Date: December 17th, 2009
Stats: 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals
Fresno State was in desperate need of consistency as the 2009-10 season rolled forward. To start the year, Paul George placed his unranked squad on his back and pushed them to back-to-back victories over San Francisco State and Northern Arizona, the former was considered an upset. With everything clicking on all cylinders, George and the rest of his teammates stepped onto the court confidently. However, they played listlessly during a brutal stretch, resulting in four consecutive defeats.
Sitting at 2-4 on the year, Fresno State would even their record at 4-4, before their up and down play continued to plague them. A seething Paul George, disheartened by their five-point home loss against BYU in the game prior, began figuring it out. While he could score with the best of them, when he was defensively locked in, that was when Fresno State shined.
Against UC-Davis on December 17th, George was sloppy with the basketball, resulting in eight turnovers but he made up for it with a terrific all-around game. George shredded his helpless defenders as their innocuously contested his midrange jumper. George ended the game by connecting on 60% of his shots from the field.
Although he was known for aggressively attacking the basket, George played a much more team-friendly game. He snagged seven rebounds out of the air, dished five assists, and was a monster defensively, finishing the game with six steals, resulting in an 11-point win.