Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
<li>Tulsa
Women's Basketball Suffers 70-60 Loss At Tulsa
1/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 24, 2004
TULSA, Okla.- Tulsa rallied from a 13-point second-half deficit to earn a 70-60 victory over struggling Fresno State, as the Bulldog's slide continued with a sixth straight loss on Saturday afternoon at the Donald W. Reynolds Center.With the Bulldogs leading 48-35 with 15:52 remaining in the second half, the Golden Hurricane embarked on a 21-6 run that spanned 10 minutes and ultimately iced the game.
Junior Aritta Lane (Aiea, Hawaii) was 6-10 from the field and scored 15 points to lead Fresno State; she also had eight rebounds. Junior Veronica Mack, celebrating her 21st birthday, added 12 points in the loss. Sophomore Lauren Selmon (Norman, Okla.) chipped in with 11.
Tulsa's Megan Moody led all scorers with 17 on 6-13 shooting and three other Golden Hurricane players scored in double-figures.
Fresno State, now 7-11 overall and 1-7 in WAC competition, has lost six in a row for the first time since the 2001-02 season when the team dropped their final six contests. Tulsa improves to 11-6 overall and 4-3 in conference action.
"Obviously, everyone is really frustrated right now, from the players to the coaching staff," said head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein. "However, we believe in this team and will continue to push forward."
Tulsa shot 45.6-percent overall compared to Fresno State's 36.8-percent clip. The Bulldogs held a 40-36 edge on the boards, but committed 22 turnovers.
Tulsa went up by as many as eight points in the first half on two occasions, with those leads representing the largest by either squad. For the most part, the first half was evenly-played and featured three ties and six lead changes.
After junior Cophie Moore's free throws gave the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead to open the game, Tulsa countered with a 12-2 run that made it 12-4 with 12:34 remaining.
Trailing 17-9, Fresno State knocked down three straight three-pointers to claim its first lead. The third triple of the barrage came from freshman Paige Diggs (Amarillo, Texas), giving the 'Dogs a 20-17 edge with just over six minutes left.
Both clubs proceeded to trade baskets for the remainder of the first half. Selmon's two free throws tied the game at 28-28, and a lay-up from Lane with time winding down gave Fresno State a 31-28 advantage at halftime.
Fresno State opened the second half with a 12-4 run, extending its lead into double-digits for the first time at 46-35 with 16:23 on the clock. Lane and senior Mindy Clark (La Habra, Calif.) were keys during the stretch, with Lane scoring five points and Clark four.
After a put-back by Lane increased the Bulldog's lead to 48-35, Tulsa scored eight of the next 11 points to whittle the Fresno State lead down to 51-43 with 12:03 remaining.
Over the next seven minutes, the Golden Hurricane continued their offensive burst with an 18-3 run that eventually put them in front for the first time in the second half and give them a 61-54 lead. Tulsa also began to press on defense, forcing Fresno State into several turnovers and producing fast break opportunities. During Tulsa's run, Robbins and Brewer combined to account for 12 points.
Two free throws by Selmon sliced Tulsa's lead to 61-56 with 4:37 remaining, but the Bulldogs would get no closer. A free throw from Kara Pongonis with 44 seconds remaining secured the win for the Golden Hurricane.
Fresno State wraps up the first leg of conference play with one game next weekend. The Bulldogs play at Nevada on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m.
