Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Boise State
Late Boise State Run Dooms Women's Basketball
2/16/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 16, 2002
BOISE, Idaho - An 18-0 run over the last 7:17 of the game allowed Boise State to overtake Fresno State and run away with a 63-50 victory at BSU Pavilion, handing the Bulldogs their sixth loss in their last seven games.
The Broncos' uprising over the final quarter of the game vastly changed the landscape of what had been a very close contest. Until the run, Fresno State had held the lead throughout, but never could extend the advantage beyond six points. The game also featured eight ties and 11 lead changes and appeared headed for an ending similar to last year's battle at BSU Pavilion, which Fresno State won on a Laura Garcia layup with 11 seconds left.
The Bulldogs (9-15, 4-10 WAC) had seemingly landed the momentum when Omelogo Udeze converted a three-point play with 7:17 left, giving Fresno State a 50-45 lead. But after a media timeout, the Broncos came alive. An Andrea Swindall layup followed by Mandy Welch's three-pointer with 5:26 remaining tied the game at 50-50.
Welch came back and made two free throws to give BSU (8-17, 4-11 WAC) a 52-50 lead. Swindall then found herself open underneath the basket for a layup to put Boise State up four. The Bulldogs then called timeout, but they couldn't stop the bleeding. Cariann Ramirez's rebound and put-back with 1:48 left increased the advantage to seven and put Fresno State in dire straits.
The final blow to the Bulldogs' hopes came on BSU's next possession. Taking the ball out of bounds with 1:21 to play, Boise State wound the shot clock down to one second before Welch hit a running seven-footer along the baseline to make it 59-50.
Fresno State struggled all night with its shooting, but never more so than during the Broncos' decisive run. The Bulldogs, who attempted 18 more shots than Boise State on the night, missed their last 10 attempts of the game and finished with a season-low 27 shooting percentage.
Meanwhile, the Broncos hit on 47 percent of their shots, including 52 percent in the second half. Andrea Swindall led Boise State with 15 points while Mandy Welch, a Modesto, Calif., native, was huge down the stretch, scoring eight of her 13 in the final five minutes. The Broncos also held the advantage in the paint, outscoring the Bulldogs 26-12.
Lindsay Logan scored 17 to pace Fresno State. Laura Garcia, with 10, was the only other Bulldog in double figures.
Fresno State will look to rebound next week by returning home for its final home games of the season. The Bulldogs kick off the two-game homestand by playing Hawai`i on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the North Gym.
