LAS VEGAS – Trailing by seven with just over three minutes remaining, Fresno State stormed back against Wyoming with a 12-1 run to stay alive at the 2024 Mountain West Championships, defeating the Cowboys 77-73 on Wednesday in the first round at the Thomas & Mack Center. The Bulldogs outscored Wyoming by 11 in the second half while shooting a perfect 19-of-19 from their charity stripe.
Isaiah Pope put together one of his best games in a Bulldog uniform, scoring a season-high 22 points in 29 minutes. Playing his first game since Feb. 10, Donavan Yap Jr. poured in 16 points off the bench. In total five Bulldogs reached double figures.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Xavier DuSell got the Bulldogs going early, scoring their first five points. Wyoming answered its 3-point shooting, knocking down three of their first four to lead 12-7. Following a pair at the line from Enoch Boakye, the Cowboys extended their lead with a 9-2 stretch in four minutes to go up 17-9 with 12:03 remaining in the half.
A triple on the wing from Isaiah Pope with 7:57 on the clock brought the 'Dogs back within two at 20-18. Three minutes later, Fresno State pulled within one, but turnovers resulted in a 7-0 Wyoming spurt in less than 60 seconds.
Donavan Yap Jr. then got going, pulling the 'Dogs back to within four. Wyoming answered, pushing their lead back to 10 until Jalen Weaver knocked down a triple on the wing with the clock winding down to the half. Fresno State trailed 40-33 going into the break.
Trailing by seven just three minutes into the second half, the 'Dogs hit a 6-0 spurt and forced Wyoming to call a timeout with 15:44 on the clock.
A minute later, Yap Jr. gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the opening minutes, sinking a pair at the line to go up 45-44. But the story of the majority of the second half was the response by Wyoming time and time again when Fresno State would pull close or take a lead.
With under eight to play, the fourth such response, a 3-pointer by Akuel Kot started a 10-0 Cowboy run that put the 'Dogs down 67-58. Despite both Leo Colimerio and Pope on the floor with four fouls, the two kept fighting, pulling Fresno State within six with trips to the line.
After the two sides traded triples with under four minutes, the Bulldogs locked in defensively, forcing two missed shot attempts and three turnovers in the final two-and-a-half minutes. The result was a 12-1 run for the Bulldogs.
NOTES
Fresno State moved to 4-2 all-time in Mountain West first round games.
The Bulldogs are 1-1 all-time in the MW as the No. 9 seed.
The win snapped Fresno State's seven-game losing streak.
Fresno State shot 53.2 percent from the field (25-47), its fourth-best percentage of the year. It was 24.6 percent better than Saturday's matchup with the Cowboys when the Bulldogs had their second-worst shooting day of the season.
Fresno State shot a season-best 95.7 percent from the free-throw line (22-of-23).
The Bulldogs held an advantage of 17-6 in fast break points and 26-7 in bench points.
Five Bulldogs were in double figures. The Bulldogs are 4-0 on the year when that has happened.
With 22 points, Isaiah Pope reached double figures in scoring for the 12th time this season.
It was Pope's first 20-point game of the year.
In his first game since Feb. 10, Donavan Yap Jr. scored 16 points in 25 minutes off the bench.
Jalen Weaver was in double figures for the third straight game, scoring 10 points.
Leo Colimerio posted 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field.
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UP NEXT
Fresno State will face top-seeded Utah State tomorrow at 12 p.m. PT. The game will air on CBS Sports Network with Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas and Evan Washburn on the call.