Thanks to freshman guard Niven Hart’s career-high 30 points, including 11 in overtime, the visiting Fresno State men’s basketball team clipped San Jose State, 84-78, Wednesday night.
Hart, whose previous career high was 29 points against Colorado State last week, came off the bench to make 10 of 19 shots and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Hart, a 6-foot, 5-inch, 205-pounder from Orlando, Florida, converted half of his six shots beyond the 3-point line and had nine rebounds.
What Hutson Says About Hart
“(Hart’s) maturing a little bit, buying in and figuring it out. I love his talent and his swag — that he thinks he can score,” Bulldogs coach Justin Hutson said.
“But he’s playing a little better on the defensive end and he’s taking a little better care of the ball and shots. That’s what it’s about, so he gets more minutes.”
To land Hart, the Bulldogs had to win a recruiting battle against a flock of teams that included Georgetown, Georgia, Memphis, Oregon, and Wake Forest.
Robinson, Grimes Strong on the Boards
Orlando Robinson had 13 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks for Fresno State (9-16, 5-9 Mountain West Conference). Nate Grimes added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
After San Jose State erased Fresno State’s 15-point second-half lead, the Bulldogs retook the lead twice in the last two minutes of regulation before Seneca Knight’s dunk with 34 seconds left forced the extra session.
Hart made a 3-pointer from the right corner start the scoring in overtime and the Bulldogs never trailed the rest of the way.
Knight finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Spartans (7-18, 3-10). Kaison Hammonds had 19 points and seven rebounds for San Jose State, which is on a four-game losing streak.
The boxscore is at this link.
Up Next
The Bulldogs host Utah State (20-7, 9-5) on Saturday night at the Save Mart Center. Their following game is Wednesday, Feb. 19, against Air Force (9-16, 3-10) and it’s also at home.
