The Fresno State men’s basketball team fell 74-58 to California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) on Saturday, Nov. 16, at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield.
The Roadrunners outrebounded the Bulldogs 51-27. It was the largest disparity for the Bulldogs since being outrebounded by 25 against UTSA on Nov. 11, 2016. After the game, Head Coach Vance Walberg said that he needs to do a better job getting his team ready to play.
“We have to get tougher. We got to get better. And I gotta find a better job of both, getting people in the right spots,” Walberg said.
The Bulldogs also shot just 22-of-57 from the field, including 2-of-16 from beyond the arc.
“We’re not a great shooting team, you know. I knew that coming in,” Walberg said.
Two of the team’s top shooters, guards David Douglas Jr. (back) and Zaon Collins (ankle) suffered injuries during the game.
Saturday marked just the second time in the last 11 appearances that the Roadrunners beat Fresno State.
What happened
The Roadrunners jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead thanks to a pair of makes from guard Jaden Alexander and a three from Marvin McGhee III. Fresno State forward Elijah Price tied the game a few minutes later on a putback.
The first half was largely a back-and-forth affair. A pair of free throws from Collins gave Fresno State a 31-29 lead with 3:40 remaining in the first half. The Roadrunners responded with a 9-0 run however to take the lead. Jasir Tremble closed out the half with a mid-range jumper to cut the deficit to 38-33.
The Bulldogs were limited to just 12-of-29 shooting in the first half, including 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Forward Elijah Price led the scoring with nine points in addition to five rebounds and a steal.
He finished the night with 11 points and seven rebounds. Defensively, he had three blocks and a pair of steals.
“Elijah, one of those guys, he’s going to do all the dirty work for you,” Walberg said.
Both teams came out hot to start the second half shooting the ball. A pair of threes from Collins and forward Jalen Weaver erased the Bulldogs drought from beyond the arc. A corner three from Marvin McGhee IV extended CSUB’s lead to 45-41 with 15:40 left.
A couple minutes later, Collins rolled his ankle after turning the ball over. Despite playing just 24 minutes, Collins led the team in scoring with 12 points. He also had five rebounds.
A missed three-turned-fastbreak led to guard CJ Hardy dunking the ball, resulting in a Fresno State timeout and a huge reaction from the Roadrunners crowd. They extended its lead to 54-43 with a layup from Jemel Jones with 10:57 left.
Late in the half, Corey Stephenson forced a turnover and ran the floor for a fastbreak dunk. A three from Jaden Alexander and followed by a tip-in from forward Tom Mark with 1:45 remaining made it 74-51, as part of a 36-10 run.
The Bulldogs got a few late baskets, but it was too little, too late.
What’s next
The Bulldogs host the Panthers of Prairie View A&M University this Wednesday, Nov. 20, at the Save Mart Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
This will be Fresno State’s last of two home games in non-conference before hosting San Diego State to begin Mountain West Conference play on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.