Fresno State Defeats Siena, Forces Game Three
MAAC Sports
Courtesy Siena Athletics
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Fresno State University men’s basketball team shot 64% from the field and 53% from three-point range to defeat Siena College 89-75 and force the decisive third, and final, game in the College Basketball Invitational championship series Wednesday night at the Alumni Recreation Center.
The CBI championship series, a best of three format, is now tied at 1-1, and will conclude with Game Three on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at the ARC on the Siena campus. Tickets are on-sale now at SienaSaints.com, and the ARC Box Office will be open from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and from 9:30 a.m. through halftime on Saturday.
Allen Huddleston came off the bench to lead five Fresno State players in double figures with 20 points, as the Bulldogs bounced back from a 61-57 home loss to the Saints Monday night in a big way.
“I warned my team, you have an angry Bulldog with a lot of talent,” Siena coach Jimmy Patsos said.
Fresno State (21-17) used a 19-6 run midway through the first half to take a 29-15 lead and led by double digits the rest of the way. The Bulldogs shot a blistering 76% (16-of-21) from the field in the first half, compared to just 36% for the Saints.
Fresno State pushed the lead to as many as 26 (57-31) less than five minutes into the second half before Brett Bisping pumped some life into the Saints.
Bisping scored 17 of his team-high 20 points in the second half for Siena, 10 during a 14-1 run that cut the Fresno State lead to 63-50 with 11:06 to play and brought the near sellout crowd of 3,177 to its feet. That was as close as the Saints would get.
Fresno State made 30-of-36 free throws in the second half, and key Siena (19-18) players fouled out down the stretch diminishing hopes of a comeback.
“I loved playing in this atmosphere,” Bisping said. “The crowd was great, the students were amazing. I just hope they all come back Saturday.”
Tyler Johnson had 14 of his 19 points in the first half for Fresno State. Marquis Wright had 14 for Siena – his most in nine games.
“We woke them up, they woke us up,” Patsos said. “That’s why it’s two out of three.”