Women's Hoops Opens Key Homestand Against SMU

Jan. 15, 2003

Jan. 12, 2003

The Tip-Off
SMU (8-5, 2-1 WAC)
at Fresno State (8-6, 2-2 WAC)
Date: Thu., Jan. 16
Time: 7 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: North Gym (1,551)
Series History: SMU leads series 7-2
Last Meeting: SMU 68, Fresno State 64
(Mar. 2, 2002 at Dallas, Texas)

Later This Week
No. 11 Louisiana Tech (10-2, 3-0 WAC)
at Fresno State
Date: Sat., Jan. 18
Time: 2 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.

Bulldog Update
After earning a split on the road last weekend, Fresno State (8-6, 2-2 WAC) returns to the North Gym this weekend for arguably its toughest games thus far. The 'Dogs enter their third week of conference play in a four-way tie for fourth place in the WAC standings. The Bulldogs will have an opportunity to match their overall win total of nine from last season with a victory against SMU (8-5, 2-1 WAC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. The homestand concludes with the much-anticipated matchup against No. 11 Louisiana Tech (10-2, 3-0 WAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Media Memo
Both games this weekend can be heard on ESPN Radio 1430 AM, with Andy Winford (play-by-play) and Phil Hawkins (color analysis). Saturday's game against Louisiana Tech will be televised locally on AT&T Broadband. All games are also broadcast over the internet on the official website of Fresno State athletics, www.gobulldogs.com.

Scouting the Mustangs
Fresno State's first opponent this week will be SMU (8-5, 2-1 WAC), one of just three WAC schools that the Bulldogs defeated last season. The Mustangs played Louisiana Tech tough in their conference opener, falling 64-54 after leading for much of the game. The team regrouped last week, notching home victories over Hawai'i (66-56 on Jan. 9) and San Jose State (86-77 on Jan. 11). SMU has not won back-to-back games since starting the year 3-0. Highlighting the offense for the Mustangs are Andrea Cossey (14.7 ppg, 39-104 from three-point territory), Shanta Ramdhanny (11.9 ppg, 42-percent FG) and Kim Walter (11.0 ppg, 6.5 rpg). SMU is led by head coach Rhonda Rompola, who has achieved a 214-126 record in her 12 seasons in Dallas.

Fresno State All-Time vs. SMU
SMU owns a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series, which began during the 1997-98 season. The teams split their meetings in 2001-02, with Fresno State winning 70-63 at home in its WAC opener and SMU claiming a 68-64 decision three months later in Dallas. The Mustangs won the first five contests in the series, while both wins for the Bulldogs have come on their home court.

Scouting the Lady Techsters
Louisiana Tech (10-2, 3-0 WAC) will be the first nationally-ranked opponent on the Bulldog's schedule this season. The No. 11 Lady Techsters are the defending WAC champions and sit atop the league standings through the first three weeks of the competition. Louisiana Tech routed San Jose State 83-38, then hung on to defeat Hawai'i 60-52 last week. Four players are averaging in double figures for the Lady Techsters, who average 71.3 ppg as a team. Impact players include Trina Frierson (13.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and 2002 WAC Player of the Year Cheryl Ford (12.7 ppg, 11.4 rpg). The game has additional intrigue for Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Lady Techsters and will be matching up against her former squad for the first time. Louisiana Tech is led by first-year skipper Kurt Budke, who took over the program following the retirement of Leon Barmore.

Fresno State All-Time vs. Louisiana Tech
There isn't as much history between these two programs, with Tech claiming a 3-0 edge. The 2001-02 campaign was Louisiana Tech's first as a member of the WAC, and the Lady Techsters swept both games last season (74-50 in Fresno and 70-35 in Ruston). Louisiana Tech bested Fresno State 77-59 at a neutral site during the 95-96 campaign.

'Dogs Showing Progress
After winning just nine games overall last year for its lowest victory total since the 1981-82 season, it has been a different story in 2002-03. With its next win, Fresno State will match its win total of last season with 14 games still left on the docket. Three additional conference victories will also eclipse last season's total of four, the fewest since the team won just one league game during 1980-81.

Shaking It Off
The ability to bounce back after a defeat has aided the team in its strong start early on, as the club has been able to avoid lengthy losing streaks and run off eight wins. Fresno State's 63-56 win at Boise State last week improved the Bulldog's record to 4-1 in games following a loss. The team was 5-14 in identical circumstances last season.

Be Prepared To Play
In what has become a season-long trend, 12 out of Fresno State's 14 games have been decided by 10 points or less. The Bulldogs have posted an impressive 8-4 record in such games. In contrast, the 'Dogs were just 5-7 overall last season in games decided by 10 points or less. Five of Fresno State's last eight games have been decided by a mere five points or less, with three of those coming in the form of victories.

Plenty of Production
Having won five of their last eight games, the Bulldogs have been getting offensive production from several different players. Fresno State has had four different players score in double figures in four those eight recent contests. The same feat occurred only six times all last year.

Seventh Heaven
Seven has been the magic number this season for Fresno State in several games this year. After defeating Boise State 63-56 last Thursday, the Bulldogs are 3-1 in contests in which the seven-point margin of victory is in effect.

Taking Care of Business
Only six of Fresno State's first 14 opponents have entered their respective game with the Bulldogs with a losing overall record. But those are the games you have to win and the 'Dogs have been successful, going 4-2 in those contests and averaging 72 points.

Night Moves
Be it an early wake-up call, bad breakfast or whatever the case may be, this Bulldog squad has struggled in day games, posting victories in just three of the seven games. Conversely, Fresno State is 5-2 in its seven scheduled night games this season. In yet another scheduling quirk, the 'Dogs have played a game on every day of the week except for Tuesday so far this season.

Moving Up The Ranks
Head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein has guided Fresno State to an 8-6 start through 14 games in her first season. With a little less than half the season remaining, she can continue to etch her name in the record books as one of the program's most successful first-year coaches. Johnson-Klein currently sits in a tie for fifth-place all-time.

HEAD COACH      SEASON  FIRST-YEAR RECORDLinda Wunder        1993-94 13-15 overall (5-9 WAC)Diane Milutinovich  1979-80 12-14 overall (1-11 NorCal)Donna Pickel        1971-72 10-4 overall (8-2 SCWIAC)Val Cal         1977-78 10-14 overall (4-8 NorCal)Britt King     1998-99 9-19 overall (4-10 WAC)Stacy Johnson-Klein 2002-03 8-6 OVERALL (2-2 WAC)Bob Spencer     1981-82 8-17 overall (4-8 NorCal)

Recent Action:
Game #12: Fresno State 63, Boise State 56 (Jan. 9, 2003)
Despite a sluggish first half, Fresno State outscored Boise State 40-26 in the second half en route to a 63-56 road win on Thursday night at BSU Pavilion. The Broncos shot 45-percent to the Bulldog's 34-percent, but Fresno State used a key 16-0 second half scoring run to pull away and snap a three-game losing streak to Boise State in the process. Laura Garcia led the 'Dogs with 14 points, while Lindsay Logan chipped in with 13. Omelogo Udeze recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Boise State led by as many as 11 on two different occasions in the second half but the Bulldogs were able to get back in the game after nailing five three-pointers in the second half. Thursday's victory over Boise State marked the second road win for the Bulldogs this year, equalling last year's total.

Recent Action:
Game #13: UTEP 90, Fresno State 68 (Jan. 11, 2003)
Fresno State struggled to find its rhythm while UTEP shot 58-percent in both halves, including a 7-12 overall mark from three-point territory, as the Miners downed the Bulldogs 90-68 Saturday at the Don Haskins Center. Fresno State suffered its worst loss of the season, as the Bulldogs shot just 38.2-percent and trailed throughout the entire contest. Four UTEP players scored in double figures, as the Miners held a double-digit lead for much of the contest and led by as many as 25. Senior Lindsay Logan paced Fresno State with a season-high 23 points, including a 4-9 mark from three-point land. Fellow senior Omelogo Udeze chipped in with 12 points, the eighth straight game she has scored in double figures. Junior Java Johnson had10 rebounds to lead the Bulldogs.

What's In A Streak?
While it may not seem like much, Fresno State has posted three separate winning streaks this year (one of three games and two of the two-game variety). Six years have gone by since the Bulldogs have been able to make that statement, with the 1996-97 campaign representing the last time the 'Dogs amassed at least three winning streaks. The Bulldogs have won three games in a row just three times over the last four years and have not won four in a row since the middle of the 1994-95 tenure.

Team Effort
12 of the 13 eligible players have seen playing time for the Bulldogs so far this year. More importantly, each student-athlete is getting an equal opportunity to prove themselves in the early going. Lindsay Logan leads the Bulldogs with 453 minutes thus far and nine different 'Dogs are averaging at least 10 minutes per game. Eight different players have received the starting nod as well at one time this year.

Back-to-Back A Reality?
In losing to UTEP last weekend, Fresno State missed a chance to notch back-to-back victories in WAC competition for the first time since the 1997-1998 season. The Bulldogs will get another shot next weekend, with games at Hawai'i and San Jose State. Furthermore, Fresno State has failed to win consecutive WAC road games since the 1996-97 campaign (San Jose State, UNLV, Air Force).

Early Returns
Fresno State's win over Saint Mary's translated into a 6-4 non-conference record for the year, marking the first time the program finished that portion of its schedule with a winning record since 1996-97. The Bulldogs finished non-conference play at 7-3 that year- coincidentally the last time the team finished with an overall winning record for the entire season. The 'Dogs finished sub-.500 in non-conference games over the last five years.

1998-1999:  5-8 non-conference.....4-10 WAC1999-2000:  7-7 non-conference.....4-10 WAC2000-2001:  4-8 non-conference.....6-10 WAC2001-2002:  5-5 non-conference.....4-14 WAC2002-2003:  6-4 non-conference.....2-1 WAC

Down No Longer
In the midst of its surprising 8-6 start to the season, Fresno State has snapped lengthy losing streaks to several schools in the process. A breakdown follows:

    School      Prev. Losing Streak Streak Ended    Santa Clara 5 games (1991-2002) 12-4-02 (Fresno State 62-55)    San Francisco   3 games (1994-2002) 12-14-02 (Fresno State 61-57)    Saint Mary's    5 games (1997-2002) 12-30-02 (Fresno State 66-64)    Rice        10 games (1997-2002)    1-2-03 (Fresno State 77-70)    Boise State 3 games (2000-2002) 1-9-03 (Fresno State 63-56)

Omelogo Has Been Outstanding
Senior Omelogo Udeze has been one of the Bulldog's most dependable players. Udeze has played in all 14 contests, and is leading the club in scoring (13.0 ppg) and tied for the lead in rebounding (8.1 rpg). The forward also leads the team in free-throw shooting (28-36 for a 78-percent clip). She has registered four double-doubles this year, while serving as the team's leading scorer in six games already. Udeze has also scored in double digits in eight consecutive games. She is currently in second place all-time with 786 career rebounds, trailing leader Yvette Roberts (1986-89) who has 984.

Give It Up For Garcia
Senior Laura Garcia, who has been one of the Bulldog's most valuable reserves, is averaging 7.7 ppg and has made a team-best 27-67 triples (40-percent). She has scored in double figures in five of the last seven games, and matched her season-best with 13 points in Fresno State's win over Boise State last week. The 5-6 guard also made the All-Tournament team at the Navy Classic last month, racking up 21 points on 7-19 shooting from the field with eight rebounds and five assists through two games.

Java's Been Hot For The 'Dogs
The addition of junior Java Johnson has paid immediate dividends for Fresno State, as she is averaging 8.1 ppg and tied for the team lead with an 8.1 rpg in seven contests. She has produced double-digit totals in either points or rebounds in five of those games so far. Johnson's best performance thus far came against Tulsa, notching her first career double-double. The 5-11 native of Fresno, Calif., started at middle blocker for Fresno State's volleyball squad that went 23-7 overall this year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Johnson was a 2002 First Team All-WAC selection and named to the 2002 AVCA All-West Region squad.

Home Sweet Home
The Bulldogs are 5-1 at home this year and have posted a 27-20 record since the 1999-00 season in games played at the North Gym. After suffering losses in their final four home contests of last year, Fresno State has turned things around this season. The Red Wave has played an important role this season, as Fresno State has drawn over 1,207 fans in six home dates thus far. The announced crowd of 2,119 during Saturday's loss to Tulsa at Selland Arena was the largest to ever attend a women's basketball game in Fresno State history. The 1,273 fans that turned out for the Bulldog's 66-64 victory against Saint Mary's on Dec. 30 was the largest North Gym crowd since 1,411 witnessed Fresno State's 60-51 win over Nevada on Jan. 20, 2001.

Board Games
One of the primary reasons for Fresno State's early success has the been its ability to rebound the basketball. Entering this weekend's matchups, the Bulldogs rank second among conference teams in the rebounding category with 565 overall and 40.4 per game. The Bulldogs have recorded rebounding totals of 40-or-more in eight games this year, including a season-best 51 against Saint Mary's. The 'Dogs have outrebounded their opponents in all but three games so far. Three different players are averaging at least five boards per game: Omelogo Udeze- 8.1, Java Johnson- 8.1 and Tiffany Simon- 5.3.

3's Haven't Come Easy
Fresno State is shooting just 30-percent (68-221) from beyond the arc, while its opponents are connecting on 34-percent (78-227). Laura Garcia has hit 27 treys while Lindsay Logan has made 25, but the production drops off severely after that. Sophomore Veronica Mack is next on the list with just six three-pointers.

Bulldogs Have New Faith
Fresno State has added Faith Probst, a 6-1 freshman forward from Rowville, Victoria, Australia, to the roster. She has played in two games this year and has recorded six boards and two blocked shots in nine minutes of playing time. She will wear uniform #33.

Clearly, A Second Half Squad
Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein has apparently come up with the classic halftime speech, as her squad has performed at its best in the second half of many games this season. 534 of Fresno State's 903 total points have come in the second half (roughly 60-percent). The Bulldogs have had the lead at halftime in just four games this year, winning three. Conversely, the team is 4-5 when trailing at the half and 1-0 when the score is tied. In a telling example of its offensive struggles, Fresno State has failed to reach the 30-point mark at intermission on 10 different occasions.

Making A State-Ment
In addition to its success against the WCC this year, the Bulldogs are currently a perfect 4-0 against California schools. Fresno State will play at least six games against programs within the home state, including two against rival San Jose State during WAC play.

That's Why It's Called The Charity Stripe
Fresno State must get to the foul line on a regular basis. The Bulldogs have hit 129 of 186 free throw attempts so far for a 69.4-percent clip. Senior Omelogo Udeze is leading the club at the line so far, going 28-36 for a 77-percent mark. The 'Dogs' best effort this year came in a 59-49 win versus San Diego State when the club went 14-18 from the line.

Logan Stands Alone
Senior Lindsay Logan, who became Fresno State's career leader in assists on Nov. 29 in a 63-60 win over Butler, broke the school's career three-point field goal record in the Dec. 4 win over Santa Clara. She now has 236 treys for her career, and her 191 steals currently rank third on the all-time list. Logan, who has scored in double digits a team-best nine times this year, is second on the team in scoring at 12.0 ppg.

Five Athletes Sign Letters-of-Intent
Akiya Alexander (Evanston, Ill.), Paige Diggs (Amarillo, Texas), Brittani Green (Dallas, Texas), Nikki Wilson (Athens, Texas) and Tierre Wilson (Lawton, Okla.) have all signed national letters-of-intent to play for the Bulldogs in 2003-04 and represent head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein's first-ever recruiting class at Fresno State.

Fresno State Athletics

Women's Hoops Opens Key Homestand Against SMU

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