FRESNO — The Stanislaus State men's basketball team's 2021-22 schedule leaves no room for rust, even after not playing any official games for more than 20 months.
 
After starting their season with an exhibition game on the road at a strong Fresno State team, the Warriors were back in the city of Fresno on Friday, stepping onto the court for their first real contest since March 2020. They were met immediately by a top-25 ranked team. No. 24/13 Point Loma put Stan State away in the second half, winning the opening game of the FPU Crossover Classic, 85-68, at the Special Events Center on the campus of Fresno Pacific University.
 
Don't get them wrong – the Warriors (0-1) handled the Sea Lions (1-0) for much of the second half, leading by as many as five (17-12 at the 10 minutes, 18 seconds mark) and still leading with just under four minutes before halftime at 32-31. Tony Singleton – who led all players with 20 points in 23 minutes off the bench – drove into the lane and put in a floater to give the Warriors back the lead with 3:57 to go.
 
But that's when PLNU took off – going on a 12-3 run in the first half's final 3 1/2 minutes to head into the break with an eight-point advantage at 43-35. The Sea Lions made three consecutive baskets, including two 3-pointers, and were 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in a two-minute span from the 3:40 to 1:38 marks on the clock. In that same span, Stan State was 0 for 3 from the floor – all 3-point attempts – and committed two turnovers.
 
Point Loma kept the pressure on in the second half to expand its lead. An 8-0 spurt in the first four minutes made it a 16-point contest at 53-37, and then another 10-2 run two minutes later pushed the lead up to 20, 65-45, at the 11:44 mark.
 
3-point shooting and free throws did the job for the Sea Lions. They made four treys in the first 10 minutes of the second half and were 4 for 4 from the free-throw line, just like at the end of the first period. They made an astounding 14 of 30 3-pointers (46.7%) in the game and went 21 for 24 from the charity stripe.
 
Stanislaus State was not without its own efficiency. The Warriors shot 46.6% from the field and made 8 of 11 free throws. But they were 6 of 22 from deep (27.3%) and their 11 free throws attempts were nearly half the number PLNU made.
 
The Warriors face host Fresno Pacific, 83-72 winners over Cal State East Bay also on Friday, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the final game of the FPU Crossover Classic. Fans can find all live coverage links on WarriorAthletics.com.