Long Beach, CA (Sports Network) - Tyler Johnson scored 19 points as he helped
guide the Fresno State Bulldogs to a 64-59 win over the Long Beach State 49ers
in non-conference play at the Walter Pyramid.
Johnson, who added five rebounds for the Bulldogs (4-3), connected on 8-of-14
shots from the floor as the only player to convert more than three field goals
in the outing for the visitors as they snapped a two-game slide. Allen
Huddleston, the leading scorer for FSU heading into the contest with an
average of 13.0 ppg, finished with nine points as he knocked down just 2-of-9
from the floor.
The 49ers (3-4) were paced by James Ennis, who registered a double-double with
23 points and 13 rebounds, both of which were game highs for an LBSU squad
that had a brief two-game win streak snapped. Off the bench, Deng Deng
contributed 11 points for the hosts as well.
Except for an early one-point lead in the first half, the Bulldogs were
chasing Long Beach State throughout the opening 20 minutes of action, shooting
a mere 8-of-29 (.276) from the floor in the frame on their way to a 31-25
deficit at the break.
In the second half, Fresno State bounced back with an impressive 51.9 percent
accuracy from the field, while it was the 49ers who couldn't find the basket
as they made good on only 8-of-27 (.296) in the period. The lead reached as
high as eight points in the final minutes for the Bulldogs as they forced the
hosts into 0-of-7 shooting behind the three-point line in the frame, en route
to the five-point decision.
The 49ers, who won the first meeting of the season between the programs with
a 69-61 triumph at the Save Mart Center on Nov. 25, hurt themselves not only
with 3-of-14 shooting beyond the arc, but also a dismal 18-of-33 (.545)
showing at the charity stripe in the decision.
GAME NOTES:
The Sports Network