SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)—Terry Pettis matched his season high with 15 points and Shantay Legans tied his career high with 11 assists as Fresno State held off San Jose State 61-55 in a Western Athletic Conference game Monday.
Marcus West added 10 points, including a pair of free throws in the final five seconds, as the Bulldogs (6-5, 2-0) won their fourth straight overall and 10th in a row against San Jose State.
Eric Walton scored 16 points to lead the Spartans (5-7, 0-2), which lost their fourth straight. Michael McFadden and Demetrius Brown each had 10 points.
San Jose State shot less than 35 percent from the floor for the third straight game as the Bulldogs held their fourth consecutive opponent to less than 40 percent shooting.
Fresno State played without its top two scorers in Renaldo Major and Jonathan Woods, each serving the final game of their suspensions for violating team rules. Major served a four-game suspension and Woods completed his second three-game suspension of the year.
Pettis sat out seven games earlier in the year after pleading no contest to felony vandalism and misdemeanor domestic battery.
The Spartans drew within 40-38 with 12:17 remaining to play on a pair of Walton free throws, and then missed an opportunity to tie the game moments later.
Fresno State eased ahead on the strength of a three-point play from Chris Adams and then maintained its shaky lead the rest of the way thanks in part to its defensive effort.
Legans made a crucial steal with less than a minute to play, and then made free throws with 18 seconds left to seal the victory.
The Bulldogs erased an early deficit with 16 unanswered points over a six-minute period to take a 31-19 advantage.
San Jose State rallied to draw within 33-24 by halftime.
