a catch-and-shoot jumper to seal Fresno State's 98–96 victory.
NOTES
- With 46.4 seconds left in the game, Jake Heidbreder went down with a busted lip after a headbutt with UNLV's Howie Fleming, Jr. He played through the injury and scored the Bulldogs' winning field goal.
- Throughout the game, there were three sets of double-technical fouls given to both the Bulldogs and Rebels.
- Five Rebels fouled out of the game, four being starters.
- Jake Heidbreder recorded 29 points, his sixth 20+ point game of the season.
- Fresno State won on a buzzer-beater for the first time since the 2023–24 season.
- Fresno State's 13-point deficit in the second half is the most it has trailed by in a win this season.
- There were a total of 80 free throws attempted by both teams.
- Five Bulldogs scored in double figures in the team's highest-scoring game of the season.
- The Fresno State bench accounted for 23 points.
UP NEXT
The Bulldogs head to Reno this weekend for a rematch against the Wolf Pack on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.
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