The Fresno State men’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak on the strength of its 3-point shooting and the record tying performance by senior guard New Williams in a 79-64 win over San Jose State on Saturday night.
Williams exploded for a career-high 32 points by way of hitting 10 of 18 shots from beyond the arc. He tied a school- and Mountain West Conference-record for most 3-pointer made in a game, a record set last season by former teammate Braxton Huggins.
For Williams the realization of how outstanding of a game he was having and the history he making did not reach him until he was informed by his Bulldog teammates.
“It did not hit me until later when I got into one of the huddles and one of the guys said it,” said Williams. “My guys found me out there and I was able to take advantage of some of those opportunities.”
Much of Williams 3-point output came in the second half after only making three 3-pointers in the first, as he and the Bulldogs started the game off struggling get their offense going with the Spartans defending and double-teaming at the 3-point line.
After only putting 28 points on the board in the first half, the Bulldogs as a team were able to take control of the game down the stretch shooting 60.7 percent from the (17 of 28 field goals) and 56.3 percent (9 of 16 3-point field goals) on 3-point shots.
Head coach Justin Huston was impressed with how his team made the adjustments needed to allow them to get a rhythm on offense and make plays.
“We took good shots and we took care of the ball. We had 9 turnovers and 20 assists. Obviously with New (Williams) making threes is always a big difference,” said Huston. “With them double-teaming, there’s a big difference. Without that, it doesn’t matter what we run. The players made big plays and made big shots tonight.”
Freshman forward Orlando Robinson played a big part in the Bulldogs success as he added 9 of his 23 points during a 32-11 run that lasted a 10-minute span, allowing the Bulldogs to put the game out of reach with 21-point lead.
Robinson continues to assert himself as a go-to presence in the paint Bulldogs adding a team-high 14 rebounds for his third career double-double, as senior center Nate Grimes continues to be sidelined with an injury.
In his young career Robinson continues to make strides in his development and against San Jose State it was his ability to deal with being double-teamed that made an impact.
“Now that I see that I can make plays,” said Robinson. “I understand that teams will change how they play, so I made it a priority to know how to get out of a double and make good passes.”
The Bulldogs will now travel to “The Pit” as they face a 13-3 New Mexico team on ESPNU on Tuesday. A New Mexico team who is coming off a loss to San Jose State and the Bulldogs will be entering Tuesday’s game with confidence.
“Every win helps your confidence there’s no question. It doesn’t really help you in the game, but it helps your confidence and we’ve been trying to stay even keel,” said Huston. “Yes, you’re down when you lose, and you’re much happier when you win.”
