Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Travels to Take On SMU and TCU
1/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 8, 2001
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- This Week
Friday at SMU
Dallas, Texas -- 5 p.m.
Sunday at TCU
Fort Worth, Texas -- noon
- Next Week
Saturday, Jan. 20 vs. Nevada
North Gym -- 2 p.m.
All times Pacific
This Week
Fresno State travels to the Metroplex this week for games against SMU and TCU. The Bulldogs take on the Mustangs (6-7, 1-1 WAC) on Friday at 5 p.m. PST before playing the Horned Frogs (10-4, 2-0 WAC) on Sunday at noon PST.
Last Week
The Bulldogs went 1-1 in their opening WAC weekend. In the conference opener, Rice took out FS 64-58 despite shooting only 38 percent from the floor. Fresno State held a lead with six minutes remaining but couldn't hold on, getting outscored 13-6 down the stretch. Lindsay Logan and Omelogo Udeze led FS with 19 points. Two days later, the Bulldogs evened up their WAC record with a 75-69 victory over UTEP. Udeze was once again outstanding, notching career highs for points (22) and rebounds (15). Logan added 19 points and seven assists.
Logan Just Keeps Impressing
Lindsay Logan just keeps getting more and more impressive as each game goes by. Against Rice on Friday, Logan led the team in scoring for the 10th time in 14 games. She tallied 19 against the Owls, 14 of which came in the second half. Three of the four highest single-game scoring outputs for Fresno State this year have come from Logan - 27 vs. Bowling Green, 22 vs. Alabama State and 21 at Boise State. While she leads Fresno State with a 17.0 scoring average, perhaps the most impressive statistic Logan owns is the 5.5 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 151 assists this year, which would be the sixth most in program history.
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. He had 198 in his 12 years at the helm of the Bulldogs.
Scouting SMU
SMU will head into Friday's game with a 6-7 (1-1 WAC) record after suffering losses in five of its last seven games. The Mustangs were picked to finish first in the WAC preseason coaches' poll but have had their struggles. First and foremost among SMU's problems is its shooting - the team is hitting only 35 percent of its shots and 25 percent of its three-point attempts. Senior guard D-dra Rucker leads the Mustangs with a 15.3 points per game average. She is averaging 14 shots per game but is hitting on only 35 percent of her attempts. Senior center Katie Remke leads SMU on the boards with an 8.9 average. The Mustangs are coached by Rhonda Rompola, who has a 183-98 record and is in her 10th year at the helm. She helped guide SMU to the second round of the NCAA tournament a year ago.
Fresno State All-Time vs. SMU
Fresno State has never beaten SMU, falling in all four previous meetings. There hasn't been much middle ground when the two teams get together - two SMU wins have come in overtime while the other two have been by a combined 50 points. In the last meeting, the Mustangs trailed by three with one minute to play but picked up a clutch three-pointer from D-dra Rucker to force overtime, in which SMU outscored FS 16-6. Lindsay Logan had 21 points and seven assists in the loss.
SMU Recent Action
The Mustangs went 1-1 in the WAC's opening weekend, defeating San Jose State 74-57 and falling at Hawai'i 74-56. Against the Spartans, D-dra Rucker tied her career high with 30 points while Katie Remke added 13 rebounds. Against UH, the Mustangs shot only 33 percent from the floor and were outrebounded 48-27. Rucker scored 18 points to once again lead SMU.
Scouting TCU
TCU comes into the week with a 10-4 (2-0 WAC) record with wins in its last three games. The Horned Frogs were picked to finish third in the WAC's preseason coaches' poll. They are led by junior forward Kati Safaritova, a native of Samorin, Slovakia, who transferred from Weatherford Junior College. She owns a 12.2 scoring average. TCU relies on balance to get its scoring, with six players averaging more than 6.6 points per game. As a team, the Horned Frogs are averaging 72.5 points per game, third best in the conference. They are also second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage at .393. TCU is coached by Jeff Mittie, who has a 177-77 career record and a 26-18 record with the Horned Frogs. He is in his second year at the helm.
Fresno State All-Time vs. TCU
TCU leads 4-2 in the all-time series, in which the home team has won all six games. The teams split last year's two meetings, with Fresno State winning 83-75 at the North Gym and the Horned Frogs taking a 75-52 decision at Fort Worth, Texas. In last year's game at TCU, the Bulldogs fell behind early and were never able to make a game of it. Four Horned Frogs scored in double figures while only one Bulldog - Amanda Baker - scored more than 10 points.
TCU Recent Action
TCU was able to sweep the difficult Hawai'i-San Jose State road trip, defeating the Wahine 72-66 in overtime before taking out the Spartans 72-63. Against UH, Kati Safaritova paced TCU by scoring 26 points, 21 of which came in the second half. The Horned Frogs were able to rebound from a nine-point halftime deficit. Two days later, TCU completed the sweep by defeating San Jose State. The Frogs had four players score in double figures, led by Amy Porter's 17. TCU held SJSU to only 36 percent shooting.
Not Much Luck in Texas
Fresno State will be looking to make history against SMU and TCU. No Bulldog team has ever won a true road game in the state of Texas. FS's only wins in the Lone Star State came in 1990 in the Women's National Invitation Tournament. In program history, Fresno State is 2-19 in Texas. The Bulldogs have gone 0-6 at UTEP, 0-3 at Rice, 0-2 at SMU, 0-2 at TCU, 0-1 at North Texas and 0-1 at Texas Tech. Fresno State went 2-4 over two years in the WNIT when it was played in Amarillo, Texas. The Bulldogs play four games in the state of Texas this season.
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 17.0 points per game, third-best in the WAC. The Sandy, Utah, native scored 19 points in both FS games last week and dished out 16 assists over the two games. In addition, she hit a clutch shot late to help preserve FS's win over UTEP. 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 5.5 average. She is also slowly creeping up the Fresno State career assists list and needs only three more to enter the all-time top 10 despite having played only 43 games in her career. 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 21 7. Shannon McGee 1984-87 118 285 17 8. Staci Oddo 1992-96 110 282 14 9. Chris Wycinowsky 1982-85 105 273 510. Michele Anderson 1994-97 77 271 3------------------------------------------------------- Lindsay Logan 1999-01 43 269
Lindsay Logan's first 14 games have been fabulous. She is averaging 17.0 points per game and has scored in double figures in each of Fresno State's contests, including a 27-point effort against Bowling Green in the Arizona Basketball Classic and a 22-point night in a victory over Alabama State. 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 4-of-7 performance in a win over UTEP.
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 14 games, the sophomore has attempted 134 shots from beyond the arc and is on pace to destroy the record she tied last year. Should her pace continue, Logan will attempt 278 threes by the end of the regular season, 99 more than the program record. She is currently draining 3.2 three-pointers per game, tops in the WAC. Logan has made at least one three-pointer in all 14 games this season and in 37 of 43 games in her career.
Logan vs. Pack - Round Three
Sophomores Lindsay Logan and Amy Pack, two of the top players in the WAC the last two seasons, squared off for the third time in their careers when Fresno State took on UTEP on Sunday. Both players starred, with Pack scoring 29 points and grabbing 12 rebounds while Logan notched 19 points and dished out seven assists. Although Pack was slightly superior on the statistical sheet, is was Logan and the Bulldogs who emerged with a victory, the second time FS has done so since Logan and Pack began their respective careers. In the three head-to-head meetings, Pack is averaging 23.7 points and 10.7 rebounds while Logan is scoring at a 14.3 clip and dishing out an average of 6.3 assists per game.
Garcia 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 11 games she has started, she has averaged 33.5 minutes, 7.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.3 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.
All-Tournament, All the Time
In being named to the all-tournament team of the Georgia Tech/Atlanta NW Marriott Holiday Classic, Lindsay Logan has now received such honors in all three non-conference tournaments in which Fresno State has played this season. Logan also received all-tournament honors in the Arizona Basketball Classic and the Fresno State Classic, in which she was named tournament MVP.
Simon Says
Tiffany Simon has been stellar for Fresno State the entire season. After finishing last season strong, the sophomore played solidly through the non-conference season and is second on the team in scoring with an 10.9 average. She has scored in double figures in 10 of the 14 games and is one of only two Bulldogs to have started in every game. In addition, she has received a starting nod in 31 consecutive games dating back to last year, a streak second only to Lindsay Logan's 43. A possessor of arguably the best all-around skills on the squad, Simon also helps the team with a 5.0 rebound, 1.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Injury Report
Freshman guard/forward Chantea Fleming has missed the last three games with shin splints in her left leg. Although she did not dress against Alabama State, she was available to play against Georgia Tech. The Chino Hills, Calif., native is expected to dress for this week's games. Fleming is tops on the team among freshmen with a 4.8 points and 4.1 per game average. She has started three games.
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.
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 0-8 when they don't score more than 65.
"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. In the last eight games, Udeze has starred, scoring in double figures in six. Over that span, she is averaging 14.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. 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 last week for the first time in her career. Following is a breakdown of Udeze's last eight games:
Opponent Date Min 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 State 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 1----------------------------------------------------------------------AVERAGES 8 Games 31.3 14.5 9.8 1.2 1.1
It's Raining Threes
Fresno State made 13 three-pointers last week, meaning the Bulldogs have now made at least one three-pointer in 43 consecutive games. The last time FS did not make a three in a game was March 1, 1998, a 78-48 loss 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.
Noting Last Week's Action
- Lindsay Logan scored in double figures for the 14th time in 14 games. She had 19 points in both games and leads the team with a 17.0 average.
- Logan also beefed up her assists total, picking up a season-high nine against Rice and seven more against UTEP.
- For the first time in four games, the Bulldogs committed less than 20 turnovers. Against UTEP, the team had only 17.
- Omelogo Udeze had her best game as a Bulldog against the Miners. She set career highs by scoring 22 points and hauling in 15 rebounds. All but two of Udeze's points came in the first half.
- Fresno State is 5-2 when shooting for a better percentage than its opponents and 2-7 when it does not.
- The 75 points the Bulldogs scored against UTEP was the highest offensive output of the season and the most since they ran up 84 on San Jose State on Feb. 3, 2000.
- Tiffany Simon fouled out against Rice and Channan High and Mindy Clark fouled out against UTEP. Fresno State has had a player foul out 11 times this season.
- Lindsay Logan has started in every game Fresno State has played the past two years.
- Chantea Fleming missed both games with shin splints in her left leg. She is expected to dress for this week's games.
- Fresno State is 5-0 this year when outscoring its opponents and 0-9 when it does not.
- Tiffany Simon scored 16 points against UTEP and has now scored at least 10 points in 10 of FS's 14 games.
