The Bulldogs put on a commanding performance with NBA Clippers player and former Bulldog Paul George in attendance. He was sat by the baseline of the court.
“I’ve known PG for a while and there’s nobody better man,” said Head Coach Justin Hutson. “He’s just the most genuine man that you can meet. He really cares about this school and he really cares about our players.
The Fresno State men’s basketball team defeated the University of Pacific, Stockton 89-56 on Dec. 9 at the Save Mart Center.
The game got off to a slow start with both teams going scoreless for the first minute.
Despite the slow start, Bulldog guard Isaiah Hill connected behind the arc to get the ‘Dogs on the board 3-0.
After that, the Tigers scored 4 points but the Bulldog’s momentum continued, scoring 9 points all from the 3-point line to take the lead, 12-4.
At the 12-minute mark, the ‘Dogs continued dominating offensively, adding on 12 more points to keep the advantage.
The Bulldogs were unstoppable on all aspects of the court, accumulating 35 points with 6:20 remaining in the first half while only allowing 15 points.
In past games, the Bulldogs struggled to shoot, but this wasn’t the case in the first half, having a 64% shooting from the field and going 16-for-25.
As the Tigers fought to come back late in the first half, they fell short to close out the first half 42-23.
Opening up the second half, the ‘Dogs picked up where they left off. Bulldog guard Xavier DuSell connected for a 3-point jumper to extend the lead to 45-23.
“Being around a great group of guys and they found me tonight and I found my open spots that I like to get to, behind the 3-point line, and you know all I did was just shoot the ball,” DuSell said.
The Bulldogs were able to create more scoring opportunities by accumulating rebounds consecutively, securing 18 rebounds thus far.
At the 15-minute mark, the ‘Dogs led by 20 points, holding the Tiger’s offensive plays to keep them off the board, 49-29.
The 3-pointers continued accumulating for the ‘Dogs with three back-to-back shots made by guard Isaiah Pope, Hill and DuSell.
Hill was the top scorer this far into the second half for the Bulldogs with 17 points going 5-for-8 from the field, 5-for-6 from the three and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
Shortly after, George and the Red Wave stood to their feet clapping as Bulldog center Eduardo Andre dunked twice in a row, forcing the Tigers to take a timeout. The ‘Dogs had the lead 71-40.
After a 3-minute drought, the Tigers connected behind the arc but still significantly trailed.
With 1:35 minutes left in the game, the Bulldog sideline along with the stadium cheered once again as Bulldog walk-on Steven Vasquez Jr. swished his first 3-pointer of the season.
“Sometimes as walk-ons, they don’t get a lot of love and they have choices to make, too,” Hutson said. “They don’t have to stay here but he’s been a walk-on for like three years now I believe, if not more, so that must mean he likes something.”
The ‘Dogs closed out the game with a dominant 89-56 victory.
The Bulldogs are now on a two-game win streak, being 4-4 overall. The ‘Dogs will stay in Fresno to face off against the Roadrunners of California State University, Bakersfield on Dec. 17 at the Save Mart Center.
