Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Neptune to Launch a Creator-First, Customizable Algorithm Social Platform to Rival TikTok

4 hours ago

Kamala Harris Will Not Run for Governor of California in 2026

5 hours ago

Trump Pushes for Release of Epstein, Maxwell Grand Jury Testimony

7 hours ago

Trump Says US to Hit India With 25% Tariff Starting Friday

7 hours ago

Tariff Revenues Hit Record $150 Billion Amid Trump’s Trade Talks, Fox Business Reports

9 hours ago

Israeli Minister Hints at Annexing Parts of Gaza

9 hours ago

Fed Likely to Hold Rates Steady Despite Trump’s Push for Big Cuts

9 hours ago

What’s Behind California’s Frozen Housing Market?

1 day ago

Marjorie Taylor Greene Is First Republican Lawmaker to Call Gaza Crisis a ‘Genocide’

1 day ago
How Sweet Is the Silence? Bulldogs Steal Win in San Diego.
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 6 years ago on
March 7, 2019

Share

SAN DIEGO — Deshon Taylor loved hearing Viejas Arena go silent as his Fresno State Bulldogs forced San Diego State into an epic final-minute meltdown.

New Williams stole the ball and scored the go-ahead basket on a slam dunk with 30 seconds left and Fresno State overcame an eight-point deficit in the final 2 minutes, 50 seconds to stun San Diego State 76-74 Wednesday night and clinch the No. 3 seed in the Mountain West Conference Tournament.

“This is like a March Madness win, That’s what it felt like.” — Deshon Taylor

Taylor scored 25 points for Fresno State (21-8, 12-5 MWC), including a 3-pointer that keyed the comeback and then three free throws in the final 21 seconds.

“This is like a March Madness win,” Taylor said. “That’s what it felt like.”

Defense Fuels Bulldogs’ Surge

Taylor’s 3-pointer pulled Fresno State to 72-69 with 1:02 left and then SDSU couldn’t handle the Bulldogs’ full-court press, committing three costly turnovers.

Braxton Huggins stole the ball and went in for a layup to pull within one point. Devin Watson was caught in traffic and threw the ball away to Williams for his slam dunk and a 73-72 lead with 30 seconds left.

“I feel like we took their soul with that one,” Taylor said.

A third turnover resulted in Taylor going to the free throw line and making both for a 75-72 lead.

SDSU’s Jalen McDaniels was fouled while taking a 3-pointer and had a chance to tie it with 10 seconds left. He made the first two free throws but missed the third and the Bulldogs rebounded. Taylor made the first of two free throws and Watson missed a desperation 3 at the buzzer.

“It’s never giving up,” Taylor said. “This team comes together on the road. We play hard and we never want to lose on the road. We like to hear other crowds going silent. I told my guys, ‘This game’s not over.’ ”

Aztecs Coach ‘Bitterly Disappointed’

SDSU coach Brian Dutcher said he was “bitterly disappointed in the outcome of a very good college basketball game. We couldn’t close the game and that is on all of us. … We took a nice lead, we were playing with a good rhythm and in a matter of 1:20 it all slipped away. Credit to Fresno — they press without fouling.”

SDSU didn’t call a timeout to try to stop Fresno State’s momentum.

“Once the ball is inbounded the players have to call the time out. The refs won’t let me call it,” Dutcher said. “The ball got inbounded and then it got moving too fast.”

Watson, a senior guard, had two of the three late turnovers.

“I think that is on the players and we’ve got to be better,” said fellow senior guard Jeremy Hemsley. “We let them speed us up a little, but in having two seniors on the court we have to know we have two timeouts. They did a good job of pressuring without fouling. We have to better, 100 percent.

“I wish we would have closed that game better.”

Huggins finished with 14 points.

Portrait of Fresno State men's basketball coach Justin Hutson

“We came back and we gave ourselves a chance. That’s all you can ask as a coach, is to keep fighting at the end. I’ve got a special group of guys that keep doing that.” — Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson

Watson and McDaniels each scored 16 points while Hemsley had 15 and Nathan Mensah 12 for SDSU (19-11, 11-6).

San Diego State, which overcame a 15-point first-half deficit, seemed to have the game in hand when Matt Mitchell hit a 3-pointer for a 71-63 lead with 2:50 to go.

Hutson Praises Bulldogs’ Resiliency

Fresno State’s rookie head coach, Justin Hutson, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant at SDSU, over two stints, said the Bulldogs have been resilient all season.

“We came back and we gave ourselves a chance,” Hutson said. “That’s all you can ask as a coach, is to keep fighting at the end. I’ve got a special group of guys that keep doing that.”

Winning at Viejas Arena was special.

“I know so many people here who treated me so great,” Hutson said. “It was a little different standing up on this sideline here, but it felt great to get a W.”

After trailing by 15 with seven minutes to go in the first half and 39-32 at halftime, SDSU went on a 13-5 run to open the second half and take its first lead of the game, 45-44, on McDaniels’ slam dunk off a rebound. Hutson drew a technical foul during an ensuing timeout and Watson made both free throws for a 47-44 lead.

The Bulldogs beat SDSU 66-62 in Fresno on Jan. 22, when the Aztecs blew a 20-point first-half lead.

Big Picture

Fresno State: The Bulldogs have won two straight after losing two straight for the first time this season.

San Diego State: The Aztecs fell behind because of poor shooting early. They missed their first seven shots 11 of their first 12 and 14 of their first 17.

Up Next

Fresno State ends the regular season by hosting last-place San Jose State on Saturday.

San Diego State finishes the regular season at No. 17 Nevada on Saturday night. The Aztecs have beaten the Wolf Pack three straight times, including 65-57 at San Diego on Feb. 20 and in last year’s MWC tournament semifinals.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

High Noon Recalls Mislabeled Vodka Seltzers Shipped in Celsius Cans, NBC Reports

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: New Fresno Ordinance Targets Vacant Blighted Properties

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup Responds to $162,000 Payout

DON'T MISS

Visalia Suspect in Fatal Assault and Serial Sexual Battery Cases Arrested in Alaska

DON'T MISS

Canada Says It Intends to Recognize a Palestinian State in September

DON'T MISS

Dubai Nut Processor Aims for October Opening in Fresno: Dyer

DON'T MISS

Costa Blasts GOP Over Medi-Cal Cuts. His 2026 Opponent Defends Them

DON'T MISS

Trump Says US and Pakistan Have Concluded a Trade Deal

DON'T MISS

Trump Imposes Scaled-Back Copper Tariff, US Prices Plunge

DON'T MISS

Neptune to Launch a Creator-First, Customizable Algorithm Social Platform to Rival TikTok

UP NEXT

Costa Blasts GOP Over Medi-Cal Cuts. His 2026 Opponent Defends Them

UP NEXT

Could Madera Poach Stalled Costco? It’d Be ‘a Significant Financial Blow,’ Says Dyer

UP NEXT

Clovis Police Arrest Eight at DUI Checkpoint

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Navpreet Singh

UP NEXT

Warner or Conklin? Fresno State QB Battle Builds Ahead of Kansas Opener

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Dies in DUI Crash, Driver Arrested

UP NEXT

Madera County Wildfire Burns Near Fairmead, Containment at 0%

UP NEXT

Fresno’s Vacant Property Ordinance Punishes the Wrong People: Rassamni

UP NEXT

Tulare County Authorities Find Body in Sequoia National Park

UP NEXT

Scottie Scheffler vs. Everybody: Open Champion Makes His Case Among the Greats

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Visalia Suspect in Fatal Assault and Serial Sexual Battery Cases Arrested in Alaska

2 hours ago

Canada Says It Intends to Recognize a Palestinian State in September

2 hours ago

Dubai Nut Processor Aims for October Opening in Fresno: Dyer

2 hours ago

Costa Blasts GOP Over Medi-Cal Cuts. His 2026 Opponent Defends Them

3 hours ago

Trump Says US and Pakistan Have Concluded a Trade Deal

3 hours ago

Trump Imposes Scaled-Back Copper Tariff, US Prices Plunge

4 hours ago

Neptune to Launch a Creator-First, Customizable Algorithm Social Platform to Rival TikTok

4 hours ago

Kamala Harris Will Not Run for Governor of California in 2026

5 hours ago

How Netanyahu Keeps Playing Trump for a Fool in Gaza

5 hours ago

Trump Signs Order Implementing Additional 40% Tariff on Brazil, White House Says

5 hours ago

High Noon Recalls Mislabeled Vodka Seltzers Shipped in Celsius Cans, NBC Reports

High Noon is recalling some of its vodka seltzers after discovering they were mistakenly labeled as Celsius Astro Vibe energy drinks. The co...

60 minutes ago

High Noon has recalled some vodka seltzers after they were accidentally labeled as Celsius energy drinks and shipped to six states. (Shutterstock)
60 minutes ago

High Noon Recalls Mislabeled Vodka Seltzers Shipped in Celsius Cans, NBC Reports

1 hour ago

Wired Wednesday: New Fresno Ordinance Targets Vacant Blighted Properties

Fresno Unified Susan Wittrup
2 hours ago

Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup Responds to $162,000 Payout

Adrian Hernandez Medrano, 20, accused in multiple sexual battery cases and a fatal assault in Visalia was arrested in Alaska, police said. (Visalia PD)
2 hours ago

Visalia Suspect in Fatal Assault and Serial Sexual Battery Cases Arrested in Alaska

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks to journalists outside his office on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada June 30, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

Canada Says It Intends to Recognize a Palestinian State in September

2 hours ago

Dubai Nut Processor Aims for October Opening in Fresno: Dyer

Congressmember Jim Costa defends Medicaid / Medi-Cal, and responds to GOP criticism at a Fresno news conference on July 30, 2025
3 hours ago

Costa Blasts GOP Over Medi-Cal Cuts. His 2026 Opponent Defends Them

Shipping containers are seen at the Karachi port in Karachi, Pakistan, June 10, 2025. (Reuters File)
3 hours ago

Trump Says US and Pakistan Have Concluded a Trade Deal

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend