Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Hosts Nevada
1/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 19, 2001
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Game No. 17
Fresno State (5-11, 1-3 WAC) will try to get back on the winning track this afternoon against Nevada. The Bulldogs had a tough road trip last week at SMU and TCU, not only losing both games but having injuries deplete the roster down to seven players. The Wolf Pack (9-7, 2-2 WAC) didn't find the going much easier, falling to both TCU and SMU, as well.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Nevada
Fresno State leads the all-time series 13-3, although the two teams have split the last four contests. From the 1978-79 season to the 1989-90 season, FS won 10 consecutive meetings, a streak which ended in 1995. The last meeting between the Wolf Pack and Bulldogs came Jan. 2, 1999, a game won by Fresno State 59-49 in the North Gym. The Bulldogs are 9-0 all-time in the North Gym against Nevada.
The Broadcast
Today's game is being simulcast throughout Fresno and the surrounding areas by AT&T Broadband (cable 14) and KFIG (AM 1430) Radio. Rob Emler (play-by-play) and Syd Fong (color analyst) handle the broadcasting chores.
Point of Attention - Logan vs. Heer
The point guard position will be the center of attention today. Two of the WAC's best guards - Nevada's Angie Heer and FS's Lindsay Logan - will face off. The Bulldogs' top scorer, Logan will play point guard this afternoon in place of Laura Garcia, FS's usual starter at the point, due to Garcia's injured left knee. Logan played point guard the entire 1999-00 season and set a school record for assists with 192. Although she has played the two-guard the majority of the season to take advantage of her scoring ability, Logan still leads the WAC in assists with a 5.6 average. On her heels is Heer, who is averaging 4.8 per game to complement her 9.5 scoring average. One area in which Heer, a senior, excels has been the ability to take care of the ball. Through 16 games, she leads the conference in assist-turnover ratio at 2.41.
Shooting for a Sellout
The Bulldogs are attempting to set a North Gym attendance record this afternoon against Nevada. General admission tickets for the game are only $1. Special activities scheduled for the day include halftime entertainment by D.A.N.C.E. Empowerment, prizes and contests. Fresno State student-athletes will also be available for an autograph session following the game. The largest crowd to watch a women's basketball game in the North Gym is 1,370, established Feb. 24, 1990. Fresno State defeated UNLV in that game 73-65. FS began playing in the North Gym during the 1987-88 season.
Scouting Nevada
The Wolf Pack enters the week 9-7 (2-2 WAC) after suffering losses at TCU and SMU last week. In its first year in the Western Athletic Conference, Nevada was picked to finish fifth in the preseason coaches' poll. The Wolf Pack is led by sophomore forward/center Kate Smith, who is second in the WAC with a 19.4 scoring average. She has scored at least 21 points in the last five games in a row, including a season-high 31 in a win against UTEP on Jan. 5. Helping Smith is freshman forward Ashlee Orndorff, who is averaging a double-double with 10.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per contest, the latter number ranking atop the WAC. Senior point guard Angie Heer is also second in the conference in assists with 4.8 per game. Nevada is no stranger to scoring points - they lead the WAC in scoring average at 73.8 per game. The Wolf Pack are coached by Ada Gee, in her ninth year as a college coach and eighth year at Nevada. She has a 93-118 career mark and 91-117 record at the helm of the Wolf Pack.
Nevada Recent Action
Like the Bulldogs, Nevada was swept last week on its TCU-SMU road trip. Against the Horned Frogs, the Wolf Pack fell behind early by 10 points, tried to climb back into it, cutting the lead down to three, but eventually was undone by poor shooting. Nevada hit only 38 percent of its shots and was outrebounded 53-38. Kate Smith had 22 points to lead all scorers. Two days later against SMU, things didn't get much better for the Wolf Pack, who fell 68-65. After fighting to a deadlocked halftime score, untimely Nevada turnovers and another poor shooting night led to its second consecutive defeat. Once again, Smith led the Wolf Pack, scoring 25 points. Ashlee Orndorff had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
Fresno State Recent Action
The Bulldogs went through one of their more difficult road trips in some time, not only losing to both SMU and TCU but having the injury bug bite the team at the same time. Against the Mustangs, FS lost 66-55, a game in which starting point guard Laura Garcia suffered an injured knee, missing most of the second half of that game and all of the TCU game. With Garcia out and the team down to seven players, guard Laura Paukert sprained her ankle in practice the day before FS's game with the Horned Frogs. A hobbled Paukert played, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Bulldogs were defeated by TCU 68-55. Tiffany Simon was a bright spot, scoring 16 points in both games.
One More for 100
Britt King is on the doorstep of a milestone. The third-year Fresno State head coach needs only one more victory for the 100th of her career. Bob Spencer (1981-93) is the only other Fresno State head coach to rack up 100 career victories while still at FS. He had 198 in his 12 years at the helm of the Bulldogs.
Injury Problems
With a roster of only nine players, Fresno State cannot afford to lose too many players to injuries, but that's precisely what has happened. The Bulldogs had only seven players available against TCU due to injuries to Chantea Fleming (stress fracture in her left leg) and Laura Garcia (torn PCL in her left knee). Fleming has sat out the last seven games with her injury and did not accompany the team on the last road trip. Garcia's injury occured in the second half of Friday's game against SMU. She will miss at least the next four weeks and has been listed as 50 percent to return before the end of the season.
It's Raining Threes
Fresno State made a combined six three-pointers against SMU and TCU, meaning the Bulldogs have now made at least one three-pointer in 45 consecutive games. The last time FS did not make a three in a game was March 1, 1998, a 78-48 loss to the Owls in the WAC tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. In addition, guard Lindsay Logan has made at least one three in each game this season.
65 - That's the Magic Number
Sixty-five has proven to be the magic number for Fresno State thus far. All five of its wins have come when the team scores more than 65. Conversely, the Bulldogs are 0-11 when they don't score more than 65.
This Just In ... Lindsay Logan is 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. The Sandy, Utah, native scored 10 points against SMU and 15 more at TCU and has dished out 36 assists over the last five games, a 7.2 average. In addition, she hit a clutch shot late to help preserve FS's win over UTEP on Jan. 7. Although she moved to the two-guard position and 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 5.6 average. With her seven assists against SMU, she moved into ninth place on the Fresno State career assists list despite having played only 45 games. Following is where Logan finished last year and where 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 28 165* Logan is currently on pace to record 157 assists this season, whichwould be fifth-best all-time.Double Trouble
FRESNO STATE CAREER ASSISTS Name Year GP Asts6. Tamika Louis 1995-98 81 2897. Shannon McGee 1984-87 118 2858. Staci Oddo 1992-96 110 2829. Lindsay Logan 1999-00 45 282
Lindsay Logan's first 16 games have been simply scintillating. She is averaging 16.4 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of Fresno State's contests, including a 27-point effort against Bowling Green and a 22-point night in a victory over Alabama State. She is the only player in the conference to have scored in double digits in every game, and she leads the WAC in double figure scoring nights. She is within earshot of the Fresno State record for double figure scoring games to begin a season is 23, set by Yvette Roberts in the 1986-87 season. The sophomore guard has also hit a three-pointer in every game this season, including a career-high six against ASU.
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 16 games, the sophomore has attempted 157 shots from beyond the arc and is on pace to destroy the record she tied last year. Should her pace continue, Logan will attempt 275 threes by the end of the regular season, 96 more than the program record. She is currently draining 3.1 three-pointers per game, tops in the WAC. Logan has made at least one three-pointer in all 16 games this season and in 39 of 45 games in her career.
Heave-Ho, Part 2
Lindsay Logan isn't just attempting three-pointers - she's making them. The sophomore has made 49 on the season, eighth-best in program history. She is on pace to make 89 this year, which would shatter the record of 68 set by Connie Krueger in 1997-98. Logan is also moving up the career three-point field goals list. Coming into this week, she has made 103 in her career, sixth in Fresno State history. She is only seven threes away from breaking into the top five despite having played only 45 career games. No other player in the top five played less than 80.
FRESNO STATE SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINTERSNo Name Year GP 3's Made1. Connie Krueger 1997-98 26 682. Staci Oddo 1993-94 28 673. Staci Oddo 1995-96 27 62 Staci Oddo 1994-95 28 625. Yannick Souvre 1989-90 33 606. Lindsay Logan 1999-00 29 54<>
FRESNO STATE CAREER THREE-POINTERSNo Name Years GP 3's Made1. Staci Oddo 1992-96 110 2222. Connie Krueger 1996-99 107 1883. Geri Gainey 1987-91 110 1254. Jessie Farias 1996-99 107 1165. Kristi Fulton 1991-95 80 1106. Lindsay Logan 1999- 45 103
A big question coming into the 2000-01 campaign was who would fill the rebounding void left by Tiffany Lewis, who graduated last year as one of the best on the boards in program history. So far, that player has been Omelogo Udeze. In the last 10 games, Udeze has starred, averaging 13.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while recording four double-doubles. Against UTEP alone, she set career highs by scoring 22 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. For her efforts, Udeze earned WAC player of the week honors Jan. 8 for the first time in her career. Overall, the Los Angeles native ranks fourth in the WAC in rebounding with an 8.6 average and 10th in scoring at 12.4 per game. Her shooting percentage of .537 is also good for second-best in the conference. Following is a breakdown of Udeze's last 10 games:
Opponent Date Mnts Pts Rebs Asts Stlsat Arizona Dec. 10 22 11 14 1 1Pacific Dec. 13 25 12 8 0 1at Boise State Dec. 16 31 14 9 0 1Saint Mary's Dec. 21 31 15 5 2 4vs. Alabama St. Dec. 29 34 20 13 0 0at Georgia Tech Dec. 30 31 3 5 3 0Rice Jan. 5 37 19 9 1 1UTEP Jan. 7 39 22 15 3 1at SMU Jan. 12 32 11 13 0 0at TCU Jan. 14 37 12 7 1 1----------------------------------------------------------AVERAGES 10 Games 31.9 13.9 9.8 1.1 1.0Solid Simon
Tiffany Simon has been stellar for Fresno State the entire season. After finishing last season strong, the sophomore has played solidly this year and is third on the team in scoring with an 11.6 average. She has scored in double figures in 12 of the 16 games and is one of only two Bulldogs to have started in every game. In addition, she has received a starting nod in 33 consecutive games dating back to last year, a streak second on the team only to Lindsay Logan's 45. A possessor of arguably the best all-around skills on the squad, Simon also helps the Bulldogs with a 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Cutting Down on the Mistakes
Head coach Britt King has stressed the need for Fresno State to cut down on its turnovers, and its easy to see why. Fresno State commited a season-low 14 in a victory over Boise State on Dec. 16. In the four games after, the Bulldogs had at least 20 in each and went 1-3. However, FS cut down on the mistakes against UTEP, committing only 17 and picking up a victory. Fresno State is 3-2 when committing less than 20 turnovers and 2-7 when committing more than 20.
