Basketball Archives - Fresno Sports Magazine

Nov 04

0

’Dogs bulldoze past Bobcats in Rean’s return

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

Never satisfied, it’s the Ryan McCarthy way. The Fresno State women’s basketball head coach kept things honest after the Bulldogs’ 94-32 win over UC Merced on Wednesday.

“I thought we played three and a half quarters at the standard that we’re used to. Today definitely wasn’t like our best day, but it definitely wasn’t our worst,” McCarthy said.

Of course it wasn’t all gloom. After all, a 62-point win came with plenty of positives for Fresno State, including transfers Mekhia Chase and Jada Hunter, who combined for 14 of the Bulldogs whopping 30 steals on the evening. Fresno State shot 38-of-87 from the field on the night, though just 5-of-23 in the fourth quarter to McCarthy’s point.

“I’m glad that we did some good things that we can build off of, and we did some things that we can definitely learn from,” McCarthy said. “The next opponent (Colorado) is going to be one of the best in the country, and some of the things that we did tonight, can’t happen again.”

Key Players

Mekhia Chase (FS): 19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 7 steals, 1 block

Rubi Gray (FS): 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals

Olivia Gill (UCM): 9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks

What happened

Following the tip, Loyola Marymount transfer Zawadi Ogot got a quick layup for the first basket of the new season. UC Merced took a 5-2 lead on a three a few minutes later from senior forward Nicole Lukito (6 points, 13 rebounds). Transfer guard Rubi Gray came in and nailed a pair of triples on back-to-back possessions. Gray made 90 threes in her two seasons at Sacramento State, one shy of the program record.

The Bulldogs went on a 34-9 run to end the first quarter, including a pair of threes from sophomore Ava Marr (13 points), who still has the “green light” from Coach McCarthy. Mehkia Chase to give Fresno State a 36-14 lead over the Bobcats. The quarter ended with a buzzer-beater from Chase, who is playing point guard for the first time in her career.

“That’s been an area that she’s really developed. It’s been a lot of game film and it’s been a lot of individual workouts and things like that. But she’s playing like a leader, and I think that playing that point guard position is not just getting people involved in the offense,” McCarthy said. “She was in at the end of the game with a lot of the freshmen and bailing us out of bad possessions and things like that. She’s done a good job leading on and off the floor.”

Fresno State opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run, including a three from Cal transfer Lola Donez (nine points), who along with returner Ashlyn Rean, was named to the Pac-12 preseason Team Impact list. Rean finished with 11 points, a game high 15 rebounds, three assists and four stocks (steals + blocks).

“It makes everything a lot easier when you get a rebound and you know someone is already probably at the other end of the court. I think that our guards do a really good job of implementing what Coach McCarthy wants us to do, and it just makes the game really fun,” Rean said.

Tonight was extra special for Rean, a team captain playing in her first official game back since tearing her MCL after just six games last season alongside an almost entirely new team.

“This summer, it may have felt like a long time, but it kind of just flew by with this group because everyone’s just super hardworking, easy to be around,” Rean said. “To get out on the floor and put everything together and everything we’ve kind of been through together just made that transition a lot smoother and really enjoyable.”

The Bulldogs defense stepped up in the second quarter, limiting the Bobcats to just five points as they went into halftime with a commanding 56-17 lead. Gray continued from her strong first half after halftime, with a steal and a fast break layup to give Fresno State a 64-19 lead. She finished with 18 points and 4 steals on the night. Ogot (14 points) finished the quarter off with an athletic layup to lead 79-24.

Despite being up 55, McCarthy opened the 4th quarter with five of his seven primary rotational players on the quarter. Still pushing the tempo, Fresno State would go on to win 94-32. Redshirt freshman Sienna Clark scored her first career points, on a triple with just over four minutes left in the game.

“It’s super rewarding. I’m really proud of her. She’s put a lot of work in and she’s an even better kid off the floor. I love being around her. She’s really funny,” McCarthy said. “She’s kind of a goofball.”

UC Merced didn’t do much well against the Bulldogs, shooting just 8-of-37 from the field (40 less shot attempts than Fresno State) and 3-of-17 from beyond the arc. They also had more turnovers (39) than points scored (32).

The lone bright spot for the Bobcats was probably the rebounding. Lukito and Olivia Gill combined for 24 rebounds on the night. Fresno State still outrebounded UC Merced (46-36) but McCarthy still wasn’t satisfied, noting that dominating the glass is an area they will have to improve upon if they are going to beat higher competition.

“I think the biggest concern for me is rebounding and just focus,” McCarthy said.

Coach noted a lack of urgency in some baseline out of bounds plays, as well as a lackadaisical effort on some transition opportunities, passing up open shots because they “were looking at the scoreboard.”

Schedule outlook

The Bulldogs begin the 2026-27 season in a new conference and a schedule full of plenty of competitive opportunities.

Fresno State will play 15 non-conference games between November and December of this year, including eight times at the Save Mart Center during non-conference play, which began with tonight’s home opener victory over UC Merced.

Other opponents coming to the Save Mart Center in 2026 include former Mountain West mate New Mexico, Northern Arizona, Saint Mary’s, Southern Mississippi, Grambling State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Hawaii.

Up next, Fresno State’s first road game of the year will likely be its toughest of the season, heading to Boulder to face a Colorado team that went 22-12 last season with ranked wins over Iowa State, TCU, Texas Tech and Baylor before finishing strong with a Big 12 semi final appearance and an NCAA at-large bid. The Buffaloes, who received two votes in the first AP Poll of the season, defeated Morgan State 83-38 on Wednesday.

“They have top-100 recruits on their team, and from a budget standpoint, it’s the Flint Tropics against the Chicago Bulls. We will have to play our very best game when we play them,” McCarthy said.

Fresno State will also play at assistant coach Jenna McCarthy’s Alma Mater Florida Gulf Coast on November 24. Following Thanksgiving, the ‘Dogs will be in New Orleans for the 2026 Big Easy Classic.

Other road games include San Diego, Bowling Green and Ball State. The latter two will finish up the Bulldogs’ non-conference slate during the final week of December.

“We made a non-conference schedule that we feel will challenge us in many different ways and will make some road trips that will help prepare us for league play,” McCarthy said.

The Bulldogs will play its first of 16 Pac-12 Conference games on the road on Thursday, January 7th at 5:30 p.m. at Colorado State.

Fast forward to January 23rd, the Bulldogs 8 p.m. matchup at home with Oregon State is set to be broadcast on The CW.

Fresno State was picked seventh out of the nine teams in the conference preseason media polls. Gonzaga received 16 of 19 first place votes, followed by Oregon State and San Diego State.

The Pac-12 Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 9th in Las Vegas, Nevada. For a complete schedule, visit the Fresno State Athletics website.

Season prediction

Ceiling: 20-22 wins

Floor: 15-16 wins

Prediction: 20-14 record

Year two for Coach McCarthy and his staff features a competitive schedule, but this team is significantly more deep than it was a year ago.

If Rean can stay healthy and Coach McCarthy gets the buy-in from his team for a full season, I see no reason why this squad can’t compete amongst Gonzaga, Oregon State and the other top teams in the newly-reformed Pac-12 conference.

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Nov 02

0

Dragos drags ‘Dogs to victory over FPU

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

Vibes are generally great after a win, a season opener at home no less. But what could have been a night of celebration for basketball in the Fresno community, felt more like your average of Monday following Fresno State’s 88-79 victory over Fresno Pacific to begin the 2026-27 men’s basketball season.

“It’s a win. Let’s just say that, it’s a win. A little disappointing,” Head Coach Vance Walberg said postgame. “I’m tired of being patient. It’s Division-I basketball now, and it’s time that we just do what we’re supposed to do.”

Despite the narrow win, newcomer Dragos Lungu endeared himself to the Fresno State fans with a dazzling performance, scoring 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting. He also had seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of blocks.

Walberg complimented Lungu’s offensive game but admitted he needs more from him defensively and vocally.

“Nobody knows how talented he is. He can create. He can do a lot of different things. He gets to the rack like you saw tonight. That part I think is really good. But if he wants to get better, he’s got to talk more. That’s what I’m trying to get him to do,” Walberg said.

Fresno State was picked last in this year’s Pac-12 conference media poll, something Lungu disagreed with.

“It’s not gonna be like that,” Lungu said.

Key Players

Dragos Lungu (FS): 30 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks

Roger Fabrega Urpina (FS): 15 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block

Brandon Gipson Jr. (FPU): 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals

What happened

Neither team had much of a lead in the first half. Fresno State took a 11-6 lead with a layup from transfer guard Dragos Lungu. The Sunbirds responded with a 9-0 run including a couple of threes from San Joaquin Memorial alum Jaden Geron to give Fresno Pacific a 15-11 lead.

A few minutes later, center Bradey Henige made baskets on three straight possessions to give the lead back to the Bulldogs, 22-20.

A nice cut from Dragos Lungu was rewarded with a stealthy pass from Ross Candelino for an under-the-basket layup. Candelino found him again a minute later for another layup. He then scored himself on a dish from Lungu on the next possession as part of a 6-0 run for the duo to give Fresno State a 28-23 lead with 6:57 left in the first half before a media timeout.

The Sunbirds went on a 15-9 run, capped off by a Brandon Gipson Jr. layup to take a 38-37 lead. Fresno State recovered with four free throws to end the half from Candelino to make it 41-38. Despite shooting 55 percent from the field in the first half, the Bulldogs held just a three point lead. Fresno State had 14 turnovers on the night, including 10 in the first half.

“During the first three exhibitions, we turned it over a heck of a lot more than I wanted to see it. And it’s not like the other teams are creating the turnovers; it’s just our sloppiness at times, and then just our sense of urgency,” Walberg said.

He added that he wished his team would give more effort defensively.

Lungu and Loukas Jones (Clovis North HS alum) trade threes early in the second half. Fresno State made only one triple in the first half, compared to five from the Sunbirds.

Despite struggles from most of the offense that allowed the Sunbirds to stay in the game, Lungu held his own in the second half. His layup with six minutes left in the second half gave him 25 points for the game. Layups from point guard Roger Fabrega Urpina and center Baye Fall on the next two possessions gave Fresno State a 77-67 lead, their biggest advantage to that point. They would go on to win 88-79.

Of the 88 points scored, only 5 came from the bench (Baye Fall). That includes transfer guard K.J. Perry (17 points during exhibition versus Cal State Fullerton), who was held scoreless in 12 minutes.

“I’ve gotta find a bench that cares for their teammates more than anything else. I think a lot of them, it’s the first college game. Everybody thinks they’re going to play a lot and when the game begins, there’s only so many minutes,” Walberg said.

When asked about how he can get more out of his second unit, Walberg put the onus on the players to show they are deserving of a bigger look.

“They’ve got to give me the confidence of being able to put them in, to where you can get something out of them,” Walberg said.

What’s next

Fresno State will face a much bigger test this weekend as the team travels south to play at UC San Diego, one of six non-conference games for the Bulldogs this season. The Tritons got the better of the ‘Dogs last November, winning 78-73 at the Save Mart Center. Tip-off on Saturday is set for 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs will return home to Fresno to host Georgia State (Nov. 10) and UC Riverside (Nov. 14) next week.

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 23

0

Mystery Box: Fresno State Men’s Basketball Season Preview

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

Perhaps it’s déjà vu or perhaps it’s a sign of positive change just around the corner.

Nevertheless, the Fresno State Men’s Basketball team enters Year 3 in the Vance Walberg era of Bulldogs Hoops similar to the first two, a mixed bag of unknowns with roster turnover increasing by the year.

“It is what it is,” Walberg said. “No excuses. It’s just really tough.”

Success was hard to find during the first two years under Walberg, going 6-26 in 2024-25 before improving to 13-19 a year ago.

Despite more than doubling the team’s win total in year two, Fresno State returns zero minutes from last year’s team.

Last year’s leading scorer and All-Mountain West Third Team selection Jake Heidbreder (17 PPG) and forward Cameron Faas (5.3 PPG) both graduated and guard D.J. Stickman was removed from the team after suffering an ACL injury during February of last season that’s expected to take up all of this season to recover from.

“It’s a tough situation,” Walberg said. “I’d love to have him, but we only have so many roster spots, and DJ won’t be healthy. He won’t get a chance to play 5-on-5 until the end of December or early January.”

Walberg noted the pileup of injuries in recent seasons as a major factor in the decision. Stickman averaged 3.5 points in 14.4 minutes per game over 21 appearances, including one start.

The remaining 11 players that played minutes last season all transferred elsewhere, including DeShawn Gory (Oregon State), Zaon Collins (Ball State), David Douglas Jr. (Northern Illinois), Gasper Kocevar (Howard), Jac Mani (Tarleton State), Wilson Jacques (DePaul). Jacques in particular will earn $1.1M as part of his NIL package, ‘life changing money’ as Walberg noted.

“I wish we had a few people back. I wish we would have them back,” Walberg said. “It’s the times that we’re in. The NIL is crazy.”

Walberg on Wednesday morning suggested the NCAA limit players to one transfer each to limit the amount of roster turnover from year-to-year.

Fresno State, expected to be near if not at the very bottom of the Pac-12 in NIL budgets, will dearly miss Gory, a do-it-all freshman forward that averaged 13.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 2.0 APG. He also had 25 steals and 11 blocks on the year.

“DeShawn was a special breed. He had an aura of confidence that you just don’t find,“ Walberg said. “The sounds in that gym, if we had workouts at 6:30 in the morning, he wanted to be in the gym at 5:30.”

Gory will return to the Save Mart Center as a member of the Beavers when Oregon State comes to Fresno on February 20th.

The one carryover from last year’s team to this year’s team was guard Nathan Zulemie, who will miss his second straight season with an ACL injury.

So where does that leave Fresno State’s roster for the 2026-27 season?

A brand new squad

What we have learned during the brief time they’ve been in action is Lipscomb transfer Ross Candelino can shoot the ball from deep and guards K.J. Perry and freshman Roger Fabrega Urpina are expected to carry the load of ball-handling duties.

It’s hard to place expectations on a squad with 15 players (14 excluding Zulemie) that have never played with each other, besides a brief trip to the Bahamas this summer and two “secret scrimmages.”

“The biggest thing I think that we took away is we can compete with anybody. I believe that from day one,” Candelino said.

Candelino, a 6-foot-5 guard who appeared in 28 games last season, averaged 11.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG while connecting on a team-high 66 3-pointers (42.6%), providing Fresno State with an experienced perimeter shooting threat.

Perry, the number one JUCO recruit in the country a year ago, transferred to BYU but didn’t play last season. The combo guard should be among the team’s leading scorers and playmakers but he’s more focused on what he can provide on the other end of the floor, citing his on-ball defensive skills as his best asset.

“Everything starts on defense. So if I can kind of just be that person to just get us started, I think everything will just flow with it right after that,” Perry said.

The 6-foot-1 Fabrega comes to the United States with plenty of professional experience already under his belt and high praise from his teammates.

“I’ve never played with Roger, and obviously he doesn’t speak very good English, so you’re like you’re sitting there thinking like all right, but then you start playing with them and it’s like you guys have been playing with each other for seven years,” Candelino said. “Like you, just kind of form a connection with some players.”

The starting lineup early in the season is expected to be rounded out by fellow transfers Dragos Lungu (UT Martin) and center Bradey Henige (Cal Baptist), though Walberg said there could be a lot of movement in the rotation early in the season.

Lungu has been a potent mid-level scorer in his career, including scoring 13.8 PPG on 62% from the field last season as a redshirt sophomore but the 6-foot-6 Romanian guard has managed to play in just 13 total games since appearing in 30 games (11 starts) for the University of San Diego in 2023-24.

Henige, a 7-footer from Glendale, AZ transfers to Fresno State after spending his first two seasons at Cal Baptist. He averaged 4.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG over 20.2 MPG last season.

He’ll be splitting time with transfer Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 big who has played sparingly at three different major programs, including Arkansas, Kansas State and most recently Rutgers.

A 4-star recruit and #1 rated prospect of his class out of Colorado, Fall hasn’t quite lived up to the potential but he hasn’t had a whole lot of playing time to prove himself (5.3 MPG in 22 career appearances). He does have 12 career blocks though.

Beyond that, Fresno State brought in Nebraska transfer Quentin Rhymes, a 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman guard, who should see some playing time in the second unit as well as the only guy on the team who’s spent minutes in a Bulldog uniform: Brian Amuneke.

Déjà vu

Amuneke returns to Fresno State after spending the 2025-26 season at Wichita State. The 6-foot-6 guard began his collegiate career with the Bulldogs before transferring to the Shockers, where he appeared in 36 games, but averaged just 8 minutes a game.

Fortunately for Amuneke, it’s a style he’s familiar with.

“Our system is pretty much common sense type basketball,” Amuneke said. “Not only the dribble drive but just trying to play together as a team. Move the ball as a team, get the best open shot, best look for every single one of us.

Amuneke averaged 7.7 PPG as a freshman, and even saw seven starts down the stretch of the season in 2025 before transferring, and is excited to bring even more to the Bulldogs than he did a couple years ago.

Brian Amuneke with Fresno State as a freshman (Vincent Ordonio)

“I just know that with me getting better, I can add on to the system more, way better than I did before,” Amuneke said.

The freshman class

In addition to Fabrega, Walberg brought in five other freshmen to round out a heavy forward class including academy players Anthony Granger and Yeshua Kesse-Beda. He also brought in Rylan Parsley from Arizona.

Finishing up the 2026-27 freshmen class is a pair of 6-foot-8 European power forwards: Colin Schroeder (Germany) and Marko Vuckovic (Serbia), the latter of which Walberg described as an enigma.

“He’s very talented, but he is a stubborn Serbian, and I mean stubborn,” Walberg said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a Serbian in, and Marko at times just looks at me like, ‘Coach, you’re crazy,’ Yeah, I am.”

Vukovic projects as a rangy forward with the ability to shoot from distance while providing help on the glass. Schroder is more of an old-school big, playing the bruiser role.

“Colin gives you everything he’s got, every day. I mean, he’s six seven and a half, 245 pounds. He’s going to knock some people around,” Walberg said.

Their energy has been noticed by teammates already, including Candelino, who despite not always knowing what his European teammates are saying, feeds off their passion.

“They’re both very passionate about the game of basketball, and I think that’ll be something that [the Red Wave] can get behind,” Walberg said. “Obviously for fans, it’s a little bit harder because you can’t play. You have all this aggression, like you want to be able to play the game too, but you can’t. So you gotta kind of gotta live through somebody else on the court. And I think that Marko and Colin will help them blow some steam off. I love being with them. They can really flip the energy in the game real fast.”

Colin Schroeder (via @28.colin on Instagram)

Schedule outlook

The Bulldogs begin the 2026-27 season with one final tuneup this Saturday, October 24th, a home exhibition at the Save Mart Center at 2 p.m. against Cal State Fullerton.

“I had an old coach who said, ‘you only get one first impression.’ So we hope to make it a really good first impression,” Candelino said.

Fresno State will play 15 non-conference games between November and December of this year. Excluding the exhibition on Saturday, Fresno State will play eight times at the Save Mart Center during non-conference play, beginning with its home opener versus Fresno Pacific on Nov. 2nd at 6 p.m.

Other opponents coming to the Save Mart Center in 2026 include Georgia State, UC Riverside, Southern, Cal State University Northridge, San Francisco, Sacramento State and UC Santa Barbara.

The ‘Dogs will also host Alabama State at Selland Arena on Friday, Nov. 20th at 7 p.m.

“We heard great feedback from the Red Wave; they love going downtown one game a year. Coach Walberg really enjoys it,” Klassy said. “We want to lean into what makes this place special.”

The feedback hasn’t all been positive but that’s something Fresno State’s Director of Athletics is grateful for nonetheless.

“Although I prefer it all be positive, the negative feedback means people care and I’ll always take that over someone not caring about the sports teams,” Klassy said.

Of the team’s six games away from Fresno, four of them are in California due to the team’s not ‘very big travel budget,’ as Walberg noted. They will be traveling to UC San Diego, San Jose State, Santa Clara and UC Irvine this season.

The only two non-conference games outside the state will take place the weekend right after Thanksgiving as part of the Second Line Showcase in New Orleans, LA. Fresno State will play South Alabama (11/27) and South Dakota State (11/29) during the tournament.

The Bulldogs will play its first of 16 Pac-12 Conference games at home on Sunday, January 3rd at 1 p.m. versus Washington State.

This season will mark the Bulldogs first time ever playing at Texas State (2/18/27) and first time playing at Gonzaga (1/27/27) since 1961.

Of the other eight teams in its conference, seven of them have made the NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons.

The Pac-12 Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 9th in Las Vegas, Nevada. For a complete schedule, visit the Fresno State Athletics website.

Fresno State men’s basketball will have 19 games televised nationally during the 2026-27 season, including all 16 Pac-12 Conference games.

Season prediction

Ceiling: 17-19 wins

Floor: 10-12 wins

Prediction: 15-17 record

I think this team is better than either of the last two seasons. If the front court can

Stay healthy, I think a strong non-conference showing and 5 to 7 wins in a tough conference can have the Bulldogs finish around .500 this season.

Is that the dream? Of course not, but Fresno State eventually needs to build some culture and continuity and perhaps that can happen beginning this season.

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo captured by Evan Hernandez (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Apr 08

0

Fresno Pro-Am launches show to spotlight culture, talent, and community

By FSM Staff | Basketball, Feature, Fresno Pro-Am Insider | No Comments

In a region where sports thrive and athletes prosper, the Central Valley was missing one thing: an outlet for elite basketball competition in the summer, especially for athletes aspiring to play at the college or professional level or those who simply love the game. The Fresno Pro-Am changed that.

Alton Williams, president and co-founder of the Fresno Pro-Am, launched the league along with co-founders Seth and Ryan Stanley in 2021, answering the call for high-level basketball the area and its local talent had long been eager for.

As participants continued to showcase their talent each year and tailor their summers and offseason programs around the Fresno Pro-Am, it became clear to Williams that it was time to shift focus to getting eyes on the league, leading to the launch of the Fresno Pro-Am Show.

With the Fresno Pro-Am Show, Williams views the league’s extension as a storytelling avenue to elevate and share the culture of Central Valley basketball with a wider audience through full length episodes on YouTube and snippets shared across social media platforms.

“The mission of the show is to entertain, inform, and inspire people in communities through the power of engaging storytelling, that is the mission, so everything you see will be in alignment with that mission,” Williams said.

Often called show business, the sport of basketball has limitless story lines, from the overseas pro who can’t put the ball down to the first-year college player looking to make a name for himself. All of it will be front and center in the Fresno Pro-Am Show.

And in the Central Valley, those kinds of stories aren’t rare, it’s all a part of the Valley’s identity. With homegrown talent like Jalen Green, Cedric Coward, Robin and Brook Lopez, along with diamonds in the rough from Fresno State like Derek Carr, Davante Adams, Aaron Judge, and Paul George, what’s stopping the Fresno Pro-Am from sharing the next big headline of the Central Valley?

“There’s so much people don’t know—especially those who don’t live in this region—and we want to reflect that. We want to deliver that to the world,” Williams said. “Basketball is a global sport, so we want to deliver this to the global community in a way that’s well received and in a way that’s digestible, relatable, and engaging.”

Williams also emphasized the role of storytelling in driving fan engagement, noting that it remains a challenge across the broader basketball community.

Williams localized the issue to Fresno State’s men’s basketball team and the school’s transition into the Pac-12.

With nuances like NIL (name, image, and likeness) and the transfer portal, it can be difficult for fans to connect with players as they explore new paths. And for a school with limited funds, like Fresno State, it can be challenging to attract high-level talent and compete with talented teams.

In order to sell tickets and get fans involved, Williams believes fans need personal ties with players.

“Fans have to understand who these young men are, and a lot of that revolves around storytelling and sharing their stories, their backgrounds, their interests, and showing how they’re relatable to fans,” Williams said.

Turning to the future, he extended these ideas to the Fresno Pro-Am, highlighting the league’s ongoing growth.

“There’s a big problem when it comes to telling stories in the basketball community that I’m interested in tackling,” Williams said. “I want to make sure for the next five years we build a much larger fanbase, and we build a large audience. I’m not even looking in our own backyard, when it comes to cultural storytelling, I want to share these stories with the world.”

The Fresno Pro-Am Show is set to launch this summer, with more details to come.

Story and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio.

Mar 03

0

Bulldogs shoot to victory over rival Spartans

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The Fresno State men’s basketball team (13-17, 7-12 in MW) prevailed on senior night and their final home game of the season in a 82-68 win over San Jose State University (8-22, 3-16 in MW) on March 3 at the Save Mart Center.

The senior duo of guards Jake Heidbreder and Cameron Faas combined for 32 points and were hot from beyond-the-arch—combining for 6 of the Bulldogs’ 11 three-point makes. The three-point shooting from Heidbreder and Faas has been on display all season, averaging 31.8% and 36.2% respectively—a season Faas is thankful for.

“I started at JUCO and it’s been really cool to see each level as I move up. I’m very grateful to be here and have coaches who are willing to literally give you everything,” Faas said. “You never have a time when you can’t workout, you never have someone who’s not available when you need something. The process of being here and working with everybody has been my favorite.”

Heidbreder added that this season was the most diligent team he has been a part of during his long college career.

“This is by far the most hard working team I’ve been on. They’re just in the gym, hours upon hours, every single day, before practice, after practice. That’s been the most fun for me being here,” Heidbreder said.

Key players

Jake Heidbreder (FS): 20 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist

Wilson Jacques (FS): 16 points (2-2 3fg), 19 rebounds, 3 blocks

Colby Garland (SJSU): 26 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

Adrian Myers (SJSU): 17 points, 16 rebounds, 1 steal

What happened

Both teams started the game cold on offense, going a combined 3-13 from the field in the opening minutes, with the lone scorers for the Bulldogs being forward Deshawn Gory with a quick layup and center Wilson Jacques with the rare three-pointer to tie things up 5-5.

Following the stall on offense, both teams found their footing, with guard Colby Garland leading the way for the Spartans and forward Deshawn Gory leading the Bulldogs to a 15-12 point lead midway through the first half.

To close out the first half, the Bulldogs kept things rolling with well balanced scoring—with seven of the eight players who received minutes contributing to the scoring column and Gory leading the way with 10 points. For the Spartans, Garland and forward Adrian Myers helped the team stay afloat, combining for 20 of the Spartans’ 34 first half points.

However, the Bulldogs would pull away in the final minutes of the first half to enjoy a 45-34 lead heading into halftime.

Garland and the Spartans opened the second half hot on offense, going 3-3 in the early minutes to kickstart a Spartan comeback and trim the lead within single digits. However, the steady play of Heidbreder helped extend the lead back to double digits halfway through the second half.

Following the hot start on offense, both teams ran cold as the ball failed to go through the net which resulted in a lengthy scoring drought. But, the play of Heidbreder once again helped put some points on the board and spur the Bulldog offense to close the game en route to the 82-68 victory.

What’s next

The Bulldogs wrap-up the season against Grand Canyon University (18-11, 11-7 in MW) on March 7 at 5 p.m—a series the Lopes lead 1-0—before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West basketball tournament.

As it stands, the Bulldogs are in a battle with the University of Wyoming for the ninth or tenth seed. Depending on the outcome, the ninth seed will play the eight seed and the tenth seed will play the seventh seed.

Regarding the sixth through eighth seeds, Colorado State University, Boise State University, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas are all locked in with a record of 10-8—so the fight for tournament seeding is very fluid as teams close out the season this week.

Recap and cover photo courtesy by Vincent Ordonio.

Feb 28

0

Dogs fall flat in fourth on Senior Day

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The Fresno State women’s basketball team (14-16, 8-10 in MW) fell to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (19-10, 14-5 in MW) in a 68-54 loss on Feb. 28 at the Save Mart Center.

The Lady Rebels are one of the top defensive teams in the Mountain West—ranking highly in different defensive categories—and as a result, held the Bulldogs’ offense to 31.5% shooting on the night. But, with dwindling roster availability, Head Coach Ryan McCarthy also credited it to fatigue.

“Part of it too is fatigue on our part, UNLV is a great team. I don’t think it was what we didn’t do, that’s what a great team does to a team like us,” McCarthy said.

To name a few statistics, the Lady Rebels rank fifth in opponent field-goal percentage (39%), third in blocks (3.38 bpg), and second in opponent turnovers (12.69 tpg).

Additionally, before tip-off, the Bulldogs honored six seniors: Morelia Chavez, Indiya Clark, Djessira Diawara, Jaisa Gamble, Hedda Köehne, and Emilia Long—players that McCarthy highly values when it comes to creating team culture.

“In the days of transfers and those types of things, and to have six seniors say, ‘if I could do this again in the same place, I would’, that speaks volumes to the underclassmen and players becoming future Bulldogs,” McCarthy said.

Key players

Emilia Long (FS): 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

Jaisa Gamble (FS): 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 5 turnovers

Aali Alexander (UNLV): 21 points, 2 rebounds, 3 steals

Roland Meadow (UNLV): 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists

What happened

The Bulldogs opened the first quarter with a sloppy start, turning the ball over eight times, which the Lady Rebels converted into seven points. Additionally, the Lady Rebels made a living in the paint, scoring 12 points under the rim.

But, the steady play of the Bulldogs’ senior duo of Emilia Long and Jiasa Gamble was enough to keep the ‘Dogs in the game—given the 18-10 Lady Rebel cushion to end the quarter.

The Lady Rebels picked up where they left off, in the first quarter, pounding the paint to grow their lead. However, the Bulldogs answer with paint points of their own spearheaded by forward Djessira Diawara and her aggressiveness under the rim to ignite a 7-2 run to cut into the 26-19 LadyRebel lead.

Despite that, the Lady Rebels responded with a run of their own—and combined with their stout defense—the Lady Rebels entered halftime 36-22.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a 7-4 run, sparked by the freshman guard Ava Marr. Marr was responsible for four of the seven points to trim the Lady Rebel lead to 40-31—forcing the Lady Rebels to call a timeout midway through the quarter.

Following the timeout, the Lady Rebels made adjustments to keep the Bulldogs’ hot shooting at bay to close the quarter up 48-36.

In the final quarter, the Lady Rebels were sharp on the defensive end, staying in a 2-3 zone defense for much of the quarter—giving the Bulldogs a fit. To add salt to the wound, the Lady Rebels were on a heater on offense, going 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 4-8 (50%) from beyond-the-arc en route to the 68-54 Lady Rebel victory.

What’s next

The Bulldogs wrap up the season at The Pit to face New Mexico University (20-9, 12-6 in MW) on March 3 at 6 p.m.

With the Mountain West Basketball Tournament on the horizon, the Bulldogs will most likely finish the season as the seventh seed and face Grand Canyon University (11-17, 10-8 in MW). This season, the Lopes swept the season series against the Bulldogs in double digit wins, going 2-0.

Recap written by Vincent Ordonio, cover photo courtesy of Evan Hernandez.

Feb 27

0

One final ride: Senior Day preview

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The first year under Head Coach Ryan McCarthy for Fresno State women’s basketball (14-15, 9-10) is nearing its end, with just two games left before heading to Las Vegas for the program’s final Mountain West Conference tournament (March 7-10) before joining the Pac-12 this July.

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season at New Mexico on Tuesday, March 3. But before that comes, they have one final home game this Saturday at 2 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men’s team (scheduled to play at 4:30 p.m.).

Fresno State will welcome the University of Las Vegas, Nevada (18-10, 13-5) for its final game at the Save Mart Center for the 2025-26 season. The Bulldogs will look for revenge after falling 85-59 to the Rebels on New Years Eve. Fresno State opened the first quarter with a 14-12 lead before falling behind quickly in the second quarter.

Prior to the game on Saturday, Fresno State will honor its six graduating seniors, all transfers: Emilia Long, Jaisa Gamble, Indiya Clarke, Hedda Köehne, Djessira Diawara and Morelia Chavez.

Emilia Long

Millie comes to Fresno State after beginning her college career helping lead Peninsula College to back-to-back conference titles and being named defensive player of the year. Long then made a pit stop at Cal Poly Humboldt where she was named Newcomer of the Year in both basketball and soccer. Fun Fact: The Washington native was a four-sport star (basketball, soccer, tennis, track) in High School at Port Angeles.

Long then transferred to the University of Alaska Anchorage where she ran McCarthy’s offense averaging 12.2 points per game, 5.2 assists per game and 3.6 rebounds per game. She was also named conference DPOY after leading the nation with 4.1 steals per game. Her success has carried over to the Division I level as a captain for Fresno State. The guard leads the Bulldogs this season with 13.4 PPG, 3.7 APG and 2.4 SPG while starting in all 29 games.

“[Emilia] kind of embodies what we want our program to be about. Three girls on this team out of high school had division one offers, and she was not one of those players. She just plays with that ultimate chip on her shoulder,” McCarthy said.

Jaisa Gamble

The Bay Area native played at UC San Diego and Laney College before joining McCarthy in Alaska the last two years where she started in 55 of 61 games. A pickpocket wizard, Gamble has averaged at least 1.8 SPG each of the last four seasons.

Gamble has played in all 29 games for the Bulldogs this season, averaging 8.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2 APG and 2.1 SPG as a captain of the defense. Fun Fact: Gamble did a study abroad program during her senior year of High School.

Gamble has scored in double figures 10 times this season for the Bulldogs, including a 13 point, 7 rebound, 4 steal performance in a win at Utah State earlier this month. She scored a season high 18 against Fresno Pacific to open the season back in November.

Indiya Clarke

The Alaska native spent her first three seasons playing at Wofford College in South Carolina before coming to Fresno. Clarke has played in 21 games this season (11 GS), averaging 4.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG. She also has a career high 17 steals.

The senior guard had 11 points, 9 rebounds and a pair of steals in a win over San Jose State on January 7th. Fun Facts: Clarke grew up doing gymnastics before playing basketball. She also loves photography and hiking.

“She’s been very consistent for us, and she’s just a big, strong woman,” McCarthy said. “That’s not somebody you want to get run over by, so she just gives us that edge that I felt we needed.”

Hedda Köehne

Köehne averaged 10.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 2.2 BPG in 50 games playing at Otero Junior College. The German native transferred to the University of Alaska Anchorage for the 2024-25 season where she averaged 5.7 PPG and 1.3 BPG.

During this season, Köehne has played in 28 of 29 games, averaging 3.2 PPG & 3.9 RPG in just over 17 minutes per game. She also had 16 steals and 9 blocks on the season. Her best game of the game came back in November when she scored 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in the Bulldogs 61-48 victory over Louisiana. Fun Facts: “Heddi” would like to return to living in Europe after college. She is also bilingual (German and English).

Djessira Diawara

Arguably the most experienced player on this team’s roster, is currently in her sixth season after stops at Salt Lake CC (2020-22), Clarendon College (2022-23), Houston (2023-24) and San Jose State (2024-25) before coming to Fresno State.

The Mali native has played in 26 games this season, including 10 starts, scoring 5.1 PPG, while grabbing 4.5 RPG on 47.3% shooting. The forward scored 8 points and grabbed a season high 13 rebounds at San Jose State on February 4th. Fun Facts: Diawara is left-handed but shoots with her right hand. She also speaks three languages: English, French and Bambara.

Morelia Chavez

Chavez came to Fresno State after spending two seasons with Eastern Arizona College before transferring to Florida State for her junior season. The Michoacan, Mexico native is averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.9 RPG while playing in 24 games (10.6 MPG) this season.
Chavez has scored in double figures in three of her last six games, including a 13-point, 7-rebound performance in a win at San Jose State on February 4th. Fun Facts: Like Köehne and Diawara, “Momo” speaks multiple languages, Spanish and English.

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda.

Feb 21

0

Potential upset slips out of Dogs paws in 80-78 loss

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

Despite holding a 22 point lead in the first half, the Fresno State men’s basketball team (12-14, 6-9 in MW) let it slip away to the University of New Mexico (20-6, 11-4 in MW) in a 80-78 loss on Feb. 21 at the Save Mart Center.

Head coach Vance Walberg felt that mistakes that snowballed into the final minutes of the game was what led to the loss.

“We had some goofy plays along the end, we had some bad turnovers that go to live ball bucket—those are the things we got to clean up,” Walberg said in a post-game press conference.

Walberg also provided an update on guard D.J. Stickman, who left last game against the University of Wyoming with what was confirmed to be an ACL injury and will have surgery next week.

That leaves the Bulldogs without guards Stickman and David Douglas Jr. (knee fracture) for the rest of the season.

With roster availability dwindling, Walberg noted the lack of depth on the roster.

“We got to play picture perfect, and we don’t have enough talent right now to make some of the mistakes we made,” Walberg said in a post-game press conference. “I feel bad for them, because they put their heart out—they’re such good kids and they work their tail off.”

Despite the loss, the Bulldogs saw good production from forward Deshawn Gory, guard Jake Heidbreder, and center Wilson Jacque—who recorded another double-double and even extended his shooting to the mid-range area throughout the game.

Key players

Deshawn Gory (FS): 21 points, 8 rebounds, 1 steal

Jake Heidbreder (FS): 22 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists 3 steals

Wilson Jacques (FS): 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist

Deyton Albury (UNM): 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals

Jake Hall (UNM): 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 steal

What happened

The Bulldogs opened the game hot on offense, starting the game on a 9-0 run, kickstarted by the activity on the defensive boards which spurred high paced offense. However, Lobos guard Jake Hall—who is 44.3% from beyond-the-arc— would put a stop to the run following a three-pointer.

Despite that, the Bulldogs continued to crash the boards and move the ball to jump out to a 26-10 lead midway through the first half, with six players contributing to the scoring column—forward Deshawn Gory and guard Jake Heidbreder lead the offense with eight points a piece.

For the remainder of the first half, the Bulldogs cooled down on both ends of the floor, as the Lobos chipped at the large deficit. Led by Hall and his efficient offense, the Lobos were to get within 10 points of the Bulldogs, but the ‘Dogs’ offense was able to keep them afloat for the 44-32 point cushion heading into halftime.

After one half, Jake Heidbreder led all scorers with 13 points on an efficient 4-5 from the field, 3-4 from three-point range, and 2-2 from the free-throw line— Hall was a close second, with 12 points as both players are already on track to surpass their season averages (17.5 ppg and 15.8 ppg respectively).

The Bulldogs opened the second half flat footed on defense, allowing the guard trio of Deyton Albury, Luke Haupt, and Antionio Chol to combine for 11 points on 4-7 (57.14%) shooting from the field to trim the ‘Dogs’ lead to 54-50—with the lone second half scorer being Gory, who claimed seven points.

Following that, the same Lobo scoring trio continued to put points on the board—even holding a brief lead over the Bulldogs—however, center Wilson Jacques would get the ‘Dogs over the scoring hump as he pitched in eight points to Gory’s 11 to put the ‘Dogs up 66-65 with seven minutes left to play.

To close out the game, both teams traded the lead, however the late game heroics of Hapt would help the Lobos pull away and eventually take the 80-78 win as the second half performance from Gory and Jacques wasn’t enough to keep the Bulldogs in the game.

What’s next

The Bulldogs take a short road trip to Colorado State University (16-10) to take on the Rams, who are 7-8 in conference play and two spots above the ‘Dogs in the Mountain West (MW) standings, on Feb. 28 at 4:30 p.m. This matchup marks the second meeting between the two teams this season, with the ‘Dogs coming out on top in a 79-69 win on Jan. 13.

Following the Broncos, the Bulldogs host two home games. The first contest is against Boise State University (15-11, 7-8 in MW) on March 3 at 6 p.m. The final home game of the season is against San Jose State University (7-19, 2-13 in MW) on March 7 at 5 p.m.

This final stretch of the season is important for the Bulldogs as they look to stack up wins for better tournament seeding with the Mountain West Basketball Tournament, which is steadily approaching.

Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio (FSM).

Feb 11

0

Bulldogs upset Broncos in blackout thriller

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The Fresno State women’s basketball team (13-13) improved to 7-8 in conference play on Feb. 11 after a 75-69 win against Boise State University (19-6), snapping their nine game win streak.

The Broncos are one of the premier teams in the Mountain West (3rd place overall) and rank highly in different offensive categories, so the Bulldogs were due for a challenging night. Head Coach Ryan McCarthy thought the Bulldogs rose to the occasion.

“Not only is Boise State the top offensive team, they’re the hottest team—they won nine in a row in this league. To take them down like that, that’s a hard thing to do.” McCarthy said.

Guarding a team of that caliber brings physicality on defense, and as a result, Jaisa Gamble—who is a large focal point of the Bulldogs’ defense—battled foul trouble all game. As a result, during the non-Gamble minutes, McCarthy thought the team held up well as he saw some strong production for guard Aloni Oliver.

“I was really proud of Aloni Oliver for coming in and giving us some solid minutes—getting big rebounds and just overall hustle plays—I felt that created momentum for us a little bit,” McCarthy said. “When you get a player that maybe doesn’t play as much, go in there and have a couple big moments, I think that fires everybody up.”

Despite sitting on the sidelines for much of the game, Gamble’s impact was still felt on the court, as she remained vocal on the bench.

“Even when she’s not on the court, she’s always actively helping us out with our intensity, so that helped me a lot to stay focused,” guard Danae Powell said.

Key players

Danae Powell (FS): 22 points, 2 assists, 3 steals

Emilia Long (FS): 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists

Natalie Pasco (BSU): 19 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals

Tatum Thompson (BSU): 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists

What happened

The Broncos opened the game scorching hot from the field, going 5-5 from the field and 2-2 from three-point range sparked by their leading scorer guard Tatum Thompson, who had 8 of the Broncos’ 12 points in the opening minutes to earn a 12-5 lead.

However, the Bulldogs’ senior duo of guard Emilia Long and Gamble—who combined for 11 of the ‘Dogs’ 24 first quarter points—helped pave the way for the ‘Dogs to earn a 24-16 lead heading into the second quarter.

The Bulldogs carried their momentum into the second quarter, primarily on the defensive end, forcing six Bronco turnovers which the ‘Dogs converted into nine points. The Bulldogs also got scoring contributions from seven different players, who combined for 21 points (7-16 fg), with Powell leading the way with seven points as the Bulldogs entered halftime up 45-33.

The Bulldogs opened the third quarter in a rut on offense, going 1-8 in the opening minutes as the Broncos found their groove on offense led by Thompson once again to chip at the 51-47 lead. To add salt to the wound, Gamble entered foul trouble and had to sit out for the remainder of the quarter.

Even with the foul trouble, Long was proud of her leadership on the bench.

“Despite her being on the bench for a lot of the game, she was a very good vocal leader on the bench—always guiding us even when she was out—so we’re proud of her.” Long said.

The Bulldogs’ close the quarter strong as the defense was able to hold up despite the absence of Gamble, but Thompson and Broncos kept the game close with the’Dogs leading 59-55.

The final quarter was tightly contested, but the Bulldogs remained in the driver’s seat due to the well-balanced scoring effort, with six different players contributing to the scoring column, and the stout defense as Gamble was able to close out the game with four personal fouls en route to the 75-69 win.

What’s next

The Bulldogs resume play on a two-game road trip. Their first stop is against Utah State University (6-16)—who are 2-12 in conference play— on Feb. 15 at 12 p.m., and their final stop is against the MW leading San Diego State University (18-4)—who are 12-1 in conference play—on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.

The Bulldogs are back at the Save Mart Center on Feb. 25 against Grand Canyon University (9-15), who are 8-6 in conference play, at 6:30 p.m. The Bulldogs look to redeem themselves after the Lopes took home the win in their first meeting on Jan. 10 in a 71-64 loss.

Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio.

Feb 07

0

Lady Dogs roll over Wolfpack

By Al Scott | Basketball, Feature | No Comments

The Fresno State women’s basketball team (12-13) improved to 6-8 in conference play following a dominant performance in a 71-51 win over the University of Nevada, Reno (12-21) on Feb. 7 at the Save Mart Center.

Despite getting doubled teamed upon tip-off, guard Emilia Long wasn’t phased, with Head Coach Ryan McCarthy noting that it was something he anticipated.

“[Long] is one of the best guards in the league, a lot of what we do goes through her, and I think that teams are going to start to game plan to take her out—which was something that we figured would happen this game.” McCarthy said.

McCarthy added that this was something they prepare for in practice where other players bring the ball up court.

“It was smart on their part to do it and it’s something we definitely spend some time on in practice,” McCarthy said. “[Gamble] brought the ball up the floor quite a bit, [Long] is going to be at the top of people’s list but that didn’t work.”

Key players

Emilia Long (FS): 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 steals

Jaisa Gamble (FS): 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals

Skylar Durley (UNR): 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

What happened

To open the first quarter, the Wolfpack was aggressive on defense, which opened the game up for others to contribute to the scoring column—like forward Jaisa Gamble, and guards Danae Powell and Ava Marr, who combined for 12 points. In addition to the scoring, the Bulldogs showed out on defense, forcing five Wolfpack turnovers which resulted in eight points to add to the 20-7 lead after one quarter.

In the second quarter, the Wolfpack found their footing on offense, led by guard Skylar Durley who scored 6 of the Wolfpacks’ 14 second quarter points. But, the Wolfpack couldn’t contain forward Morelia Chavez—who went 3-4 from the field and 2-3 from deep for a total of eight points. As a result, the Bulldogs went into halftime with a 34-21 advantage.

The third quarter saw both teams trading baskets, as the Bulldogs continued to find open lanes to the rim for 20 paint points and the Wolfpack went on to find the open player for four third quarter assists. But, the Bulldogs’ first quarter scoring output proved to be important as the ‘Dogs maintained the 55-41 lead heading into the final quarter.

To close out the game, the Bulldogs opened the floodgates on offense and tamed the Wolfpack on defense. The Bulldogs held the Wolfpack to 10 points as they went 4-13 (30.8%) from the field in the fourth quarter and in contrast, the ‘Dogs scored 18 points in the quarter and went 6-10 (60%) from the field en route to the 71-51 win.

What’s next

The Bulldogs remain home as they take on a tough matchup against Boise State University (19-5) on Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

The Broncos are one of the premier teams in the Mountain West (MW), ranking third overall, as they are 10-3 in conference play. The Broncos are also one of the elite offensive teams, averaging 72.1 ppg and are 40% from beyond-the-arc—which is both good for first place in the MW respectively.

Recap written by and cover photo courtesy of Vincent Ordonio (FSM).