Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Huggins Is En Fuego as Bulldogs Bounce Boise State
GV-Wire-1
By gvwire
Published 6 years ago on
February 14, 2019

Share

No one in the Mountain West Conference men’s basketball is hotter than Fresno State senior guard Braxton Huggins.
After scoring 22, 26, and 31 points in the three previous games, Huggins torched Boise State for 26 points Wednesday night, including a layup and a free throw with 28 seconds remaining that put Bulldogs ahead for good.

“He has no fear and he is talented. I think you have to have both. You can’t have a guy who is talented but scared to take the shot. As you can see, he can really score the basketball.” — Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson, talking about Braxton Huggins
In addition, junior forward Nate Grimes was a tower of strength inside with 13 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocked shots in Fresno State’s pulsating 65-63 victory over the Broncos.

Hutson: Huggins is Fearless

“He has no fear and he is talented. I think you have to have both,” Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson said of Huggins. “You can’t have a guy who is talented but scared to take the shot. As you can see, he can really score the basketball. We talk about making the play, we want him to attack and if he has to then we want him to kick it out. If he is open to make a play, then he is one of our best.”
Fresno State (18-6, 9-3) remains tied with Utah State for second in the Mountain West Conference behind seventh-ranked Nevada, after sweeping the Broncos (11-14, 6-6) in their season series.
Huggins, a 6-foot, 4-inch native of Bakersfield is accustomed to taking the big shots in game-deciding situations. Before transferring to Fresno State, he helped New Mexico State reach the NCAA Tournament twice and the NIT once. His recent surge has swelled his season scoring average to a team-high 19 points a game. He is shooting 39.7% from behind the 3-point arc and 79.8% at the free-throw line.
Against the Broncos, he converted 9 of 16 shots from the field, including 4 of 9 treys.
“It is the confidence that my teammates and my coaches give me,” Huggins said. “My teammates tell me that if I have a lane open, I can take it and if I have an open look, shoot it. That is exactly what I do.”

Nail-Biter From Start to Finish

The lead changed hands 16 times in the game. Boise State’s Alex Hobbs hit a jumper to put the Broncos up 61-59 with 48 seconds left to play.
But Huggins scored at the basket and drew a foul from Hobbs to put Fresno State in front. Hobbs drew a foul with eight seconds left and sank both free throws to make it a one-point game, but Grimes drew a foul with six seconds left and hit the first of two free throws for the final margin.

Grimes’ Game Grows by Leaps and Bounds

Grimes flashed his potential last year with the nation’s third-best per-minute rebound average (0.44). His progress has accelerated as he has polished his offensive skills. Grimes posted his ninth double-double of the season Wednesday, eighth of them coming in MW play.

Up Next: At New Mexico

Fresno State travels to play at New Mexico on Saturday at 4 p.m. PT. The game will air on ESPN3 and 940 AM ESPN Radio.  The Bulldogs’ next home game is against Air Force on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs dropped New Mexico, 82-70, at the Save Mart Center on Feb. 2, but Hutson knows his team has a tough road assignment against the very athletic Lobos.
“They have 16,000 people there every night —win, lose or draw. It is loud and you are in altitude,” Hutson said. They always have really good teams and good coaches, and that goes along with it.”

Notes

— Fresno State held Boise State to 36.7% shooting and a 3-for-17 clip on 3-pointers. The Bulldogs had five blocks, including a crucial one from guard Noah Blackwell with 11 seconds left in the game.
— The Bulldogs continue as one of the MW’s most consistent programs. They have won at least nine conference games six consecutive seasons.  Fresno State also is one of three MW programs to have finished .500 or better in league play in each of the past five seasons.
— Hobbs led Boise State with 18 points.
— Senior guard Deshon Taylor is now 19th on the Bulldogs’ all-time scoring list with 1,301 career points. He had 11 points and three steals against Boise State.
 

DON'T MISS

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

DON'T MISS

GOP Picks up Key House Seats While Democrats Say They Still Have a Path to a Majority

DON'T MISS

Costa Expands Lead Over Maher, Richardson Holds Narrow Edge on Bonakdar

DON'T MISS

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

DON'T MISS

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

DON'T MISS

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

DON'T MISS

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

DON'T MISS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

DON'T MISS

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

UP NEXT

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

UP NEXT

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

UP NEXT

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

UP NEXT

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

UP NEXT

Fresno County Duo Could Face 20 Years in Crop Insurance Fraud Scheme

UP NEXT

Woman Loses Van Ness Extension Mansion, Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion and Obstruction

UP NEXT

Central Valley Weekend Packed With Sports, Tacos, Magic and Local Entertainment

UP NEXT

Cowboys’ Playoff Hopes in Jeopardy as Dak Prescott Faces Potential Season-Ending Surgery

UP NEXT

Stephen Curry Scores 27 Points to Lead Hot Warriors Past Celtics

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Arrested in SE Gas Station Shooting, Man Hospitalized

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

10 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

11 hours ago

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

11 hours ago

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

12 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

13 hours ago

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Foe of Drugmakers and Regulators, Is Poised to Wield New Power

13 hours ago

California Beat Trump in Court His First Term. It’s Preparing New Cases for His Second.

13 hours ago

With Mountain West Title Out of Reach, What Is Fresno State Playing For?

14 hours ago

Former Fresno State Bull Rider, a Vietnam Vet, Calls Central Valley Honor Flight ‘Life-Changing’

15 hours ago

Don’t Expect Kamala Harris’ Loss to Boost Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Prospects

15 hours ago

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

The city of Fresno now owns a new park. Or at least half of it. Technically, the city of Fresno did not own El Dorado Park, at Barstow Avenu...

10 hours ago

10 hours ago

City of Fresno Buys Half of Eldorado Park in Strategic Maxwell-Led Move

The U.S. Capitol is seen from Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Elswick)
10 hours ago

GOP Picks up Key House Seats While Democrats Say They Still Have a Path to a Majority

10 hours ago

Costa Expands Lead Over Maher, Richardson Holds Narrow Edge on Bonakdar

10 hours ago

Clovis’ Measure A and Sanger’s Measure M Get Good News with Thursday Vote Update

11 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Has Sweeping Plans. Here’s What He’s Proposed.

11 hours ago

New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?

12 hours ago

Americans Seek Fresh Start Abroad as Election Sparks Expat Interest

Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles is seen at Nashville International Airport as Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump arrives, July 27, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP File)
13 hours ago

President-Elect Trump Names Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff

Search

Send this to a friend