On Saturday, Feb. 3, the Fresno State men’s basketball team lost to Mountain West opponent Colorado State at home 73-61. Head Coach Justin Hutson also confirmed that center Eduardo Andre will likely be out for the remainder of the season due to a knee injury.

Andre has been dealing with this injury throughout the season, but he still contributed by averaging 7.3 points, 5 rebounds, 21 blocks and 15 steals.

Hutson revealed in the post-game press conference the status of his injury and why he didn’t play against the Rams. 

“Not likely he will be back. I mean, like I said, we’re so happy for that young man. He’s tried everything he possibly can; it frustrated him, and it was mentally and physically frustrating for him.” When asked about a timeline for Andres’s return, we’re not expecting him back,” said Hutson.

Colorado State entered the game with a 16-5 overall record and a 4-4 record in Mountain West play, averaging 80.1 points per game. 

Fresno State entered the game with a 9-12 overall record and a 2-6 record in Mountain West play, scoring an average of 69.9 points per game.  

Both teams last played on Jan. 30. Fresno State is coming off a loss to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, while Colorado State is coming off a win against San Diego State.

Colorado State got the ball in the opening tip-off and scored the game’s first points due to a foul from Bulldog guard Xavier DuSell. 

The Rams then went on an 8-4 run to start the game. After four minutes of the play, Colorado State led the way 10-4. 

The Bulldogs answered with a 3-point shot by DuSell after the first media timeout of the game, 10-7 Colorado State. 

The Bulldogs tied it up at 14 apiece with 9:44 remaining in the half. 

Fresno State took the game’s first lead with 8:55 remaining due to a free throw made by guard Donavan Yap Jr., making the score 15-14. 

“I wasn’t trying to do too much out there, just letting the game come to me and thanks to God, I was able to put the ball in the basket and score 20,” said Yap Jr. during the post-game press conference. 

After a 6-0 Rams’ run, the Bulldogs called their first timeout of the game, 24-20. 

Despite the Bulldogs’ timeout, the Rams continued scoring, extending their run to 8-0. Bulldog guard Isaiah Pope broke the Rams’ streak by scoring a 3-pointer, making it 26-23. 

Colorado State shooting guard Isaiah Stevens got a technical foul for taunting Fresno State’s bench after making a three-pointer. Fresno State made both technical free throw shots, making it a 29-24 game with three minutes remaining in the half. 

At the end of the half, Colorado State was on top, 31-25. 

Fresno State received the basketball to start the second half. Colorado State got the first points of the half due to a Fresno State goaltending violation, making it 33-25.

An 8-3 run by the Rams forced the ‘Dogs to take an early timeout. The score was 39-28 Colorado State with 17:04 remaining in the second half. 

Bulldog center Enoch Boakye made an and-one and cut the Rams lead to 9 with 12:15 remaining in the game. 

Yap Jr. made back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bulldogs, but the Rams maintained their dominance on offense, keeping a 54-45 advantage. 

With just over one minute remaining in the game, the ‘Dogs had no response and allowed the Rams to extend their lead to 14. 

At the end of the game, the ‘Dogs were defeated 73-61. 

Yap Jr. was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points, going 7-for-10 from the field, 3-for-6 from the arc and 3-for-4 from the free throw line. 

 “We just did not play with enough physicality or togetherness on the defensive end to get anything done, no matter what defense we ran,” Hutson said. 

With the loss, Fresno State is now 9-13 overall and 2-7 in conference play. They will now travel to San Jose State to face the Spartans on Feb. 6. at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.