FRESNO, Calif. – A buzzer beater from Alex Crawford that sent Saturday's contest into overtime wasn't enough as Fresno State was outscored 13-2 in the extra five-minute period, falling 77-66 to Nevada at the Save Mart Center.
Crawford finished the game with 13 points, the junior's third straight game in double figures. Making his first appearance for the 'Dogs since Nov. 27, David Douglas Jr. had a team-high 16 points, going 5-of-12 from 3. The sophomore accounted for 16 of the Bulldogs' 33 second-half points.
Nevada was led by Nick Davidson's 20-point, 14-rebound performance. Davidson paced the Wolf Pack on the glass as the visitors outrebounded the 'Dogs 53-34 on the day, going plus-21 on the glass over the final 25 minutes. An 18-7 advantage on the offensive glass resulted in a 23-10 difference in scoring column.
How It Happened
After giving up the first bucket of the game, Fresno State scored the next nine points. The Bulldogs' lead continued to rise as Nevada opened the game just 3-of-16 from the field. A triple from the right corner by a Jasir Tremble at the 10:49 mark extended the Bulldogs' lead to 18-6.
The Wolf Pack began to chip into Fresno State's advantage through a 7-0 run. Fresno State maintained the lead though during the next six minutes until Kobe Sanders hit his second 3-pointer of the half to tie the game at 26-26 with 2:19 to go.
Zaon Collins got to the cup on the next possession to regain the Bulldogs' slim lead. Fresno State took a 31-30 lead into the half with both teams shooting in the mid-30's.
Jalen Weaver came out of the break with a 3-pointer from the left corner and converted a pair at the line on the next possession to extend the Bulldogs' lead to six. Zaon Collins then forced a flagrant foul call on Tre Coleman and knocked down the ensuing free throws.
Looking to go up 10 with 16:52 on the clock, Collins looked for Alex Crawford on an alley-oop on the break, but it was off the mark. Nevada scored on its next five possessions to take a 40-38 just over three minutes later.
David Douglas Jr. answered the bell off the bench with three consecutive 3-pointers. The third knotted the game up at 47-47 with 9:30 on the clock. The Wolf Pack responded with eight straight points. The see-saw affair took a turn in the Bulldogs' favor as Douglas Jr. remained hot from outside, sinking two more triples in a stretch that saw him go 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. With the 'Dogs back within two, the Wolf Pack called a timeout with 4:33 on the clock.
A layup by Collins that saw the point guard leave Davidson stumbling to the floor tied the game. Douglas Jr. gave Fresno State a 56-55 with a free throw on the next possession. Five unanswered from Nevada ensued and the Pack led until the final second.
Down 64-61 with 8.9 seconds remaining, Fresno State inbounded the ball to Crawford at midcourt. The junior handed it off to Douglas Jr., but the sophomore's shot was off the mark. Crawford tracked down the rebound in the right corner, turned and threw up a shot with two defenders on him that found the bottom of the net to send the game to overtime.
Nevada scored the first seven points as the Bulldogs, jumping out to a 71-64 lead three minutes into the period. Despite a bucket from Weaver, Fresno State was unable to recover.
Notes
Fresno State moved to 0-2 in overtime games this season.
Fresno State shot over 70% from the free-throw line for just the sixth time, going 3-3 in such games.
Fresno State is 1-11 on the year when getting outrebounded (53-34).
Fresno State was outscored 44-20 in the paint. The 24-point difference matched a season-high which last came on Dec. 4 against San Diego State (50-26).
Fresno State saw 10 players recorded minutes within the first 10 minutes of the game, something the Bulldogs hadn't seen Nov. 16 at CSU Bakersfield.
David Douglas Jr. saw his first action since Nov. 27 and Pierre Geneste Jr. played in his first game since Dec. 14.
Douglas Jr. scored a season-high 16 points, going 5-of-12 from 3. The five 3-pointers matched the most by a Bulldog this season (Jasir Tremble on Dec. 28 vs. UNLV).
Alex Crawford scored 13 points, his eighth game in double figures this season.
The junior also matched his career high in assists with four.
Up Next
Fresno State will see its first bye of the season come this week before hosting Air Force on Friday at the Save Mart Center. Tipoff against the Falcons is set for 7 p.m. PT and will stream on the Mountain West Network.