Tuesday, January 16th, 2024
The San Jose State Spartans made a valent effort against the Fresno Bulldogs at Save Mart Arena in Fresno on Tue Jan 16, 2024 (photo by the San Jose State Spartans)
By Troy Ewers
The Fresno State Bulldogs hosted the San Jose State Spartans in a Mountain West Conference game. Three of the four conference games for SJSU have been decided by three points or fewer. They lost at Wyoming on a buzzer beater by the Cowboys’ Akuel Kot, fell by only three to No. 19 San Diego State and won at the buzzer at Air Force.
The Spartans have yet to play a conference game where the winning team won by more than ten points. Boise State came closest when they beat the Spartans by nine. This was a close three point game on Tuesday night in Fresno but the Spartans couldn’t hold on taking a tough 85-82 loss.
The first half of the game looked like Fresno State was going to run away with this early, but not if Tibet Gorener had anything to say about it. Spartans forward Gorener utilized every bit of his 19 minutes of the half. 22 points and 5 rebounds for Gorener led SJSU on a back and forth.
Spartans went 53% from the three point line which not only kept them in the game as halftime approached, but a one point lead at halftime. Fresno State hit 56% from the field, but it couldn’t stop Gorener and the Spartans from grabbing a lead. 40-39 Spartans at half.
The second half was another close call for San Jose State. The whole half these two teams traded buckets Gorener adding another 10 points to his total, Trey Anderson had 21 points and MJ Amey Jr. came in with a clean 13 points.
The game was another heavyweight bout for the Spartans where no one had a real advantage, but the whole time these two never slacked off. When the final seconds ticked down Amey Jr. got a turnover off an offensive foul and after the Fresno State timeout with four seconds left.
The Bulldogs guard Isaiah Hill who walked out of here with 24 points, 16 coming in the second half, hit a contested three and once again the Spartans had a game decided by three points or fewer. Fresno State wins off a buzzer beater 85-82.
Spartans can’t shake these late game pressure situations, making it the fourth out of five conference games that were decided by three points or fewer. The highlights for the Spartans, was Tibet Gorener having 32 points, but in SJSU’s case it’s another key player for them balling out, but can’t close it out.
The Spartans have a “long” break before their next game. An Eight day break and then the Spartans are back in San Jose at the Provident Credit Union Event Center against New Mexico on January 24th.
Sports Radio Service 