The Fresno State men’s basketball team (5-24) lost a 66-61 thriller to the Boise State Broncos (21-8) on Saturday, March 1, at the Save Mart Center. The Bulldogs were pesky to a top-five Mountain West opponent, but missed opportunities and mistakes in crunch time sunk the Bulldogs.
“It seems like no matter what game we play, we always hit a four or five-minute spell where we kind of struggle, and we hit one of those again, just at the wrong time, offensively,” said Head Coach Vance Walberg.
Sophomore guard Zaon Collins returned to the lineup after a one-game absence due to an NCAA investigation that involved him placing bets on professional games. Walberg stated that Collins was reinstated on Friday but wanted to keep it quiet to surprise the Broncos. No other comment was made on the incident.
Collins had 14 points in his return. Junior guard Jasir Tremble and freshman guard Brian Amuneke flanked his efforts with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Walberg gave Amuneke his flowers postgame.
“We wanted to hide [Amuneke],” Walberg said. “We felt that [Amuneke] was pretty talented. We wanted to redshirt him, keep him on the side. But with everything that happened, you know, obviously we had to put him in for a freshman. He’s got a lot of guts.”
What happened?
The Bulldogs came out strong on defense with a one-three-one zone defense that confused the Broncos.
After the Bulldogs started 0-for-5 from the field, Amuneke caught fire, scoring eight of the Bulldogs’ first 12 points of the game. A lively crowd gave the Broncos free-throw troubles, starting 2-for-4 from the charity stripe, which allowed the Bulldogs to hang around and eventually find their groove from the field.
The pick-and-roll was especially effective in giving the Bulldogs quick, efficient points.
“We [have] lost most of the guys that could really take it to the rack,” Walberg said. “So that is kind of put us behind a little bit. So we’ll do a little bit more pick and roll, and then kind of see what we can get from there, just to open up things.”
The Broncos ended a near five-minute field goal drought on baseline cuts to the basket with 4:12 remaining in the first half after the Bulldogs switched to a two-three zone defense.
The Broncos took a 27-26 lead into halftime. Despite being out-rebounded 22-17 in the first half, the Bulldog defense forced the Broncos to shoot an abysmal 8-for-28 (28.6%) from the field, which aided the Bulldogs to stay in the game.
“I thought we got into them pretty good,” Walberg said. “Again, it’s a little bit of luck. I’m not going to deny it’s a little bit of bad luck sometimes when it doesn’t go in for us, you know. But again, I just felt that we moved, and I thought the kids gave a great effort.”
The Broncos came out of the break with a lightning-quick pace. A quick turnover by the Bulldogs led to a bucket for Boise State.
But the Bulldogs responded with pace of their own with a Collins steal and fast break lay-up. The quick score gave the Bulldogs yet another small lead with 18:08 to go.
“We’re just happy to have [Collins] back,” Walberg said. “We’re happy the NCAA reinstated him and we’re just very happy to have [him back]. He’s a pretty tough kid and you know he wants to win as bad as the rest of us.”
After a near three minute scoring drought, the Bulldogs took the roof off the Save Mart Center. It didn’t matter to the fans that the Bulldogs were 5-23 coming into Saturday’s contest. On the night when Fresno State highlighted Ron Orozco for designating Bulldog fans as the Red Wave, it was only fitting that they supported their Bulldogs in unprecedented times around the program.
It was a tough lay-up from Collins and back-to-back threes from Tremble to give the Bulldogs a three-point lead with 12:36 to go.
Collins continued to push the offensive tempo, finding holes in the defense and finishing tough at the rim. Amuneke also added to his impressive game with tough baskets in the paint.
As the clock ticked down, missed opportunities and mistakes would only be magnified. The Bulldogs took a razor-thin, one-point lead into the final five minutes of the second half.
The Bulldog offense slowed its tempo, opting for isolations with Collins to find the right shot; a shot they could not find. The Bulldogs went cold from the field in the final five minutes, finishing just two-for-eight (25%) from the field.
Redshirt-freshman Elijah Price missed a crucial one-and-one free throw opportunity, and Amuneke came up empty on a second-chance three-pointer that would have given the Bulldogs the lead. Clutch free throws from the Broncos subsequently put the Bulldogs in a three-point hole with two minutes to play.
The Broncos never relinquished the lead and ultimately sank the Bulldogs 66-61.
Even though this season has been an all-time low for the program, Walberg is confident about the direction of the program.
“Stay with us,” Walberg said. “Don’t take it out on the kids. They’re working their tail off. They’re doing everything they can, they really are. Again, I apologize for the way the season’s gone. I wish I could get a few more wins.”
What’s next?
The Bulldogs will host the University of Wyoming Cowboys on Tuesday, March 4, at the Save Mart Center for their final home game this season.