The Fresno State men’s basketball team seeks a season sweep as it goes on the road tonight to Colorado Springs, Colo., to face the Air Force Falcons.
The ‘Dogs (9-13, 2-7 Mountain West) are in 10th place in the conference, while the Falcons (9-11, 3-6 MW) come into the contest in eighth. The Bulldogs won by a score of 71-65 when the two teams met Jan. 8. The win also marked Fresno State’s first victory in the conference.
By downing the Wyoming Cowboys, the ‘Dogs put an end to their five-game losing streak and captured their second conference win of the season. The Falcons, on the other hand, are on a 4-game losing skid and aim to get their season back on track when they host the ‘Dogs.
Getting Tyler Johnson going early will be a key for the Bulldogs. The senior guard has been hot lately, as he has recorded 20 or more points in six out of the last eight games.
Playing solid defense will be critical in this matchup as two of Air Force’s players, guard Max Yon and forward Marek Olesinski, are coming off 19-point performances.
Applying consistent defensive pressure on the opponent was the key for the ‘Dogs in their match against Wyoming. The Bulldogs held the Cowboys to just 26 points in the first half and held off a second-half rally en route to a 67-62 win.
Leading Fresno State on the defensive end will be junior forward Alex Davis who blocked three shots and had two steals in last week’s victory.
Air Force, on the other hand, is coming off of an overtime loss to conference points-per-game leader Deonte Burton and the Nevada Wolf Pack. In that game, the Falcons rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to take the lead with 12:12 left. However, the rally did not carry into overtime as they ultimately lost 69-56.
Leading the Falcons will be sophomore guard Tre’ Coggins, who is sixth in the conference and leads the team with an average of 17.4 points per game while shooting 44.5 percent from 3-point range. Coggins will try to get himself going despite missing the last two games due to disciplinary reasons.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m., and the game will be televised on the Mountain West Network.