Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
San Francisco
Women's Basketball Rallies Past Lady Dons, 61-57
12/14/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2002
FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State overcame a 15-point first-half deficit to rally past the University of San Francisco for a 61-57 victory on Saturday afternoon at the North Gym.
Three Bulldog athletes scored in double figures and Fresno State outscored USF 36-26 in the second half to preserve its third win at home this season.
Senior forward Omelogo Udeze (Los Angeles, Calif) paced the 'Dogs with 17 points (11 in the second half) and 13 rebounds, while fellow senior Tiffany Simon (Detroit, Mich.) chipped in with 16. Sophomore Aritta Lane (Aiea, Hawaii) added 12 for the Bulldogs, who shot 45-percent (15-33) from the field in the second half after a 30-percent (11-36) performance in the opening period.
"This was our biggest win so far this season," said Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein. "Our intensity was tremendous in the second half. This team has a desire when its plays at home that has yet to come out on the road. I think when they (USF) were knocking down shots early on we got a little scared. But our effort after halftime was just outstanding and I'm very proud of this team."
San Francisco (2-6) was in control for the majority of the contest, answering every Bulldog basket with a score of their own. The Lady Dons shot 46-percent in the first half (13-28) and were 5-13 from three-point territory as they surged out to a 31-25 halftime lead.
The Lady Dons never trailed in the first half, extending their lead to as many as 15 after a triple by Carey Sauer made it 25-10 with 7:36 remaining. Fresno State (4-3) would respond with a 15-6 scoring run to end the half, getting key back-to-back buckets from Simon down the stretch along with a Laura Garcia (Fresno, Calif.) three-pointer.
Fresno State's Lane opened the second half with a lay-up to cut the USF advantage to 31-27, but the Lady Dons came right back with a three-pointer by Joy Hollingsworth. Each time the 'Dogs attempted to establish a scoring run, USF would answer with a basket on the ensuing trip down the floor.
San Francisco continued to distance themselves from the Bulldogs and went up by nine at 42-31 with just under 14 minutes left following a jumper by Hollingsworth. However, Fresno State countered with a 20-7 scoring run that would put them right back into the game and ultimately give them their first lead.
Simon's jumper ignited the scoring barrage, as the Bulldogs received nine points from Udeze during their run. USF had their own troubles, failing to score over a five minute stretch midway through the second half at the same time the 'Dogs were initiating their comeback.
A jumper from the top of the key by Simon knotted the contest at 49-49 with 7:27 to go, and Fresno State grabbed its first lead of the afternoon when Udeze's turn-around jumper put the 'Dogs up 51-49 with 6:12 remaining.
USF would continue to hang around, taking a brief 53-51 lead with 4:26 left after a basket by Angela Gibson. But the Bulldog's Cophie Moore (Arlington, Texas) hit a pair of free throws to tie the game at 53-53 and Lane's lay-up gave the 'Dogs a 55-53 edge they would never relinquish.
Fresno State's Chanie Sutherland (Odessa, Texas) iced the game by hitting the back end of two free throws with four seconds left for a 61-57 victory.
The game was played in front of 1,199 fans- the second-largest crowd to watch a women's basketball game in North Gym history.
The Bulldogs now travel to Annapolis, Md., where they will compete in the Navy Classic. Fresno State's first round opponent will be Penn, and tip-off is slated for 2:30 p.m. PST on Saturday, Dec. 21.
