Feb. 6, 2018
Recap | Final Stats | Notes
FRESNO, Calif. -
San Diego State-Fresno State Postgame Quotes
SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher
On the 16 turnovers for the game (including 12 in the first half):
"Sixteen turnovers for the game is way too many. We have been passing the ball and sharing it, but we only had seven assists on 25 baskets tonight. A lot of that was Fresno's game plan and the switches they made. When we threw it in the post, they did not help at all, they left us one-on-one. On dribble-drive penetration they did not help in from the perimeter. The first time we played they helped in and we got it on the second pitch and the drive. But (tonight) they were not helping so the guys that drove had to try and finish more baskets so there were less assists available.
"Not a great performance by the Aztecs. We got frustrated offensively. Like most young teams, we tried to do things too fast. We never caught a rhythm offensively. I told the team I wish I could have helped them more to find something that would get them in a rhythm. We just seemed to be playing at too frantic of a pace and trying to attack too quickly at times."
On senior guard Trey Kell missing the game:
"We miss Trey. Obviously we want a fourth-year senior on the floor. Devin (Watson) probably had to play too much with Trey gone."
On trailing by 11 points at halftime:
"We couldn't get enough stops to get a run. A 10- or an 11-point lead is nothing in college basketball. At some point I thought we would put a run together to get it to four points, six points and then it would be a game. They would have more pressure. But we never got a run. We never got enough stops. They shot 61 percent in the second half. When they shoot that high, we are not getting enough stops to make a run. We played them offensively even for a lot of the second half, but obviously we did not get enough stops to get a run."
On the foul trouble:
"I took Malik (Pope) out (when he picked up his second foul in the first half) and I think the game was tied (Fresno State led, 18-17) and they went on a run. Then when they got up seven, I decided I was going to put Malik back in and then he had a loose-ball foul, which is very frustrating. He only played 23 minutes. I wish we could have had him on the floor longer, but the foul trouble dictated that.
"Jalen played a little more like a freshman tonight. He had five turnovers by trying to do things too fast. He is trying to please me at times. When he should drive, he is trying to pass and chase the ball screen, and when he should chase a ball screen, he is trying to drive. He could not catch his rhythm tonight. He looked more like a freshman even though he had six points and eight rebounds."
On moving forward:
"Continue to work and get better. We had a decent first half defensively. It was not great, but it was better. The second half they shoot 61 percent in the second half and open the lead up. I think we defend better when we play defense in front of the bench. We can help the young kids out a lot more. When they are away from us in the second half, it is harder to coach them. They can't hear us, they are on their own and sometimes it shows."