Bulldogs fall into fifth place
The Bulldogs have lost 7 of their past 10 games after a 76-68 loss to
Rice on Monday
By MAGGIE THACH
Another close contest. Another game decided by the last minute of play.
Another opportunity missed by the Fresno State men’s basketball
team.
Fresno State freshman wing Donovan Morris tied for the team-high
with 14 points in a loss to Rice on Monday at the Save Mart Center.
The loss knocked the Bulldogs from a third-place tie to fifth place
in the WAC. The home finale is on Saturday against No. 24 Nevada.
Photo by Joseph Hollak |
Fresno State (14-11, 8-7 Western Athletic Conference) had the opportunity
to claim sole possession of third place in the conference and stay ahead
of Louisiana Tech.
Instead, the team finds itself switching spots with fifth-place Rice (14-10,
8-6) after a 76-68 defeat.
“This win would have been huge,” coach Ray Lopes said. “It
makes this loss that much tougher. We had a chance. In the past, we’ve
come through. But they wanted it more.”
It was evident that Rice’s Michael Harris wanted it more. It was
his 30 points and 11 rebounds that lifted his team to the sweep over Fresno
State.
Nothing was more clutch than his two offensive rebounds off missed free
throws in the final 37 seconds.
“We needed to box out at the line,” said Donovan Morris, who
finished with a team-leading 14 points. “Those last two plays killed
us.”
With 37 seconds left in the game, Rice’s Walt Chancellor stepped
to the line for a one-and-one.
Chancellor missed, but Harris was there for the put-back, extending the
lead to six.
On the other end, Ja’Vance Coleman, who had 13 points, drilled a
3-pointer, making the score 70-67 Rice.
The next trip down the court put Harris at the free-throw line. His shot
missed off the back of the rim, but he took the rebound and laid it in
for the five-point lead. Fresno State never recovered.
“We didn’t play him with all-out intensity,” said Carl
Ross, who played eight minutes and finished with three points. “We
let him get comfortable, and if we let a player like that get comfortable,
they just get on a roll.”
Fresno State didn’t let Harris get comfortable until the second
half. In the first 20 minutes, Harris had only eight points and both teams
had virtually the same shooting percentage at around 44 percent.
Fresno State took the lead going into the half, 36-34.
In the second half, Fresno State and Rice alternated baskets and switched
leads ten times before Fresno State suffered a scoring drought that started
with 6:51 remaining and lasted almost five minutes. The Owls finished
the game on an 18-7 run and out-rebounded Fresno State 42-29.
“Rebounding is about who wants it more,” Lopes said. “It
comes down to our execution. We’re just in a rut. We’re not
playing well.”
Fresno State will have three practices to prepare for Saturday’s
home finale against first-place Nevada, which is ranked No. 24 in the
nation.
“Our main concern is us getting better through practice,”
Lopes said. “Our toughness isn’t quite there.
We’re not getting over the hump. We’ve gotta keep plugging
away.
“We have the best team in the league coming on Saturday,”
Lopes said. “We can still find a way to stay in the top of the conference.”
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