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.