FRESNO, Calif. – Leading for nearly a half hour of game time, Fresno State used a 10-0 run with under four minutes to play to put enough space between itself and Wyoming, defeating the Cowboys 62-58 in its final contest of the season at the Save Mart Center.
Three days after Wyoming was plus-16 on the glass against San Diego State, the Bulldogs controlled the boards against that same Cowboy team, grabbing 45 rebounds while holding a plus-12 differential. It was the largest advantage the 'Dogs have held on the glass this season. Thirty-three of those rebounds came from Elijah Price (13), Alex Crawford (11) and Mor Seck (9).
Price and Crawford each finished with a double-double with Price going for 16 points and 13 rebounds and Crawford posting 15 points and 11 rebounds.
How It Happened
Without a bucket for nearly three minutes to start the game, Brian Amuneke got the offense going with a trey from the right corner. Two-and-a-half minutes later, the 'Dogs were up 11-3 after Elijah Price's first 3-pointer since mid-December. Wyoming pulled four back but another five from Price, including another triple, had Fresno State back up six at 16-10.
Dontaie Allen answered back for the Cowboys with seven unanswered to give his team their first lead in eight minutes after the Bulldogs had locked them down early.
Despite a six-minute drought from the field, a floater from Zaon Collins with 6:34 until halftime put the Bulldogs up 19-17. The 'Dogs took their largest lead of the half at eight following an 11-2 stretch which saw an aggressive Alex Crawford score five straight, while as a unit the 'Dogs held Wyoming to just 1-of-12 from the field during a four-minute span.
Led by 12 points from Price, the Bulldogs took a 27-24 lead into the locker room.
Leading by one two minutes into the second, 3-pointers by Collins and Amuneke helped the 'Dogs to an 8-0 run early in the half which put the 'Dogs up 37-28 with 15:50 on the clock. Obi Agbim quickly brought the Cowboys back to within three with a pair of triples.
After Wyoming pulled back within one, Price, the Bulldogs' leading scorer, headed to the bench with his third foul. The Cowboys followed by scoring their seventh second-chance point in the last four minutes to take their first lead since 9:45 in the first half.
During an eight-minute span, Agbim accounted for 14 of Wyoming's 18 points to put the visitors up 46-45 going into the under-eight media timeout. But Crawford knocked down a pair out of the break as the lead swung back to the 'Dogs.
Fresno State's next possession saw Amuneke drop in his third 3-pointer of the night. But Wyoming answered with two of its own to go back up three at 53-50.
But just as Agbim gave the Cowboys the lead with his fifth triple of the half, Collins got to the cup at the other end and Fresno State forced five straight empty possessions for the Cowboys. The Bulldogs capitalized with a 10-0 run in three-and-a-half minutes, going 6-of-6 from the line, to take a 60-53 lead with just 27 seconds remaining.
A 3-pointer by Kobe Newton, Wyoming's 12th of the game (12-of-40), brought the visitors back within four, but time wasn't on their side. Collins went 2-of-4 from the line during the final 13 seconds to keep the game out of reach.
Just 4-of-10 from the free-throw line in the first half, the Bulldogs turned things around in the second half, cashing in their opportunities by going 16-of-18 during the final 20.
Notes
Fresno State won its first game since Jan. 17, snapping a string of 11 straight defeats.
Fresno State held Wyoming to 23.8% shooting from the field. It matches the lowest percentage for an opponent this season. Air Force was also 20-of-61 from the field in Fresno.
Fresno State's 45 rebounds were its fourth-most in a game this year.
Alex Crawford and Elijah Price recorded double-doubles in the same game for the second time in the last three games, also doing so at Air Force.
It was also the third time this season that Crawford and Price have each grabbed at least 10 rebounds in the same game (at Wyoming, at Air Force).
Elijah Price recorded his ninth double-double of the season and matched his season-high in the scoring column in the process with 16.
Price reached double figures in the opening half with 12 points.
Crawford's double-double was his second of the year.
Crawford's 11 rebounds matched his career high.
Zaon Collins finished with 15 points, his second consecutive game in double figures. It was his first time posting back-to-back games in double figures since Feb. 4-7.
Mor Seck grabbed nine rebounds, his most since Nov. 23, and third-most of the season.
Up Next
Fresno State will close out the regular season on Saturday at San Jose State. Tipoff at the Provident Credit Union Event Center is set for 2 p.m. PT and will stream on the Mountain West Network.