Blowout city as 'Dogs lose big on road
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Fresno State’s Hector Hernandez has continued to blossom for the Bulldogs this season, scoring 13 points in the Bulldogs’ loss to UC Santa Barbara. |
Staff Reports
The Collegian
The Fresno State basketball team had seen how good things could be when they were good, but the Bulldogs finally got a taste of what it was like when things were bad — really bad.
There were many season lows for the Bulldogs, including total points scored in a game, shooting percentage in a game and points scored in the first half. Each falter contributed to the unexpected blowout victory for the Gauchos (6-2), who defeated the Bulldogs (7-1) 70-42.
Fresno State coach Steve Cleveland criticized his team’s energy and effort in the second half, in which the Bulldogs went 0 for 15 from 3-point land.
“UC Santa Barbara played an excellent game, and we didn’t come out with the same energy as they did,” Cleveland said. “We struggled offensively and we hit stretches where we couldn’t hit shots.”
For the game, the Bulldogs shot a sub-par 28.3 percent from the floor overall, including 18.5 percent from behind the arc. The Bulldogs only connected on five of their 27 3-point attempts.
Fresno State’s inability to get to the free-throw line also played a role in the defeat, as the Bulldogs only attempted 10 foul shots, compared to 23 by the Gauchos.
For the second straight game, the Bulldogs were led in scoring by Hector Hernandez, who joined teammate Ja’Vance Coleman to share the honors for a team-high 13 points.
The performance was also especially disappointing for the Bulldogs’ seniors, who were among the players being scouted by Jerry West, a legend and scout for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
Comment on this story in the Sports forum >>
|
