Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Western Illinois<BR>(Oklahoma State Cowgirl Classic)
Women's Basketball Downs Western Illinois, 64-52
12/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2003
STILLWATER, Okla.- Fresno State used a 38-21 rebounding edge and a balanced offensive attack to notch a 64-52 victory over Western Illinois in the opening round of the Oklahoma State Cowgirl Classic.
A season-high eight three-pointers also helped, with senior Chanie Sutherland (Odessa, Texas) and junior Veronica Mack (Phoenix, Ariz.) recording three each. Junior Aritta Lane (Aiea, Hawaii) led all scorers with 15 points, while Sutherland added a career-high 12 and freshman Jasmine Plummer (Natomas, Calif.) chipped in with 10.
However, winning the battle of the boards was once again important for Fresno State (2-2). Western Illinois (2-3) was held without an offensive rebound for the entire first half and tallied just two overall in the game.
Zane Teilane and Jessica Cook each had 10 points to lead the Westerwinds.
The first four minutes of play were littered with several turnovers and defensive stops, as a three-pointer by Lane had the Bulldogs up just 3-2 at the 16:13 mark.
The scoring would pick up though, with Fresno State's lead climbing to six after Mack buried a triple to make it 11-5.
Fresno State found itself ahead by a six-point spread on two other occasions in the first half, only to see Western Illinois battle back once to tie the game and eventually claim the lead. After another trey from Mack, WIU's Teilane knocked down a jumper and two free throws to even the score at 17-17.
The Westerwinds had come back to tie the game again at 20-20 later in the half, but the Bulldogs countered with a 6-0 run capped by a bucket from senior Mindy Clark (La Habra, Calif.).
However, Western Illinois closed out the first half on an 8-0 run that was highlighted by a Liga Bergvalde three-point play to give the Westerwinds a 28-26 lead at intermission.
After Western Illinois scored the first basket of the second half to go up by four, the Bulldogs pieced together a 17-4 scoring run that translated into a 43-34 advantage with 12:58 remaining.
The Westerwinds then trimmed the lead to four, only to see the 'Dogs extend their lead to double digits with a final scoring surge. Sutherland initiated the late push with her third three-pointer and Fresno State connected on eight consecutive free throws during the 15-8 run. A putback by freshman Brittani Green (Dallas, Texas) gave Fresno State its largest lead of the game at 58-42 with 4:21 left to play.
Fresno State now faces the winner of tonight's Oklahoma State-Sam Houston State contest in Saturday's championship game at 2 p.m. PST.
