Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Closes Out Non-Conference Slate Tuesday
12/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Fresno State Bulldogs (5-4)
vs. Denver Pioneers (5-3)
Date: Tues., Dec. 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Facility: Save Mart Center (16,116)
Series History: First Meeting
Radio: ESPN Radio 1430 AM (Dan Markman: play-by-play, Phil Hawkins-color)
Tip-Off
Fresno State winds up non-conference play Tuesday, Dec. 30, with a contest against Denver. The Bulldogs, who finished the 2002-03 season with a 6-4 mark during non-league play, will be looking to do the same this year with a win over the Pioneers. Tuesday's game against Denver (5-3) also kickstarts a three-game homestand for the 'Dogs, who host Hawai'i on Saturday, Jan. 3, in the WAC opener for both schools. Fresno State's meeting with Denver will be its first game since suffering a 69-56 loss at UCLA back on Dec. 21.
Radio Report
Fresno State's contest against Denver can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1430 AM. Dan Markman will call the action while Phil Hawkins provides the color commentary. The game can also be heard live on Fresno State's official athletics website, www.gobulldogs.com. Live stats can be accessed online as well.
Roster Note
Head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein has announced that sophomore Nikki Wilson has been dismissed from the team, citing a repeated violation of team rules.
Scouting Denver
Denver (5-3) is slated to play a road game at Cal State Northridge on Sunday before facing off against Fresno State. This season has been one filled with streaks for the Pioneers up to this point. Denver began the year 3-0, then dropped three consecutive games to fall back to 3-3. The squad proceeded to win its home tournament, the Wells Fargo Classic, last weekend with victories over Lafayette (76-69 in OT) and Kansas (69-63) and it currently stands at 5-3. Tasha Jones leads the team in scoring with 12.8 ppg and has nailed 13 three-pointers. Other key players include Ragan Neblett (12.0 ppg, 16 treys) and Stephanie Hart (5.9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 17 steals). Denver is being outrebounded 39.9 to 32.4 this year, and is shooting slighthly less than its opponents at 68.4 to 63.1. Head coach Pam Tanner is in her ninth season at the helm.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Denver
Fresno State and Denver have never squared off in women's basketball.
Later In The Homestand
Fresno State's three-game homestand continues on Saturday, Jan. 3, against the Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine at 1 p.m. in the WAC opener for both schools. The Bulldogs wrap up their homestand on Monday, Jan. 5, against rival San Jose State at 7 p.m. The three-game homestand is one of two for the Bulldogs this season, who also host three consecutive games in late February. As of today, Hawai'i checks in at 2-7 while San Jose State has been impressive early on at 6-1.
Recapping The Bulldog's Recent Action
A two-game road swing to Southern California two weeks ago yielded a split for Fresno State. The Bulldogs began the trip by extending their winning streak to three with a 71-53 victory at Cal State Fullerton before falling to UCLA two days later 69-56 at Pauley Pavilion. Game recaps follow:
Fresno State 71, Cal State Fullerton 53 (Dec. 19 at Fullerton, Calif.):
Veronica Mack poured in a career-high 19 points to lead Fresno State past Cal State Fullerton in a 71-53 non-conference victory. The Bulldogs (5-3) shot 55.1-percent overall in the contest compared to Cal State Fullerton's 35.1-perecent. Mindy Clark registered a double-double, pulling down a career-high 11 rebounds with 10 points. Fresno State held a 40-30 rebounding edge and shot 61.5-percent in the second half, a 16-26 clip. In a first half that featured four ties and three lead changes, Fresno State used a late 14-2 scoring run- seven of those points coming from Chantea Fleming- to take a 32-26 lead into halftime. However, Fresno State had just too much firepower and closed out the contest by scoring 14 of the games final 25 points.
UCLA 69, Fresno State 56 (Dec. 21 at Los Angeles, Calif.):
First Team All-Pac-10 selection Nikki Blue scored 23 points to lead UCLA past Fresno State in a 69-56 non-conference victory at Pauley Pavilion. Blue was as good as advertised, scoring 17 of her 23 points in the first half. She finished 9-19 from the field, dished out nine assists and pulled down seven rebounds. Fresno State (5-4), which saw its three-game winning streak snapped, was led by Veronica Mack's 19 points. Cophie Moore pulled down a team-high six rebounds. The Bulldogs, who entered the game having outrebounded its opponents in all but one game, were outrebounded 42-25 by the Bruins. Mack's accuracy from beyond the arc helped Fresno State hang around in the first half, as the junior guard connected on four three-pointers. The Bruins pieced together an 11-2 scoring run to open the second half, going up 46-33 at the 15:46 mark after a bucket from Gennifer Arranaga. UCLA never looked back from that point, as the Bulldogs could only trim the lead to 12.
Shaking It Off
The ability to bounce back after a defeat has aided Fresno State this year, as the club has been able to avoid lengthy losing streaks. The Bulldogs are 3-0 in games following a loss this season and will try for their fourth victory in such circumstances Tuesday against Denver. Last year, Fresno State was 8-3 in games following a defeat, compared to a 5-14 mark in similar situations during the 2001-02 season.
70 Appears To Be The Number
During the Bulldog's recent three-game winning streak, the team registered point totals of 70, 71 and 71, respectively. That appears to be the formula for a Bulldog victory, as Fresno State is 4-0 when scoring at least 70 points so far this season.
Driving The Lane
Junior forward Aritta Lane is having a career year for the Bulldogs through the early going. Lane is averaging a team-best 15.9 ppg and is third in the club in rebounding at 6.2 per game. She is also 39-54 from the free-throw line. After registering just two double-doubles all of last year, she recorded the 10th of her career in the season opener at Washington State. Against Santa Clara back on Dec. 13, she paced the Bulldogs with a career-high 25 points, marking the seventh time this year she has led the squad in scoring. Lane, who was named WAC Player of the Week for Dec. 8-14, has also been named to All-Tournament Teams at the Fresno State Classic and Oklahoma State Cowgirl Classic.
Winning The Rebound Battle
As long as the Bulldogs continue to win the battle of the boards, victories should be right around the corner. Fresno State is outrebounding its opponents 38.0 to 32.1 through nine games, including a season-best 53 against Louisiana-Monroe on Nov. 28. Three different players are averaging at least six boards per contest, with Mindy Clark pulling down 6.4, Jasmine Plummer at 6.3 and Aritta Lane at 6.2 per game. A Dec. 13 victory over Santa Clara proved to be a telling example, as the Bulldogs outrebounded the Broncos 48-33 overall and 23-8 on the offensive glass.
Mack Attack
Junior guard Veronica Mack is having a breakthrough season, setting career highs in almost every statistical category. Mack is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 ppg and poured in a career-best 19 against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 19 before matching the mark two days later at UCLA. She has displayed a knack for hitting the three-point basket, as she leads the team and the WAC with 21 treys in 52 chances. Mack has started all nine games this season and is averaging 29.0 minutes per game.
Clark Starting Off Hot
Senior center Mindy Clark has been making the most of her opportunities in the early going. Clark is currently averaging 6.9 ppg, a clipthat is good enough for third best on the club. She is also leading the team with 6.4 rpg and 58 overall. In a win over Long Beach State on Dec. 10, Clark established career highs in points (15) and mintues played (30). Against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 19, she recorded her first career double-double with a personal-best 11 boards and 10 points. Clark has started six of the Bulldog's nine games so far this season.
Making A State-Ment
Under head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, the Bulldogs have performed well against California schools, posting an impressive 10-2 mark. Quite a turnaround, considering the Bulldogs were just 9-14 against teams from the Golden State over the combined three previous seasons (1999-2002). Last year, Fresno State defeated Santa Clara and San Jose State twice and notched home victories over San Diego State, San Francisco and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs are 3-1 this year against California schools, having already defeated Long Beach State, Santa Clara and Cal State Fullerton.
Sutherland Sets Career High
Senior guard Chanie Sutherland, who entered the season with a career high of nine points, has already topped that mark twice in the first nine games. She poured in 12 points in a win over Western Illinois on Dec. 5- nine of those coming in the form of three-pointers- to establish a new personal best. Sutherland, who is averaging a eam-best 29.8 minutes played, is 7-29 from beyond the arc overall. In 2002-03, she was 6-37 overall.
Sharing Minutes
Seven of Fresno State's 13 eligible players are averaging at least 20.0 minutes of playing time. Meanwhile, head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein continues to juggle her lineup as she searches for a consistent rotation. Three other Bulldogs are logging 10.0 minutes per contest, while 10 different players have received a starting nod through the first nine games of the season. A recent lineup of Veronica Mack, Chanie Sutherland, Cophie Moore, Aritta Lane and Mindy Clark has yielded four wins in six tries.
Be Prepared To Play
20 out of Fresno State's 34 games in 2002-03 were decided by 10 points or less, with the Bulldogs posting an impressive 13-6 record in such games. This season has been a little different, as the team has played just three games within 10 points- two of those victories. Each of the other six contests have been decided by 12 points or more, with the Bulldogs claiming a 3-3 ledger in those games.
Bulldogs Picked Fifth In WAC Preseason Poll
Fresno State was ranked fifth in the 2003-04 preseason women's basketball coaches poll, garnering 45 votes. Fresno State finished third in the WAC last season at 11-7, and checked in at 21-13 overall after being projected in seventh place. Louisiana Tech, the defending regular season and tournament champion, has been picked to win its third straight conference title after receiving nine first place votes and 81 points.
Home Sweet Home
Three games have been played at the Save Mart Center so far this year and the home crowds have been impressive. Fresno State has topped the 4,000 mark on all three occasions, with the 4,570 fans that turned out for Utah representing the largest crowd in program history. The Bulldogs finished 13-2 at home last year, with 12 of those victories coming in the North Gym. The Red Wave played an important role in 2002-03, as Fresno State drew an average of 1,462 fans in 15 home dates. 13 of the 15 home games featured crowds of at least 1,000, including five sellouts.
Home Sweet Home, Part 2
2001-02......(majority of games played in the North Gym- 1,401 capacity)
Total attendance through 14 games: 7,734
Average attendance through 14 games: 552
2002-03......(majority of games played in the North Gym- 1,401 capacity)
Total attendance through 15 games: 21,936
Average attendance through 15 games: 1,462
2003-04......(all games played in the Save Mart Center- 16,116 capacity)
Total attendance through 3 games: 13,413
Average attendance through 3 games: 4,471
Big Win It Was
The Bulldog's 32-point win over Louisiana-Monroe back on Nov. 28 was Fresno State's largest victory since a 93-63 thrashing of UTEP on Jan. 19, 2002. The 88 points also established a new Fresno State Classic record for most points.
