Fresno State forward Elijah Price shoots a free throw against Prairie View at the Save Mart Center, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (GV Wire/Steven Sanchez)
- Mor Seck leads Bulldogs with career-high 18 points and 12 rebounds in a nonconference win against Prairie View.
- Fresno State overcomes second-half struggles, maintaining lead to secure 94-83 victory with strong team effort.
- Coach Walberg acknowledges team's progress while emphasizing need for improvement in offensive execution.
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Key Stats: Bulldogs make 18 of 25 free throws, grab 49 rebounds
Stars of the Game: Elijah Price and Mor Seck
Up Next: Fresno State at Long Beach State
The Fresno State men’s basketball team was looking for redemption after two consecutive road losses when it hosted Prairie View on Wednesday night.
And, in this case, redemption came courtesy of three Red Wave pleasing double-doubles in a 94-83 win that evened the Bulldogs’ record at 2-2 and dropped Prairie View of the Southwestern Athletic Conference to 1-4.
Junior center Mor Seck led the Bulldogs with a career-high 18 points and had 12 rebounds. Redshirt freshman forward Elijah Price (16 points, 13 rebounds) and redshirt junior forward Mykell Robinson (15 points, 10 rebounds) posted the first double-doubles of their Division I careers.
“It’s nice to play at home. Anytime we get a win this year we’re going to take it. These guys work really hard, and you want to see them get rewarded,” said coach Vance Walberg.
Related Story: Walberg’s Bulldogs Lose Collins, Get Overrun by Cal State Bakersfield
Bulldogs Prevail With Collins on the Mend
Wednesday’s game was the first of three for Fresno State in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational. The Bulldogs will finish the tournament in Palm Desert at the Acrisure Arena with games on Tuesday (Washington State) and Wednesday (TBD).
The starting lineup was Price, Seck, Robinson, junior guard Amar Augillard, and senior guard Jalen Weaver. The ‘Dogs were without star point guard Zaon Collins. In the 74-58 loss to CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 16, Collins left the game in the second half with an ankle injury. Weaver and junior guard Jasir Tremble commanded the point in his absence.
Augillard and Collins have been getting a lot of recognition. Now, it was Price’s and Seck’s turn.
“We got a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. Any night can be anybody’s night, and we have the size advantage. For me and Seck, tonight was our night,” said Price.
Related Story: The Vance Walberg Era of Bulldog Basketball Begins With a Win Over Sac State
Bulldogs Dominate First Half, Struggle in Second
The Bulldogs entered as 14-point favorites and dominated the first half, 53-36, thanks to 14 fouls by the Panthers that kept Fresno State planted at the free-throw line.
The second half was a different story. Prairie View hit a 13-3 run in two-and-a-half minutes to creep within seven points with 14:16 remaining.
Mental mistakes, lack of discipline, and confused communication caused the Bulldogs’ lead to shrink, resulting in concern from the home crowd.
The ‘Dogs then missed their next eight shots from the field, but still somehow led 75-70 with 6:31 left.
Six different Bulldogs scored the rest of the way to seal the victory and finish with a season-high 94 points.
Related Story: New Look Basketball Bulldogs Open at Home. How Will They Fare Under Walberg?
Walberg’s Offense a Work in Progress
Despite the win and the offensive production, Walberg said the Bulldogs are just scratching the potential of their dribble-drive offense.
“We’re not even close to there yet. We’re not into it that much. We’re still trying to find ourselves. It’s a different type of team. It’s going to be more of a team that sees what happens that night and what we can go to,” said Walberg.
The up-tempo style so far has gotten results. Fresno State sits 27th in the NCAA in turnovers forced at 17.7 per game, third in the Mountain West conference; +4.0 in the turnover margin which ranks third in the MW; and third in the MW in fastbreak points, averaging 16.0 per game.
Injuries Pose Early Challenge for Bulldogs
Seck is coming off a knee injury suffered last year and agitated it at Bakersfield. Sophomore guard David Douglas Jr. entered the season with an injury and only lasted a minute at Bakersfield. Junior forward Pierre Geneste Jr. has a broken finger and freshman Makhan Diouf is expected to redshirt.
If they can heal themselves while they mature as a team and establish their identity though Walberg’s scheme, the Bulldogs might make some noise.
“We’re still figuring it out. We haven’t put the best product on the floor. I think in December and January we’ll come out with some big wins and put a better product on the floor,” said Price.
