Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Prepares For Tulsa
1/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Jan. 3, 2003
The Tip-Off
Fresno State (7-4, 1-0 WAC)
vs. Tulsa (6-6, 1-0 WAC)
Date: Sat., Jan. 4***
Time: 5 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: Selland Arena (10,220)
Series History: Tulsa leads 5-3
Last Meeting: Tulsa 72, Fresno State 49
(Jan. 31, 2002 in Fresno, Calif.)
Radio: ESPN Radio 1430 AM-
Andy Winford (play-by-play), Phil Hawkins (color)
TV: none
*** denotes doubleheader at Selland Arena with the men's team
Bulldog Update
Fresno State continues conference action tonight when it hosts the University of Tulsa to complete a three-game homestand. The Bulldogs (7-4, 1-0 WAC) will be looking to post their second three-game winning streak of the year after notching a 77-70 upset of Rice on Thursday night at the North Gym in the WAC opener for both schools. A 2-0 start to the conference season would be considered a worthy achievement for the 'Dogs, as the program last won back-to-back league games to open the season during the 1993-94 campaign. When Fresno State faces the Golden Hurricane (6-6, 1-0 WAC) this evening, it will be attempting to start the season 6-0 at home. The home dominance has been one of the reasons for the club's strong start and a sharp contrast to the 2001-02 season when the 'Dogs dropped their final four contests in the North Gym.
Tonight's Action
This evening's doubleheader begins with the women's game at 5 p.m., followed by the men's squad taking on Rice at 8 p.m. Single-game tickets may be purchased for $20, which includes admission to both games.
Scouting the Golden Hurricane
Tulsa's (6-6, 1-0 WAC) 58-53 road win over Nevada on Thursday night in their conference opener gave them back-to-back victories for the first time this season. The Golden Hurricane, picked to finish fourth in the WAC preseason coaches poll after a 17-13 overall showing last year, has notched four of its six victories on the road this season. Tulsa's season began by earning a split in two games at the Preseason NIT and has included wins over Oklahoma State and Manhattan. Transfer Allison Curtin has been one of the WAC's most dominant players in the early going, leading the conference in scoring (24.2 ppg), free throw percentage (65-77 for .844) and steals (40). Alyssa Shriver has also been effective on offense, chipping in with 9.9 ppg and 5.7 rpg. Head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller is currently in her fourth year with the progam and has accumulated a 45-49 overall record through that stretch.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane possess a slight advantage in the all-time series at 5-3.Tulsa won both meetings last year (66-54 in Tulsa and 72-49 in Fresno) after the Bulldogs swept the season series in 2000-01. The Golden Hurricane first became a member of the WAC during the 1997-98 campaign.
Up Next
Fresno State hits the road for the first time in conference play next week with road games at Boise State and UTEP. The Bulldogs will matchup with the Broncos on Thurs., Jan. 9 at 6 p.m. before traveling to El Paso to square off with the Miners at 6 p.m. two days later.
Fresno State In Conference Openers
Dating back to the 1973-74 campaign, the Bulldogs are now 19-11 all-time in conference openers. Fresno State's 77-70 win over UTEP on Thursday signaled the second straight season that the 'Dogs came out on top in their league opener. The Bulldogs defeated SMU 70-63 in last year's WAC opener, marking the first time the 'Dogs had won their opening conference game since a 76-48 rout of San Jose State in 1999.
Winning Early and Often
First-year head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein has the Bulldogs off to a 7-4 start through their first 11 games, representing the best 11-game start since the Bulldogs also began 7-4 back in 1996-97. In addition, the 7-4 start is the best for a first-year head coach since the 1979-80 season when Diane Milutinovich guided the 'Dogs to a 9-2 record.
Home Sweet Home
The Bulldogs are 5-0 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 1000 fans in three home dates thus far. An announced crowd of 1,273 attended the 66-64 victory against Saint Mary's on Dec. 30- the largest North Gym crowd since 1,411 witnessed Fresno State's 60-51 win over Nevada on Jan. 20, 2001.
Be Prepared To Play
In what has become a season-long trend, 10 out of Fresno State's first 11 games have been decided by 10 points or less. The lone exception came in the form of a 12-point loss to Michigan State in the season opener. The Bulldogs have posted a 7-3 record in such games, winning by an average of four points. In contrast, the 'Dogs were just 5-7 overall last season in games decided by 10 points or less. Four of Fresno State's last five games have been decided by a mere five points or less, with three of those coming in the form of victories.
Shooting For Three
With a win over Tulsa tonight, the Bulldogs will have notched their second three-game winning streak of the year. The last time Fresno State had at least two three-game winning streaks in the same season came during the 1996-97 slate, which also represented the last time the 'Dogs finished with a winning record.
Early Returns
Fresno State's 66-64 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 the 1996-97 season. The Bulldogs concluded 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 below-.500 in non-conference games in each of the last five years:
1998-1999: 5-8 non-conference.....4-10 WAC
1999-2000: 7-7 non-conference.....4-10 WAC
2000-2001: 4-8 non-conference.....6-10 WAC
2001-2002: 5-5 non-conference.....4-14 WAC
2002-2003: 6-4 non-conference.....1-0 WAC
A Look At The WAC
The Bulldogs were ranked seventh in the 2002-03 preseason women's basketball coaches poll, garnering 39 votes. Fresno State finished ninth in the WAC last season at 4-14, and checked in at 9-20 overall. Louisiana Tech, the defending regular season and tournament champions, was picked to win the WAC for the second consecutive season after receiving nine first place votes and 81 points.
RANK TEAM VOTES1 Louisiana Tech (9) 812 Rice (1) 723 Hawai'i 644 Tulsa 555 San Jose State 436 SMU 417 Fresno State 39
8 Nevada 269 UTEP 1810 Boise State 11
Recent Action
Game #11: Fresno State 77, Rice 70 (Jan. 2, 2003)
Senior forward Omelogo Udeze matched her career high with 26 points to lead four Bulldog players in double figures as Fresno State led for all but five minutes in a 77-70 upset win over Rice in the WAC opener for both schools. Fresno State won its conference opener for the second straight year and snapped a 10-game losing streak to Rice, which was picked to finish second in the WAC preseason coaches poll. The Bulldogs, which led by as many as 16 in both halves, were dominant underneath the basket with Udeze finishing at 10-19 shooting from the field after several easy putbacks and lay-ups. Senior Laura Garcia continued her strong play with a season-best 14 points, while Lindsay Logan and Java Johnson chipped in with 12 points apiece. Thursday's victory marked the third time in four games that four Fresno State players reached double-figures.
Down No Longer
In the midst of its surprising 7-4 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 EndedSanta 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)
Omelogo Has Been Outstanding
Senior Omelogo Udeze has been one of the Bulldog's most dependable players thus far. Udeze has played in all 10 contests, and is leading the club in scoring (11.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg). The forward also leads the team in free-throw shooting (20-27). She has been extremely productive lately, registering three double-doubles in her last four games and missing the third by just one rebound. With her performance last weekend against Penn at the Navy Classic, Udeze moved into fourth place on the career rebounds list with 736. She needs 20 boards to eclipse her next target- Shannon McGee (1984-87).
Give It Up For Garcia
Senior Laura Garcia, who has been one of the Bulldog's most valuable reserves, is averging 6.9 ppg and has made a team-best 18-43 triples (42-percent). She continued her hot play against Saint Mary's on Monday, pouring in 13 points on 5-10 shooting with three triples and eight rebounds. 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.
A Good Starting Point
After using a different lineup combination for the first three games, Fresno State has used the same starting rotation in six of its last eight contests. The Bulldogs are 4-2 with the combination of three guards (Lindsay Logan, Chanie Sutherland, Tiffany Simon), one forward (Aritta Lane) and one center (Channan High). That's a far cry compared to last year when Fresno State employed 14 different starting lineups and no player started all 29 games.
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. There have been several instances already this year when the club struggles from the outset, only to make a furious comeback in the second half. That formula has worked in two recent games, with the 'Dogs notching victories over Santa Clara on Dec. 4 and on Dec. 14 versus San Francisco. After trailing the Lady Dons 31-25 at halftime, the Bulldogs shot 45-percent in the second half and erupted for 36 points en route to the win. Against Santa Clara, Fresno State shot a blistering 56-percent from the field in the second half after making just seven baskets in the first half.
Making A State-Ment
In addition to its success against West Coast Conference squads this season, 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 conference action.
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 350 minutes and nine different 'Dogs are averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
A Balanced Attack
One of the hallmarks of a contending team is the ability to have a different player step up and contribute. Fresno State's offensive attack has been fairly balanced for the most part this season, as the team has had a different leading scorer in five of the 11 games. Omelogo Udeze has been the game-high scorer for the 'Dogs in five games so far, while Lindsay Logan has accomplished the feat three times. Laura Garcia, Arrita Lane and Tiffany Simon have also paced the Bulldogs in the scoring department once already.
Java's Been Hot For The 'Dogs
The addition of junior Java Johnson has paid immediate dividends for Fresno State, as she is averaging 8.8 ppg and 7.5 rpg in her first four contests. She has produced double-digit totals in either points or rebounds in three of those games so far. 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, who will see time at forward, was a 2002 First Team All-WAC selection and was also named to the 2002 AVCA All-West Region squad.
Bulldogs Have New Faith
Fresno State has also announced the addition of one new student-athlete, Faith Probst. Probst is a 6-1 freshman forward from Rowville, Victoria, Australia. She will wear uniform number 33 for the Bulldogs.
