FRESNO STATE (11-19, 4-13 MW) vs. WYOMING (14-16, 7-10 MW)
March 9, 2024 | 4 p.m. PT | MWN | Save Mart Center | Fresno, Calif.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Stream: Mountain West Network
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler • Analyst: Marc Q. Jones • Sideline: Taylor Martinez
Stream: Mountain West Network
Listen: Bulldog Sports Network
Live Stats: Bulldogslive.com
X (Twitter): @FresnoStateMBB
Tickets: Bulldog Ticket Office
**FREE parking
FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State will close out the regular season on Saturday, hosting Wyoming on Senior Day at the Save Mart Center. On Saturday, Fresno State will recognize seniors Leo Colimerio, Isaiah Hill, Isaiah Pope and Donavan Yap Jr.
Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. PT and will stream on the Mountain West Network with Paul Loeffler, Marc Q. Jones and Taylor Martinez on the call.
QUICK LOOK
Saturday will be the first of back-to-back contests with the Cowboys as the two will meet in the First Round of the Mountain West tournament on Wednesday. Wyoming will be the No. 8 seed with Fresno State as the No. 9 seed.
Dating back to Feb. 14, the Bulldogs have dropped their last six games while facing the Top 6 teams in the conference.
During the recent stretch, Fresno State has been playing short-handed due unforeseen circumstances. While the 'Dogs got starting center Enoch Boakye back on Wednesday, five players are averaging over 32 minutes per game.
Xavier DuSell has averaged 39.5 minutes per game during the last six games. Three Bulldogs are averaging between 11-15 points per game with DuSell at a team-best 14.7.
Isaiah Hill continues to lead Fresno State in scoring (12.3 ppg) and assists (6.0 apg) on the year. The point guard ranks No. 18 nationally in assists per game, third in the MW.
Transfer Xavier DuSell is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game. The senior leads the 'Dogs in 3-point percentage, connecting at 39.5 percent clip (83-of-210), 39th nationally. He sits second in the MW in 3-pointers made per game (2.77).
Fresno State features three players in its lineup who have 1,000 points. Hill accomplished the feat last season while DuSell (Feb. 17) and Isaiah Pope (Dec. 18) hit the milestone this year.
With seven newcomers to the squad this year, that group has stepped in quickly to help complement the returners in the scoring column. Newcomers have accounted for 54.9 percent of the scoring thus far.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Fresno State is 22-16 all-time against Wyoming with a 15-4 record in Fresno.
The Bulldogs are 8-4 in Mountain West games against the Cowboys at the Save Mart Center.
Wyoming has won four of the last five games in the series.
HONORING THE SENIORS
With Senior Day taking place on Saturday, Fresno State will recognize Leo Colimerio, Isaiah Hill, Isaiah Pope and Donavan Yap Jr. Hill and Pope are out of eligibility while Colimerio and Yap Jr. have a year remaining but will graduate this spring.
In his four seasons at Fresno State, Colimerio has been a constant figure on the court. Known for his energy, he has played in 115 games, totaling 576 points, 410 rebounds, 103 assists and 83 steals. On Feb. 14, Colimerio exploded for a career-high 30 points off the bench against UNLV, the most points by a Bulldog this season.
A Central Valley native, Hill has spent the last four seasons with the Bulldogs, starting 116 of the 117 games he has played in. During his time in Fresno, Hill has made his mark on the Bulldogs' record book, ranking No. 3 in career assists with 487 and No. 21 in career points with 1,318. This season, he has led Fresno State in both scoring and assists and is one the top players in the country in assists per game, dishing out a career-best six per outing. In his five-year collegiate career, Hill has totaled 1,449 points, 556 assists and 169 steals in 148 games.
Pope is in his first year for the Bulldogs. Averaging 8.7 points per game, he has played in 28 games while making 17 starts. On Dec. 18 against Portland State, Pope recorded the 1,000th point of his collegiate career. He has 11 double-figure scoring games and posted a season-high 18 points at home against Nevada.
Playing three seasons with the Bulldogs, Yap Jr. has totaled 457 points. Until an injury on Feb. 10, Yap Jr. was having the best season of his career, averaging 8.7 points per game while shooting career-high percentages in each category. He has posted three 20-point games including a career-high 23 against Morgan State.
THE GAUNTLET
With the season winding down, Fresno State drew one of, if not the toughest six-game stretches in the Mountain West this season. Starting on Valentine's Day with UNLV, the Bulldogs have played or will play each of the Top 6 teams in the league standings. That included back-to-back games against then-No. 19 San Diego State and No. 22 Utah State.
Two of the six contests have been separated by four points or less (UNLV, Utah State) while three were 20-plus points.
MY TEAM IS ON THE FLOOR
Depleted by injuries in February, Fresno State has gone from relying on its bench for production to having five players average over 32 minutes per game since Feb. 14.
At Nevada, the Bulldogs played just six players.
Xavier DuSell is averaging a team-high 39.5 minutes per game during the last six games
Three 'Dogs are averaging just 11-15 points, led by DuSell at 14.7.