BOXSCORE
Paul George came to play Monday night. With Dwight O’Neil still suspended, George is arguably the team’s go-to-guy, and he showed what he could accomplish when he is “feeling” it.
George scored a career-high 29 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Monday night’s 88-82 win over Boise State. He was 9-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 8-of-8 from the stripe. He also recorded four assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. Sylvester Seay added 23 points, including a three-pointer with two seconds remaining before halftime.
The Bulldogs built a 16-point at the break, 45-29, and extended it to 18 early in the second half. However, the Broncos would rally and close within four in the final minute after La’Shard Anderson’s jumper cut the deficit to 84-80 with 31 seconds remaining.
George and Bryce Cartwright sealed the victory with both hitting two free throws apiece down the stretch. Cartwright scored 14 points and six assistants while filling in for O’Neil for the fourth consecutive game. Mychal Ladd added 14 points.
The ‘Dogs improve to 10-14 on the season, 2-7 in WAC play. Next up for Fresno State is a road trip to Ruston to take on Louisiana Tech on Thursday night at 6 p.m. PT.
Game Notes
Fresno State enjoyed a 22-10 fast break point advantage.
George’s double-double is his sixth on the season. His 29 points is the second highest total this season by a Bulldog, trailing only Seay’s 32-point effort at Utah State earlier this season.
Fresno State shot 51.9% from the field, including 56.5% in the second stanza.
Fresno State made 17 (27-of-31) more free throws than Boise State attempted (7-of-10).
Fresno State was outscored, 23-3, in bench scoring. Brandon Webster and Brian Seals combined for just three points in 18 combined minutes of action. Brandon Sperling was the only Bulldog who saw action off the bench (12 minutes); he was 0-of-3 from the field.