Three takeaways from Fresno State’s win over Fresno Pacific following COVID-19 pause

Fresno State was coming out of a third pause due to COVID-19, but hit the floor Saturday against Fresno Pacific with its top 11 players intact.

The Bulldogs players had come out of quarantine at different times, and had different levels of basketball activities in the past week, and that no doubt contributed to a rather ragged game, start to finish.

In both halves of a 78-65 victory at the Save Mart Center, the Bulldogs had potential issues exposed by the Sunbirds, who cut a 24-point deficit to nine four times in the final 7-plus minutes.

Fresno Pacific wasn’t without chances, which obviously does not flatter the Bulldogs, who open Mountain West Conference play with a two-game series at Colorado State on Dec. 28 and Dec. 30.

Fresno State is 2-0, but has beaten an NAIA team in William Jessup and NCAA Division II Fresno Pacific.

The Bulldogs will get in a few practices before taking a Christmas break, coming back to campus to take coronavirus tests and then flying out to Colorado for their conference opener, and first game against a Division I opponent.

Here are three takeaways from the game …

Ballard and first impressions

The Bulldogs obviously scored when the NCAA Division I Council granted a blanket waiver to transfers last week, because Junior Ballard proved a high-impact addition in his Fresno State debut.

The 6-foot-3 guard from Stockton and Cal Poly was the most efficient player that coach Justin Hutson put on the floor, hitting 5 of 7 shots including 2 of 4 at the 3-point line in scoring a team-high 17 points with six rebounds, one assist and two steals. He played to a plus-minus of plus-20 in 32 minutes, which also was a team-high.

“Obviously, it’s a little better conference than what I played at,” said Ballard, who went to high school at Modesto Christian. “But it’s kind of been my dream to play here at Fresno.

“A lot of people don’t know that. I’ve kept that to myself. I practically grew up here. Playing here has been one of my dreams and I’m fulfilling that now.”

Ballard was a steady presence in a game where the Bulldogs were in dire need of one, coming back from their third pause due to COVID-19. They did not shoot the ball well (39.1%).

Fresno State did not defend well at all in the second half, when the Sunbirds made their way back into the game. The Bulldogs had 14 assists on 27 made baskets, and 13 turnovers.

Ballard was on the floor for a team-high 32 minutes including the final 8:48, keeping Fresno Pacific from cutting deeper into that deficit.

Down the stretch, Ballard had two offensive rebounds, both leading to scores. He had a defensive rebound, an assist and got to the foul line twice where he was 4 of 4.

“Experience,” Hutson said. “Maturity. You see his game and he can shoot the basketball and he plays hard, but that comes from maturity. He’s a mature basketball player and he’s all about the team. He does stuff for the team and he really helped tonight.”

Robinson in the paint

Orlando Robinson had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but he was just 5 of 17 and 4 of 16 inside the 3-point line. He missed his first first six shots, all in the paint, and was 1 of 7 then 1 of 10 before scoring on an alley-oop dunk off an assist by Deon Stroud.

That could be the aftereffects of the third 14-day pause due to COVID-19, but the Bulldogs obviously need the 7-foot sophomore to be much more efficient on the block and around the basket. In the Bulldogs’ opener, he was 6 of 10 and last season hit 55.3% of his 2-point shots.

“We just need him to stick with it,” Hutson said. “He’s such a hard worker and a great kid so you just want to be there for him and tell him to stick with it, and if we need to make a few adjustments on where we need to get him the ball then we’ll do that.”

A troubling sign, or a one-off deal?

Fresno Pacific forward Aamondae Coleman scored 24 points in just 22 minutes, hitting 8 of 16 shots. Hutson compared the 6-foot-6 wing to a couple of players the Bulldogs will see in the Mountain West in Matt Mitchell at San Diego State and David Roddy at Colorado State, and that will not escape notice in Fort Collins, Colo.

Roddy last season averaged 18.5 points and eight rebounds in two games against Fresno State including a 26 and eight with three assists at Moby Arena, beating up the Bulldogs in the paint.

Fresno State, not the most physical team in the paint, had a rough go against Coleman on Saturday afternoon.

He was limited to just 6 minutes and did not score in the first half after picking up three fouls, but fueled the Sunbirds’ second-half run back from that 24-point deficit, scoring in the point, knocking down three 3s and getting to the foul line where he was 5 of 6.

The Bulldogs’ second-half defense led to a lengthy post-game for Hutson and the Bulldogs.

“I know that once we get up 20, 25 that the basket becomes a little bigger for the other team. I understand that,” Hutson said. “I also understand young, inexperienced teams, they let up a little bit when they’re up 20, 25, so we’re talking human nature here. But, it’s unacceptable. We have to play better than that in the second half.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2020 at 8:59 PM.