FRESNO, CA— Mustafa Lawrence drained a three-pointer as time expired to hand Winthrop its first loss of the season, 77-74 at Fresno State Sunday afternoon.
WINTHROP (1-1, 0-0 BIG SOUTH)
SCORING LEADERS
FRESNO STATE (1-1, 0-0 MOUNTAIN WEST)
SCORING LEADERS
- Jarred Hyder (26 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block)
- Nate Grimes (15 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist)
- Mustafa Lawrence (13 points, 4 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal)
FIRST HALF
- There were four lead changes in the early going and just shy of three minutes in the game was tied 9-9
- D.J. Burns Jr. scored inside for an 11-9 lead that sparked a 7-0 run for a 16-9 lead with 14:25 left
- Chandler Vaudrin provided a basket in the paint during the run that was capped off by a Charles Faldin three
- Eagles held the Bulldogs to 0-for-7 shooting during the run
- Winthrop pushed its lead to as big as nine points midway through the half after Kyle Zunic scored inside
- Bulldogs erased the lead over the next three minutes with a 12-3 run to tie the game at 22-22
- Nivan Hart scored six points during the run, including a three to get it started
- Josh Ferguson knocked down a three with 3:47 to play in the half for a 30-24 lead but Fresno State ended the half on an 11-0 run for a 35-30 lead at the break
- Eagles missed eight of their final not shots from the floor as they shot 37 percent from the floor in the first half while Fresno State shot 41 percent
- Russell Jones Jr. led the Eagles in the first half with 10 points
SECOND HALF
- Winthrop missed its first two field goal attempts of the second half but then the shots started the fall
- Hunter Hale hit a three to break the cold streak and cut the deficit to 38-33 with 17:51 to play
- Over the next eight and a half minutes the Eagles were 11-of-18 from the floor as they turned an eight point deficit into a 56-50 lead during that span
- After Hale's three, Burns Jr. scored back-to-back buckets inside to make it a one point game
- Chandler Vaudrin's block led to a transition basket as Zunic found Chase Claxton for the flush and a 39-38 lead with 15:15 remaining
- After Vaudrin scored off his own miss for three point advantage, he found Claxton for another dunk and a 43-38 lead for 13 unanswered points
- Micheal Anumba capped off the 16-0 run with a three-point play with 12:39 remaining and a 46-38 lead
- Winthrop didn't really cool off but Fresno State got hot after the Anumba play, connecting on 13-of-16 shots down the stretch including its final eight shots
- Vaudrin scored for a seven point advantage with five and a half to play, but Jarred Hyder answered with a three-point play
- Following a Burns Jr. bucket for a six point lead, Nat Grimes converted on a three-point play and then Anthony Holland buried a three to tie the game with a little over four minutes remaining
- Claxton scored inside to tie the game at 71-71 with 39 seconds remaining
- Hyder put the Bulldogs on top 74-71 on a three with 17 seconds left, but Hale dropped in a three with 4.7 left
- Bulldogs inbounded the ball as Hyder took a couple of dribbles across midcourt, dished the ball on the wing and Mustafa Lawrence buried a three at the buzzer
- Winthrop shot 52 percent from the floor in the second half while Fresno State hit 56 percent in the half
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Winthrop shot 44 percent from the floor while Fresno State shot 48 percent
- Both teams had double-digit threes as the Eagles connected on 13 while Fresno State hit 10
- Eagles assisted on 15-of-28 made baskets and Vaudrin finished with a team-high five assists off the bench
- While the Eagles committed just eight turnovers, they forced 15 and had an 18-9 advantage in points off turnovers
- Eagles edged the Bulldogs in the paint 26-24 and second chance points 11-8
NOTABLES
- This was the program's first ever game played in the state of California
- This was the first loss when committing fewer than 10 turnovers since Feb. 22, 2018 at UNC Asheville (9 in 89-75 loss)
- Vaudrin not only led the team in assists off the bench but also played a team-high 32 minutes
UP NEXT
Winthrop has a quick turnaround as it will travel to Moraga, CA to take on Saint Mary's on Monday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m. (EST).
