Coming into the game with only nine healthy players and shooting a paltry 30 percent from the field, the Fresno State men’s basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit on the road to defeat California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) on Friday, Nov. 23.
Missing five players due to injury, including starters Zaon Collins, Alex Crawford and Jalen Weaver, Fresno State was forced to mix the rotation up.
Seven different players got at least 21 minutes of action on the night. Brian Amuneke earned his first career start, scoring five points and grabbing five rebounds.
The Bulldogs used a 14-0 late run to win 72-69, improving to 3-2 overall on the season.
Junior guard Amar Augillard led the way with a game high 25 points, including a quartet of threes. He has scored at least 21 points in three out of the five games this season.
Mykell Robinson scored in double figures for the second straight game. The junior forward had 16 points, seven rebounds and a game high five assists. He also had a steal.
What happened
Offense did not come easy for the Bulldogs, especially in the first half. Fresno State made just one of its first 18 shots, including 0-for-10 from beyond the arc. It took more than 7 minutes into the game for a field goal, a layup courtesy of forward David Douglas Jr.
A three-pointer from CSULB freshman forward Andrew Nagy gave the Elbee’s a 31-14 lead with 7:07 remaining in the half.
The Bulldogs went on a 14-8 run to make it 39-28 going into halftime.
Slowly but surely, Fresno State cut the deficit in the second half. A free throw from forward Elijah Price with 12:34 remaining in the game made it 54-48.
Six minutes later, Robinson drained a pair of free throws to make it just a two-point game.
CSULB seemed to separate themselves over the next few minutes. A dunk from forward Austin Johnson gave the Elbee’s a 69-58 lead with 2:58 left in the game.
The final minutes
Fresno State scored on its final seven possessions as part of a 14-0 run in the final two minutes of the game, including a pair of layups from Price and Augillard.
Defensively, the Bulldogs forced 13 second-half turnovers, including a five-second inbound violation with 42 seconds left in the game.
The Bulldogs took advantage as Augillard found Douglas Jr. for a go-ahead three, sealing the comeback effort.
Douglas Jr. finished with 10 points and a career high four steals in 30 minutes off the bench.
The Elbee’s had a pair of opportunities to tie the game on the final possession but were not able to score.
What’s next
The Bulldogs travel to Palm Desert, California next week for the 2024 Acrisure Holiday Invitational. The first game of the tournament is on Tuesday, Nov. 26, against future Pac-12 conference mate, Washington State. Tip-off is slated for 9 p.m.
The team will face off against either Southern Methodist or Cal Baptist University the following night. Both games will be available to watch on truTV/MAX.
The Bulldogs return home on Wednesday, Dec. 4, as they welcome San Diego State to the Save Mart Center for the Mountain West Conference opener.