Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Takes on Saint Mary's
12/18/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Dec. 18, 2000
- This Week's Schedule
Thursday vs. Saint Mary's
North Gym - 7 p.m.
- Next Week's Schedule
Atlanta/Northwest Marriott Holiday Invitational
Friday, Dec. 29 vs. Alabama State
Atlanta, Ga. - 1 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 30 - Consolation/Championship Game
Atlanta, Ga. - Time TBA
This Week
The Bulldogs have one game on the docket this week, Thursday against Saint Mary's at 7 p.m. at the North Gym.
Last Week
Fresno State went 1-1 last week in moving its record to 3-6. The week began with a 67-57 loss at home to Pacific before the Bulldogs rebounded for a 66-62 victory at Boise State. Against the Tigers, FS dropped its fourth in a row after spotting Pacific an early lead and never catching up. Fresno State played without starting center Channan High, and the Tigers took advantage, outrebounding the Bulldogs 46-35. Three days later against BSU, Laura Garcia hit a driving layup with 11.4 seconds to go, giving FS a 66-62 victory. Lindsay Logan spurred Fresno State with a game-high 21 points while the Bulldogs defense was tough throughout, holding the Broncos to only 31 percent shooting in the second half.
The Broadcast
Thursday's game will be simulcast live on KFIG (AM 1430) and AT&T Broadband (cable 14). Tony D'addato (play-by-play) and Rob Emler (color analyst) will handle the announcing duties. The broadcast begins at 7 p.m.
Logan Just Keeps Impressing
Lindsay Logan just keeps getting more and more impressive as each game goes by. The sophomore guard scored 12 points against Pacific then came back Saturday to post a game-high 21 in leading the Bulldogs to victory over Boise State. Against the Broncos, Logan also added three three-pointers, cementing her average of 3.00 threes per game, a number which ranks her tops in the WAC. While she leads Fresno State with a 16.4 scoring average, perhaps the most impressive statistic Logan owns is the 5.4 assists average she has achieved despite playing the two-guard position. After leading the WAC and setting an FS record with 192 assists last year as a point guard, Logan was switched to the two-guard this year to further take advantage of her scoring ability. Nonetheless, she is still on pace to record 152 assists this year, which would place her sixth on the FS single-season assist list.
Scouting Saint Mary's
The Gaels are 6-2 but have lost their last two games, both on the road. Saint Mary's turned heads in the season opener and staked their claim as the best team in Northern California when they upset then-No. 12 Stanford 74-63 on Nov. 17 in Moraga, Calif. SMC reeled off six victories in a row to begin the season before falling at Oregon State 65-52 and at Washington 73-61. The Gaels are led by twin sisters Jerkisha and Jermisha Dotsy, both juniors. Jerkisha leads SMC with a 14.6 scoring average and chips in 8.5 rebounds per game. Jermisha is second in scoring at 12.8 while pulling down 12.0 boards per game, fifth-best in the nation. Saint Mary's has been getting it done with defense this season, allowing an average of only 60.0 points per game. Meanwhile, SMC is averaging nearly 68.5 per contest. Equally as impressive has been the Gaels' dominance on the boards. On average, they pull down nearly nine more rebounds per game than their opponents. Saint Mary's is coached by Michelle Jacoby, in her first year at the helm.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Saint Mary's
While the series record is tied 3-3, Saint Mary's has won the last three in a row, including last year's 67-48 triumph in Moraga, Calif. Amanda Baker and Lindsay Logan had 10 points each for the Bulldogs in the loss. Fresno State couldn't stop Tracy Morris in the game, who finished with a game-high 19 points. FS scored only 19 points in the first half and trailed throughout. Counting this season's game, SMC and Fresno State have met in four consecutive seasons.
Saint Mary's Recent Action
The Gaels had only one game last week, a 73-61 loss at Washington. It was SMC's second consecutive loss after starting the season with six wins in a row. Against the Huskies, Saint Mary's fell behind by 18 at half and could never recover. Sophomore guard Julie Morris led the Gaels with 18 points.
Living the High Life
Center Channan High's importance to Fresno State was underscored last week in the Bulldogs' two games. The sophomore missed Wednesday's game against Pacific after having surgery to remove her wisdom teeth. Without High, one of the premier shot blockers and rebounders in the WAC, the Bulldogs were outrebounded by the Tigers 46-35. Three days later, High returned and paid immediate dividends. Coming off the bench to play 23 minutes, the sophomore was a huge factor in shutting down Boise State post players Andrea Swindall and Crista Peterson, two of the top players in the Big West and BSU's top two scorers, respectively. High, with help from Mindy Clark and Omelogo Udeze, limited the duo to only 17 points, nearly 11 below their average.
Speaking of Solid Post Play
The emergence of freshman Mindy Clark has been a welcome sight to the Fresno State coaching staff. She kicked things into gear with a solid game at Loyola Marymount on Dec. 5, posting then-career highs with 10 points and five rebounds. After two solid performances in a row against Bowling Green and Arizona, Clark had her best game to date against Pacific on Wednesday, tallying 12 points and nine rebounds, re-establishing her career highs. Against Boise State, the La Habra, Calif., native had six points and five rebounds and helped play suffocating defense on the Broncos' two main weapons in the post. Clark's emergence has gained her the starting nod in each of the last two games.
It's Raining Threes
Fresno State made nine three-pointers combined against Pacific and Boise State, meaning the Bulldogs have now made at least one three-pointer in 38 consecutive games. The last time FS did not make a three in a game was Marsh 1, 1998, a 78-48 loss to Rice in the WAC tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Magic Number
Sixty-five has proven to be the magic number for Fresno State thus far. All three of its wins have come when the team scores more than 65. Conversely, the Bulldogs are 1-5 when they don't score more than 65.
So Young...So Good
Despite defenses being geared to stop her, Lindsay Logan continues to post eye-popping numbers. The sophomore guard had a very tough act to follow after a freshman season which saw her dish out a FS record 192 assists en route to becoming the first rookie in WAC history to lead that category. Her performance made her a member of the 1999-00 WAC All-Newcomer team. Logan's numbers this year have her headed for more postseason conference awards. She is averaging 16.4 points per game, sixth-best in the WAC. After playing point guard last year, the Sandy, Utah, native has switched to the two-guard position to further take advantage of her scoring ability. Thus far, that ploy has worked tremendously. Logan posted a season-high 27 points against Bowling Green on Dec. 9. However, her most impressive performance this season may have come Saturday at Boise State, a game in which she scored 21 points and took over in the second half, scoring 18. In addition, Logan scored eight of the Bulldogs' final 10 points, including two free throws with 1.2 seconds left which helped seal the 66-62 victory. Although she has been concentrating more on scoring in 2000-01, she hasn't forgotten about passing the ball. Logan currently sits atop the WAC in assists with a 5.4 average. She is also slowly creeping up the Fresno State career assists list. Following is where Logan finished last year and she she stands on the career assists list:
FRESNO STATE SINGLE-SEASON ASSISTS Name Year GP Asts1. Lindsay Logan 1999-00 29 1922. Wendy Martell 1996-87 29 1693. Wendy Martell 1985-86 30 1674. Yannick Souvre 1989-90 33 1665. Jessie Farias 1998-99 28 165Double Trouble
FRESNO STATE CAREER ASSISTS Name Year GP Asts Needs to Pass 6. Tamika Louis 1995-98 81 289 49 7. Shannon McGee 1984-87 118 285 45 8. Staci Oddo 1992-96 110 282 42 9. Chris Wycinowsky 1982-85 105 273 3310. Michele Anderson 1994-97 77 271 31------------------------------------------------------- Lindsay Logan 1999- 38 241
Lindsay Logan's first nine games have been fabulous. She is averaging 16.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of Fresno State's games, including a 27-point effort against Bowling Green in the Arizona Basketball Classic and a 21-point night in a victory over Boise State. This is the second consecutive year a Bulldog has started the season with nine consecutive double digit scoring games. Tiffany Lewis accomplished it last season before failing to score 10 or more in the 10th game.
Heave-Ho
In her freshman season, Lindsay Logan proved she was capable of hitting the three-pointer. In fact, Logan was so good she attempted 179, tying the Fresno State record for threes attempted in a single season. However, this year Logan has taken her three-point shooting to another stratosphere. Through seven games, the sophomore has attempted 82 shots from beyond the arc and is on pace to destroy the record she tied last year. Should her pace continue, Logan will attempt 255 threes by the end of the regular season, 76 more than the program record. She is currently draining three three-pointers per game, tops in the WAC. Logan has made at least one three-pointer in all nine games this season and in 32 of 38 games in her career.
Still Racking Up the Minutes
Once again this season, Lindsay Logan is playing in more minutes than just about anyone in the conference. After leading the team and the WAC last year with a 37.0 average, Logan is currently clocking 36.0 minutes per game. In her Fresno State career, she has logged 34 minutes or more in 33 of her 38 games. The only game she has not done so this year came Nov. 30 against Northern Arizona.
Bench Production
Fresno State's bench has been a valuable asset through the first part of the season. From Omelogo Udeze's strong performances against Arizona and in the Fresno State Classic to Mindy Clark's excellent effort against Loyola Marymount, the bench has been productive for the Bulldogs. Following is a breakdown of the best games FS has received from its bench:
Opponent Mnts Pts Rebs NotesE. Washington 87 21 18 Udeze nets 15 pts and 11 rebsLoyola Marymount 62 18 8 Clark goes for 10 pts and 5 rebsNew Mexico State 73 18 9 Clark/Udeze combine for 14 ptsSacramento State 46 17 8 Fleming has 15 pts and 6 rebsArizona 53 15 19 Udeze has career-high 14 rebsGarcia Continues Solid Production
After coming off the bench the first three games of the season, Laura Garcia has settled in nicely to the point guard position. In the six games she has started, she has averaged 33.3 minutes, 8.8 points, 3.5 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. She led the Bulldogs in scoring against Loyola Marymount (13 points) and Arizona (12). However, her most important contribution of the season came at Boise State when she hit a driving, off-balance layup with 11.4 seconds left to break a 62-62 tie and propel FS to victory.
Cutting Down on the Mistakes
Head coach Britt King has stressed the need for Fresno State to cut down on its turnovers, and in the last two games, the Bulldogs have apparently been listening. After averaging nearly 23 per game through the first seven contests, FS has averaged only 15 in the past two, including a season-low 14 in the victory at Boise State.
Arizona Basketball Classic Recap
For the seventh time in 10 years, Arizona won the Arizona Basketball Classic by beating Bowling Green 99-43 and Fresno State 92-55. Bowling Green took second place with a 1-1 record while the Bulldogs were third. Following is the all-tournament team:
- Dana Western, Bowling Green
- Lindsay Logan, Fresno State
- Elizabeth Pickney, Arizona
- Aimee Gryzb, Arizona
- Krista Warren, Arizona
Tournament MVP: Reshea Bristol, Arizona
Fresno State Classic Recap
New Mexico State won the fourth annual Fresno State Classic with a 75-57 victory over host Fresno State in the championship game. It marked the fourth consecutive year the Bulldogs have finished runner-up in their own tournament. Eastern Washington took third place by defeating Southeast Missouri State 67-64 in the consolation game. Lindsay Logan was named the tournament MVP after scoring 19 points in the win against Eastern Washington, then following that up with a 14-point, eight-assist performance against New Mexico State. Following is the all-tournament team:
- Jennifer Paluck, Eastern Washington
- Veronica Benson, Southeast Missouri State
- Ivana Stojkovic, New Mexico State
- Princess Moore, New Mexico State
- Tiffany Simon, Fresno State Tournament MVP: Lindsay Logan, Fresno State
Noting Last Week's Action
- Lindsay Logan led all scorers with 21 points in Fresno State's 66-62 victory over Boise State. Logan scored 18 of her 21 in the second half, including eight of the Bulldogs' final 10 points.
- Logan has now posted double figures in scoring in each of FS's nine games.
- Fresno State had only 16 turnovers against Pacific and a season-low 14 against Boise State. The Bulldogs had been averaging nearly 23 per game coming into last week.
- Mindy Clark had her best game as a Bulldog against Pacific. She established career highs for minutes played (33), points (12), rebounds (9) and blocks (2).
- The Bulldogs shot 53 percent against Boise State, a season high. FS also held BSU to 31 percent from the floor in the second half, in which Fresno State outscored the Broncos 36-29.
- After allowing 86.7 points per game two weeks ago, the Bulldogs gave up only 64.5 per game last week.
- The team's win against the Broncos was the first this year when it trailed at halftime.
- Fresno State outrebounded its opponents last week by a combined total of 124-113.
- Omelogo Udeze was 0-for-3 from the line against Boise State, snapping a string of 11 consecutive free throws she had made.
- Fresno State trailed at halftime in both games and has led at intermission in only one game this season, the season opener against Eastern Washington (31-17).
- Logan has started all 38 games in which she has played since coming to Fresno State.
- Tiffany Simon and Omelogo Udeze have appeared in every game since coming to Fresno State. Simon has started in the last 23 in a row, the second-longest streak on the team.
- Fresno State has not won a game this year when its opponent has a higher field goal percentage than the Bulldogs do.
- The Bulldogs have not won a game when their opponent has less than 20 turnovers. They are also only 1-4 when they have more than 20 turnovers.
Simon Says
Tiffany Simon has picked up this year where last season left off. After posting career highs for points, rebounds and assists in the final two regular season games of 1999-00, she worked hard in the offseason on her outside shot and has now become a threat not only driving to the basket but from the perimeter. The sophomore is second on the squad in points with a 10.4 per game average and has scored in double figures in six of the nine games. She has also been outstanding on the boards, coming into tonight's game with a 5.8 average. Simon established a career high for rebounds against Sacramento State, pulling down nine. In addition, her ability to drive to the hoop has allowed her to visit the free throw line 27 times, second-most on the team.
"O"-K
A big question coming into the 2000-01 campaign was who would fill the rebounding void left by Tiffany Lewis, one of the best on the boards in program history. So far, that player has been Omelogo Udeze. The sophomore forward, known by her teammates as "O," has posted a 7.9 average through nine games, including an 11-rebound performance in the season opener against Eastern Washington and a career-high 14 at Arizona. Udeze has led or shared the team-lead in rebounds in three of the last four games.
Down the Road
The Bulldogs take a short break for Christmas after the Saint Mary's game Thursday. Fresno State's next action comes Dec. 29-30 in the Atlanta/Northwest Marriott Holiday Invitational. FS will play Alabama State in the first round.
