“The effort that they put into this and the way they’ve played during this stretch, it speaks so highly of them. Who they are and what they’ve become, the toughness that this team has shown and that they play with, it’s a credit to them.”
Both teams got out to strong starts in the contest, but Fresno State hit five of its first eight shots and had a 14-10 lead at the first quarter media timeout. After the timeout, both teams went on three-plus minute scoring droughts before finding their rhythms late in the frame, as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 22-16 after one.