Bulldogs end season in heartbreak
Fresno State's season ends in final seconds
By EDDIE HUGHES
Fresno State’s Ja’Vance Coleman was used to being the late-game
hero this season for the young Bulldogs.
But things didn’t work out that way in an 86-85 loss to Boise State
on Friday in the semifinals of the Western Athletic Conference tournament
in Reno, Nev.
Fresno State’s Ja’Vance Coleman led all scorers with
26 points in the Bulldogs’ season-ending 86-85 loss to Boise
State in the WAC tournament. Photo by Joseph Hollak |
With the Bulldogs trailing by one point with 8.7 seconds to go, Coleman
had a chance at a game-winning shot when he dribbled to the top of the
key, pulled up and took a shot over stumbling defender Jermaine Blackburn
with 2.5 seconds left.
But, this time, unlike in last-second wins over Texas-El Paso and Southern
Methodist, Coleman’s shot rimmed out – ending the Bulldogs’
season.
Fresno State (16-14), which finished fourth in the WAC, learned Sunday
evening that it did not earn a berth to the National Invitation Tournament.
Third-place Rice was the only WAC team placed in the NIT.
Boise State, the eighth seed, went on to lose 91-78 to UTEP in the WAC
tournament final on Saturday. The Broncos knocked off top-seeded Nevada
on Thursday.
In the win over Fresno State, the Broncos were led by Jason Ellis’
25 points and 17 rebounds.
Coleman led all scorers with 26 points on 8-of-20 shooting. He was 6 of
14 from 3-point range.
The Bulldogs trailed by 10 points with five minutes, 20 seconds remaining,
but came back to take an 85-84 lead when Kevin Bell swiped the ball from
Boise State’s Coby Karl and made a transition layup.
But Bell was called for a foul on the ensuing possession and Karl made
both free throws to put Boise State back on top by one.
Second-team All-WAC center Mustafa Al-Sayyad, playing with an injured
knee, saw just 13 minutes of time in his final game as a Bulldog. He scored
seven points and grabbed six rebounds.
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