Tied at halftime and on the back half of two-game road trip in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, the Fresno State men’s basketball team needed someone to step up Wednesday night.
That’s exactly what guard New Williams did, making 5 of 6 three-point attempts after intermission and powering the Bulldogs to a 75-62 victory over Wyoming in Laramie.
Williams, a 6-foot, 1-inch junior guard who started his collegiate career at Auburn, finished with a career-high 24 points.
Two of them came on a windmill dunk off a fast break in the first half.
Grimes Makes His Presence Felt
Junior forward Nate Grimes turned in a stellar all-around performance for the Bulldogs with 16 points, three rebounds and two blocks. He was 7 of 9 from the field.
With the victory, the Bulldogs improved to 15-5 overall and 6-2 in the Mountain West. They will face New Mexico (3-5, 9-11) on Saturday at the Save Mart Center. The Lobos last played on Jan. 26, losing 68-66 at home to Utah State.
Williams Helps Bulldogs Shred Wyoming Zone Defense
Led by Williams, the Bulldogs foiled Wyoming’s strategy of using a 2-3 zone defense to force shots from the perimeter. Williams made 6 of 8 treys overall and the Bulldogs finished 12 of 25 from beyond the 3-point arc.
“They’re in a zone, so somebody is going to have to make some shots and New stepped up,” said Fresno State coach Justin Hutson.
Said Williams of his career-best performance: “It feels good. I work on my shot so much. I work so hard to do whatever I can to help my team.”
Bulldogs Break It Open With 14-0 Second-Half Burst
The game was close with the Cowboys (5-17, 1-8), who have lost three straight, trailing 54-53 after two Hunter Thompson free throws with 8 minutes, 10 seconds to play.
Williams then hit back-to-back 3s, followed by a Noah Blackwell 3-pointer. Then Grimes made a jump shot a 3-pointer in a three-minute span extending the lead to 15. The Bulldogs hit 5 of 6 shots and the Cowboys missed four with two turnovers in that stretch.
Justin James led Wyoming with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
Bulldog Notes
The Bulldogs lead the MW with four conference road wins.
Fresno State has made at least six 3-pointers in every game this season. The Bulldogs are 26-4 in their last 30 games when making at least 10 3-pointers.
