Here’s what caused the shot clock to go out in Tuesday’s Fresno State basketball game
Hours before the Save Mart Center doors opened to the public on Tuesday, a belt in an air handler slipped, gave way, got toasty. An exhaust system was deployed to ventilate the building, which was filled with an objectionable “something is burning” odor.
Then, 35 minutes into the Fresno State Bulldogs’ 66-62 victory over San Diego State, a cable that runs under the floor and connects the scorer’s console to the shot clock shorted out, causing a delay of about six minutes and an awkward finish to the game.
Not the best night for the Save Mart Center, which opened in 2003, especially before a national television audience on ESPNU, but the air handler and shot clock are back in working order.
“The cord has been replaced,” said Stephen Trembley, director of new media for Fresno State, said Wednesday. “We did some testing last night. It was ready for practice, if there was practice (Wednesday), and we are evaluating contingency plans.”
Neither mishap had much impact on the game – the air in the building had cleared long before players arrived at the arena and the Bulldogs and Aztecs made the best of the situation with the shot clock.
Public address announcer Paul Quebe counted the time down – 20 seconds, 10 seconds, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – and there were no turnovers as a result. Because it was the second half, both teams were running offense in front of their benches and not on the opposite end of the floor.
Fresno State coach Justin Hutson told the Bulldogs to just listen to his cues, yelling over a fairly loud crowd of 5,792 that watched the Bulldogs get to 14-4 and 5-1 in the Mountain West Conference.
“You don’t want to have to start trying to listen to the people there and it was loud. They were in front of me,” he said. “That helps.”
The Bulldogs were without injured point guard Noah Blackwell and Deshon Taylor fouled out of the game with 2:04 to go, which could have caused some issues. But at that point, in a one- or two-possession game, the game plan became fairly simple.
They got the basketball in the hands of Braxton Huggins, one of their best one-on-one players, who had knocked down a last-second three to win a game at Utah State.
“We had a play called to try to run a little clock late in the game and when it got back in Braxton’s hand I just yelled, ‘Go,’“ Hutson said. “So now we can run up and set a high ball screen or slip it and then get in and attack the rim to kick out. I don’t want him to have to worry about all the other stuff that was going on.”
Huggins finished the game with 20 points, nine of which came in the final five minutes after the shot clock had gone out. He got to the foul line twice, knocking down four free throws. He hit a three, and another jumper. Huggins also had eight rebounds and five assists, both season highs.
“I’ve been watching film and I noticed how they guard and that they pack the paint,” Huggins said. “I was trying to kick it out and make plays for others and be a better playmaker for my team.”