Final Homestand Lies Ahead For Women's Basketball

Feb. 20, 2003

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Feb. 17, 2003

The Tip-Off
San Jose State (9-12, 5-7 WAC)
at Fresno State (13-10, 7-6 WAC)
Date: Thu., Feb. 20
Time: 7 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: North Gym (1,401)
Series History: Fresno State leads 31-17
Last Meeting: San Jose State 66, Fresno State 53 (Jan. 25, 2003)

Later This Week...
Hawai'i (12-9, 6-6 WAC)
at Fresno State
Date: Sat., Feb. 22
Time: 2 p.m. PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.

Bulldog Update
After winning four of its last five games, Fresno State (13-10, 7-6 WAC) will look to continue its winning ways when the final homestand of the year begins this weekend. The Bulldogs currently have the third-best record in the WAC at 7-6 and stand just a half game out of second place behind Rice and Tulsa. That should give the squad some confidence heading into its contest with San Jose State (9-12, 5-7 WAC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. The second game of the homestand takes place on Saturday at 2 p.m., when the Fresno State takes on Hawai'i (12-9, 6-6) in the final women's basketball game to be played in the North Gym. The Bulldogs might find it difficult to leave the building, having posted a 9-2 mark at home this season.

Media Memo
Both games this weekend can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1430 AM, with Andy Winford handling play-by-play duties and Phil Hawkins providing color analysis. The radio broadcasts can also be accessed on the official website of Fresno State athletics, www.gobulldogs.com. In addition, both games will be televised locally on AT&T Broadband- local cable channel 14. Rob Emler (play-by-play) and Scott Goldsmith (color) handle the broadcast chores.

Scouting the Spartans
San Jose State (9-12, 5-7) has had its problems this year, posting a 1-7 mark in contests away from home. The club has been inconsistent for the most part and has not won more than two games in a row. The Spartans, who upset Hawai'i 71-67 at home last Sunday, had lost four in a row prior to their win over the Rainbow Wahine. The team currently sits in a tie for fifth place with SMU at 6-7 in the WAC. SJSU is led by All-America candidate Cricket Williams, who leads the team and is second in the conference with a 20.0 ppg average. Williams has also dished out 131 assists and has 64 steals in 21 games for the Spartans. Tatiana Taylor (12.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and Jessica Kellogg (11.0 ppg, team-best 49 three-pointers) are other key players to watch when San Jose State has the basketball. Head Coach Janice Richard is in her fourth year at the helm of the program.

Fresno State All-Time vs. San Jose State
The Bulldogs have fared well against the Spartans, their closest rival in the conference. Fresno State holds a 31-17 edge in the series (including an 18-game winning streak that spanned from 1983-1992), which dates back to the 1973-74 campaign. The 'Dogs have won seven of the last 11 games, but San Jose State has claimed victories in the last four meetings. San Jose State notched a 66-53 victory in San Jose back on Jan. 25 to extend Fresno State's losing streak to a season-high three games at the time. The Spartans used a commanding second half surge to pull away from the Bulldogs, who received a career-high18 points from Faith Probst. SJSU won both games last year: 77-62 in San Jose and 65-48 in Fresno.

Scouting the Rainbow Wahine
Hawai'i (12-9, 6-6 WAC) will try to stop its downward slide this weekend. The Rainbow Wahine, scheduled to face Nevada on Thursday night before taking on the Bulldogs, have lost four of their previous five conference games after opening WAC play with a 5-2 mark. Hawai'i was edged 71-67 by San Jose State in its only game last weekend. Players to watch include: Christen Roper (11.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 69 blocks), Jade Abele (10.6 ppg, team-best 23 three-pointers, 90 assists) and Kim Willoughby (10.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg). The Rainbow Wahine have traditionally been a very good defensive club and are limiting opponents to just 57.5 ppg this year- the second best mark in the WAC. Head Coach Vince Goo is in his 16th season leading the Rainbow Wahine.

Fresno State All-Time vs. Hawai'i
The series has been mainly lopsided, with Hawai'i owning a 23-6 advantage since the two schools first met in 1975. The Rainbow Wahine have won 15 in a row over the Bulldogs, with the 'Dogs last claiming a victory during the 1990-91 season in a 73-70 overtime win. Hawai'i routed the 'Dogs 64-43 on Jan. 23 in Honolulu, holding Fresno State to its worst overall shooting performance. The Rainbow Wahine swept both meetings in 2001-02, winning 69-53 on the island and 66-47 one month later in Fresno.

Breaking Down The WAC
With three weeks remaining in the WAC regular season, the conference standings remain cluttered. Louisiana Tech, which has won 19 consecutive games, should clinch the top spot in the conference tournament with a 13-0 mark in WAC play. After that, it's up for grabs as eight schools are separated by a 2.5-game margin. Tulsa and Rice are currently tied for second at 7-5, but the Golden Hurricane has dropped three straight and Rice was upset at Boise State last weekend. Fresno State checks in at 7-6 and now holds a tiebreaker with a season sweep of SMU (6-7), which trails Hawai'i (6-6). The Rainbow Wahine has lost four of five games after a promising first half. San Jose State is 5-7 and leads UTEP and Boise State (both 5-8) by a half-game. Nevada appears to be locked into the 10th spot with a 2-11 WAC record. The 2002-03 WAC Tournament is hosted by the University of Tulsa and is scheduled for Mar. 11-15 in Tulsa, Okla.

Coach K On The Radio
Fresno State head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein's weekly radio show is scheduled to air Mondays at 11:30 a.m. for the remainder of the season. Johnson-Klein sits down for 30 minutes with Paul Swearengin of ESPN Radio 1430 AM to discuss Bulldog basketball and take questions from callers. The show is broadcast live from Fashion Furniture Company on 4935 N. Blackstone Ave., and the general public is encouraged to attend. Lunch is also provided.

Program Revival
The Bulldog's recent surge has produced several team milestones that are worth noting. They include the following:

The last time Fresno State carried a winning record this late into the season was during the 1996-97 campaign when the team was 13-10. At this same point last season, the Bulldogs were 9-14 overall.
With its next victory Fresno State will reach the 14-win plateau. The Bulldogs have not won 14 games since ending the season with a 14-13 overall mark in 1997.
The Bulldogs have recorded seven WAC victories in 2002-03, a feat that was last accomplished when the team went 7-9 in conference games during 1996-97. The last time the club won at least eight league games was 1990-91 and the team has never won more than 12 total (1986-87).
Earlier this year, Fresno State produced a three-game conference winning streak, something that had not been done since the team defeated Tulsa, San Jose State and Wyoming in 1998.
The Bulldogs have recorded nine home victories, its best total since winning nine games on its home court during the 1997-98 season.
After defeating UTEP and Boise State at home two weeks ago, Fresno State earned its first sweep of a homestand (at least two games) in conference play for the first time since 1996-97 when it downed Air Force and UNLV.

Moving Up The Ranks
Head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein has guided Fresno State to a 13-10 record through 23 games in her first season. With her next victory, she will become the program's winningest first-year head coach. The Bulldogs have five regular season games remaining on the schedule and Johnson-Klein currently sits in a tie for the best mark all-time with 13 wins.

HEAD COACH       SEASON      FIRST-YEAR RECORDLinda Wunder        1993-94     13-15 overall (5-9 WAC)STACY JOHNSON-KLEIN  2002-03     13-10 OVERALL (7-6 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)Bob Spencer     1981-82     8-17 overall (4-8 NorCal)

Pack The Brooms?
Winning conference road games has been enough of a challenge for the Bulldogs in recent years, let alone getting a victory in the second game of a two-game road swing. When Fresno State has gone on the road for its usual two-game WAC trips, it has occasionally managed to win the first game but coming away with a "W" in the second contest has been almost impossible. Not anymore though, as the Bulldogs rebounded from a blowout loss at Louisiana Tech to defeat SMU in overtime two days later, earning a road split. The last time Fresno State had won the second game of a two-game WAC road trip was 1996-97 (wins at UNLV followed by Air Force)- a span of 19 straight road trips.

'Dogs Making Progress
The Bulldogs can assure themselves of a winning record for the first time since 1996-97 by finishing the year with a 2-3 mark in their final seven regular season games. The Bulldogs finished that year with a 14-13 ledger. After winning just nine games last year for its lowest victory total since the 1981-82 season, it has been a different story for Fresno State in 2002-03. With its 71-48 win over Nevada on Feb. 1, Fresno State reached the 10-win mark for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign.

Finally, A 20-Spot!
While the Bulldogs have received balanced offensive production from several players, the club has had only six 20-point outings this year. That all changed against SMU last weekend when Lindsay Logan snapped an eight-game drought of 20-point scoring performances for the Bulldogs by pouring in 23 against the Mustangs. The senior guard became the first Fresno State player to score at least 20 in a game since she went off for 23 against UTEP on Jan. 11. Logan and Omelogo Udeze have each hit the 20-point mark on three separate occasions.

Last Week's Action: No. 10 Louisiana Tech 87, Fresno State 62 (Feb. 13, 2003)
It was anything but a memorable return to Louisiana Tech for Fresno State coach Stacy Johnson-Klein. Amber Obaze scored 19 points to lead No. 10 Louisiana Tech to an 87-62 victory over Fresno State on Thursday night for its 18th straight win. The defending league champions led 44-22 at halftime and set a WAC record by posting their 15th consecutive conference win. Fresno State was led by Omelogo Udeze and Artitta Lane, who had 14 points apiece while Tiffany Simon added 11. Louisiana Tech had one of its best shooting nights of the season with a 52.8 mark, including 59.4-percent in the second half. The Bulldogs shot just 34.4-percent overall and committed 26 turnovers.

Last Week's Action: Fresno State 77, SMU 70 (Feb. 15, 2003)
Veronica Mack's steal and two free throws lifted Fresno State to its first overtime victory in five years on Saturday afternoon, a 77-70 win over SMU. The Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 11-4 in the extra period to win just their second WAC road game of the year. SMU's Andrea Cossey connected on a three-pointer with six seconds left in the game and force overtime at 66-66. This after the Bulldogs had led for the first 13 minutes of the second half until the Mustangs regained the lead. But the Bulldogs held an 11-4 edge in the extra frame- nine of those points coming on free throws. Senior Lindsay Logan, held scoreless against Louisiana Tech on Thursday, finished with a game-high 23 points with three three-pointers. She was the only Bulldog player in double figures, but five other athletes tallied at least eight points to round out the scoring. Java Johnson pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in the win.

Working Overtime
Prior to its 77-70 win over SMU last weekend, the last time Fresno State had won an overtime contest was back in 1998 when the team defeated San Diego 80-67 in the second game of the season. The team had lost its last five overtime games and was 0-2 in that category last year with extra-time losses to Saint Mary's (68-66) and Boise State (66-54). The Bulldogs had not won an overtime game on the road since edging Hawai'i 73-70 during the 1990-91 campaign.

What's In A Streak?
While it may not seem like much, Fresno State has posted four separate winning streaks this year (two 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 four winning streaks within the same season. The Bulldogs have won three games in a row just four times over the last four years and have not won four in a row since the middle of the 1994-95 tenure.

Board Games
The Bulldogs rank second among conference teams in the rebounding category with 986 overall and 42.9 per game. The Bulldogs have recorded rebounding totals of 40-or-more in 13 games this year, including a season-best 60 against Boise State on Feb. 8. The 'Dogs have outrebounded their opponents in all but six games. Three different players are averaging at least five boards per game: Omelogo Udeze (8.6), Java Johnson (7.2) and Tiffany Simon (5.7).

Omelogo Has Been Outstanding
Senior Omelogo Udeze is enjoying yet another impressive season. Udeze has played in all 23 contests, and is leading the club in scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). The forward is the second-best rebounder in the WAC after Cheryl Ford's 12.2 rpg and is also one of the squad's top free-throw shooters at 56-81 for a 69.1-percent clip. She has registered seven double-doubles this year, while serving as the team's leading scorer in nine games. Udeze has also scored in double digits in 14 of the last 17 games. She is currently in second place all-time with 873 career rebounds.

Be Prepared To Play
14 out of Fresno State's 23 games have been decided by 10 points or less. The Bulldogs have posted an impressive 9-5 record in such games. In contrast, the 'Dogs were just 5-7 overall last season in games decided by 10 points or less. Six games have been decided by a mere five points or less, with four of those coming in the form of victories.

Logan Stands Alone
Lindsay Logan has turned in yet another stellar season as well. Logan, who has scored in double digits 14 times this year, is second on the team in scoring at 11.0 ppg. She has started every game and is tops on the squad in minutes played (722) and assists (64). The senior guard became Fresno State's career leader in assists on Nov. 29 in a 63-60 win over Butler, and then went on to break the school's career three-point field goal record in the Dec. 4 win over Santa Clara. She now has 247 treys for her career, and her 198 steals currently rank third on the all-time list.

Java's Been Hot For The 'Dogs
The addition of junior Java Johnson has paid dividends for Fresno State, as she is averaging 7.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg. She has produced double-digit totals in either points or rebounds in nine games so far. Johnson's best performance thus far came against Tulsa, when she notched her first career double-double. She added to that with a 14-point, 12-rebound outing against Boise State on Feb. 8 and pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds to lead the 'Dogs against SMU last weekend. Johnson, a 2002 First Team All-WAC selection and AVCA All-West Region honoree, started at middle blocker for Fresno State's volleyball squad that went 23-7 overall this year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.

Home Sweet Home
The Bulldogs are 9-2 at home this year and have posted a 31-21 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 an average of 1,233 fans in 11 home dates thus far. The last nine home games have featured crowds of at least 1,000. The announced crowd of 2,119 during a Jan. 4 loss to Tulsa at Selland Arena was the largest to ever attend a women's basketball game in Fresno State history. The 1,683 fans that turned out for the Bulldog's 63-53 loss to Louisiana Tech on Jan. 18 represented the largest crowd in North Gym history.

Making A State-Ment
In addition to its success against the WCC this year, the Bulldogs are have done well against all California schools this year, posting an impressive 4-1 mark. Fresno State plays its final game against another Golden State program on Thursday when it looks to avenge its only California-school loss against conference rival San Jose State.

Texas Toast
After losing 20 straight road games in the state of Texas, Fresno State has won two in back-to-back seasons as a result of its 77-70 overtime win at SMU. The Bulldogs, now 2-21 all-time in road games in Texas and 4-25 overall, defeated UTEP 78-62 in El Paso last year. Until their win over the Miners in 2002, Fresno State's only wins in Texas came in the 1990 WNIT when the team won twice on a neutral court in Amarillo, Texas.

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. 827 of Fresno State's 1,468 total points have come in the second half (56-percent). The Bulldogs have held the lead at halftime in just 10 games this year, winning eight. Conversely, the team is 4-8 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 15 different occasions.

Shaking It Off
The ability to bounce back after a defeat has aided the team in its strong start, as the club has been able to avoid lengthy losing streaks. The Bulldogs are 7-3 in games following a loss this year. The team was 5-14 under the same circumstances last season.

Three's Haven't Come Easy
Fresno State is shooting just 28.7-percent (104-362) from beyond the arc, while its opponents are connecting at a 31.0-percent (104-336) rate. The Bulldogs are ranked ninth in the WAC in three-point shooting percentage this season. Lindsay Logan has nailed 36 triples and Laura Garcia has added 32, but the production drops off severely after that. Sophomore Veronica Mack is next on the list with just 14 three-pointers in 66 attempts.

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

School      Prev. Losing Stretch    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)

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