The Fresno State men’s basketball team (2-2) falls to the University of California, San Diego (3-0) in a 78-73 loss on Wednesday evening.
After making the game competitive halfway through the second half, and even taking a brief lead, the Bulldogs were unable to complete the 13 point comeback.
After a slow start, guard Zaon Collins helped the Bulldogs erase the 13 point deficit with his two-way performance, recording seven of his nine points and three of his four steals in the second half—something that head coach Vance Walberg wants to see more of.
“Zaon should be giving us 14, 15 points a game—six, seven, eight, assists a game—that’s what I expect from him, I think he’s that good.” Walberg said. “I just gotta find a way to open up a few more things for him.”
The Bulldogs also had strong play off the bench, with 33 of the 73 points coming from the second unit—with Mani contributing 21 points.
Guard Bastien Rieber, despite it not showing up in the box score, made a big impact off the bench with his grit on both ends on the floor.
“[Rieber] is going to give you everything he’s got everytime—he’s just a tough little son of a gun,” Walberg said.
Key stats
- Zaon Collins (FS): 9 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals.
- Jac Mani (FS): 21 points (8-9 fg, 2-3 3fg), 7 rebounds.
- Leo Beath (UCSD): 22 points, 5-10 from three, 7 rebounds, 2 assists.
- Tom Beattie (UCSD): 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists.
What happened
The Bulldogs open the game with a slow start on offense with four early turnovers, and the Tritons capitalize with an 11-5 lead six minutes into the game.
The Bulldogs respond with grit on both ends, chasing loose balls, and following a putback by Mani and a three-pointer from guard Bastien Rieber, the ‘Dogs now trail 11-10.
The grit continued to be on display, but after chasing a loose ball, guard Zaon Collins exited the game grabbing his left shoulder—but would come back a few possessions later donning tape.
While Collins was out, the guard Tom Beattie and the Tritons kept the Bulldogs’ defense honest, draining shots from beyond-the-arch and doing damage in the paint to add to their 19-16 lead 11 minutes into the first half.
However, the Bulldogs’ second unit would provide a spark, led by Mani’s offense and Reiber’s spirit, who combined for 15 points. But, it wasn’t enough, as the Tritons continued to work the paint to go up 42-30 heading into halftime.
The second half was headlined by the performance from Collins on both ends of the floor. Collins scored nine points midway through the half, came away with three steals, and four assists to help tie the game 57-57.
Mani also pitched in, scoring 10 points on 4-4 shooting from the field and 2-2 from three-point range midway through the half.
But, the play from Beattie and forward Leo Beath—who combined for 13 points—was enough to keep the Tritons afloat and battle through the Bulldogs’ barrage on offense to tie the game 62-62.
To close out the game, Beath continued his strong performance to help the Tritons pull away with the
What’s next
The Bulldogs’ showcase of resilience in this game was something that Walberg values, and called it something to build on.
“The beauty of what we have this year is we got guys that care and they want to get better,” Walberg said. “I think you’re going to see that progression.”
The Bulldogs continue their home stand as they look to bounce back against Utah Valley University on Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Save Mart Center.
Story written by Vincent Ordonio, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)
