Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Faces Tulsa In WAC Tournament Quarterfinals
3/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 9, 2004
Complete Release in PDF Format
2004 McCaffrey WAC Tournament
Mar. 9-13...Fresno, Calif...Save Mart Center
Fresno State Bulldogs (13-15, 7-11 WAC)
vs. Tulsa Golden Hurricane (18-10, 11-7 WAC)
Tournament Seeds: Tulsa- No. 3, Fresno State- No. 6
Date: Wed., Mar. 10
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Facility: Save Mart Center (16,116)
Series History: Tulsa leads 7-5
Last Meeting: Fresno State 85, Tulsa 76 (Feb. 19, 2004 in Fresno, Calif.)
Radio: ESPN Radio 1430 AM-
Paul Swearengin (play-by-play), Phil Hawkins (color commentary)
Tip-Off
For the second straight year, Fresno State (13-15, 7-11 WAC) is surging as it heads into conference tournament play. The Bulldogs, who suffered through an eight-game losing streak that spanned nearly a month, closed out the regular season by winning six of its final eight games to secure the No. 6 seed in this week's McCaffrey WAC Tournament. The result- a quarterfinal round tilt with No. 3 Tulsa (18-10, 11-7 WAC) on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. The late-season push is similar to that of last year, when the 'Dogs went 8-2 in their final 10 regular season games.
Media Memo
Fresno State's 2004 WAC Tournament games can be heard live on ESPN Radio 1430 AM, with Paul Swearengin handling play-by-play duties and Phil Hawkins providing color analysis. The radio broadcasts can also be accessed over the internet on the official athletics website of Fresno State, www.gobulldogs.com. Live game stats are also available.
2004 WAC Tournament Lineup
The 2004 WAC Tournament gets underway Tuesday, Mar. 9 with two first-round games. The winners of the play-in contests will oppose No. 1 seed Louisiana Tech and No. 2 seed Rice when the quarterfinal round begins the following day. All women's teams are idle on Thursday, with semifinal games slated for Friday afternoon. The WAC championship game will be played on Saturday at 12 p.m. and the winner receives the conference's automatic berth inthe NCAA Tournament.
Fresno State All-Time in the WAC Tournament
The Bulldogs are 4-11 all-time in WAC Tournament games, with their most impressive performance coming in last year's event. Fresno State won its first two games last year against San Jose State (63-57) and SMU (81-67) before falling to Louisiana Tech (89-57) in the championship game. The Bulldog's only other WAC Tournament wins came against Wyoming (85-76 in 1995 and 61-52 in 1994).
An Unfamiliar Position
After having never earned a WAC Tournament first-round bye in school history, Fresno State has now accomplished the feat two years in a row. Since Fresno State's first appearance in the WAC Tournament back in 1993, the Bulldogs had taken part in the play-in round every year prior to 2003. Last year represented the first time in program history that Fresno State was the higher seed in a WAC Tournament game (No. 3 vs. No. 6 San Jose State). Also prior to last year, Fresno State had been eliminated in the first round of the tournament every year except 1994 and 1995, when the squad managed a 1-1 record in its two games.
Scouting Tulsa
Tulsa (18-10, 11-7 WAC) will be Fresno State's opponent on Wednesday night in the quarterfinal round of the 2004 McCaffrey WAC Tournament. The Golden Hurricane enter the tournament as the No. 3 seed. Prior to a 81-57 loss to Louisiana Tech in the regular season finale, Tulsa had won four straight games to climb up the conference standings. The Golden Hurricane has been a streaky team this year, recording four winning streaks of at least three games and enduring two three-game losing skids. Tulsa is averaging 67.1 points per game compared to a 65.3 mark from its opponents. The Golden Hurricane holds a slight rebounding edge, at 40.8 to 40.0. Tulsa has been outscored 859-842 during the first half of games this year, but has rallied for a 1021-962 margin in the second half. Players to watch include: 2004 WAC Newcomer of the Year Jillian Robbins (13.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 73 steals), Candice Brewer (10.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 123 assists, 74-percent from the free throw line) and Megan Moody (9.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 41 three-pointers). Head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller is in her 5th season with the team.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Tulsa
Tulsa owns a 7-5 edge in the all-time series. The teams split their season series this year, with each school winning on its home court. The Golden Hurricane rallied for a 70-60 win over the Bulldogs in Tulsa on Jan. 24, and Fresno State repayed the favor in the form of an 85-76 win on Feb. 19 at the Save Mart Center. The Golden Hurricane has won three of the last five games in the series. Fresno State is 3-3 against Tulsa in games played in Fresno.
Finishing Strong
Once again, Fresno State has constructed a late-season run heading into the WAC Tournament. The Bulldogs, who have won six of eight overall, are on a three-game winning streak- their second of the season. Fresno State still has an outside shot at a .500 season, but needs to win three games in the WAC Tournament to accomplish the feat. The late-season success should not come as a surprise; Fresno State was 6-1 during the month of February last year and started a five-game winning streak midway through the month that ultimately propelled the club to an appearance in the postseason WNIT.
Finally, A Conference Road Sweep
Fresno State completed its first two-game conference road trip sweep since 1997 last weekend with wins at San Jose State (72-60) and Hawai'i (63-54). In addition, Fresno State won its first game against Hawai'i in Honolulu since the 1991 campaign. The last two-game conference road trip sweep came in January of 1997, when the Bulldogs downed UNLV and Air Force.
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 42.0 to 36.2, including a season-best 59 against SMU on Feb. 7. Three different players are averaging at least five boards per contest, with Mindy Clark pulling down 8.1, Jasmine Plummer at 6.4 and Aritta Lane at 5.8 per game. The Bulldogs are currently ranked second in the WAC in several rebounding categories, including overall rebounding and rebounding margin. 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.
Three-Point Barrage
Over the last six games, Fresno State is 43-123 from beyond the arc. While that may only translate to 35-percent, the three-point shot has opened up the offense. Against Tulsa on Feb. 19, Fresno State made 9-20 from three-point territory. The Bulldogs were 11-36 in a win over Boise State on Feb. 14, setting a single-game record for three-point field goals attempted. During the five-game stretch, the main threats have been junior Veronica Mack (12 three-pointers, including a record-tying 16 attempts at Boise State) and freshman Chantella Perera (21-52, with seven vs. Boise State).
Close Calls Going The Other Way
20 out of Fresno State's 34 games in 2002-03 were decided by 10 points or less, with the Bulldogs posting an impressive 14-6 record in such games. This season has been a little different, as the team has played 13 games within 10 points and is sporting a 6-7 record under those circumstances. The Bulldogs are 2-2 in games decided by three points or less, with those losses coming at home in conference play (48-46 to Hawai'i and 52-50 to Boise State).
Making A State-Ment
Under head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, the Bulldogs have performed well against California schools, notching an 12-2 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 wins over San Diego State, San Francisco and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs are 5-1 this year against California schools, defeating Long Beach State, Santa Clara, Cal State Fullerton and San Jose State twice.
Freshman Stepping Up For The 'Dogs
Part of Fresno State's early success has hinged on the contributions it has received from four freshmen: Paige Diggs, Brittani Green, Chantella Perera and Jasmine Plummer.
- Paige Diggs: Diggs enjoyed her best game of the year on Dec. 13 against Santa Clara when she established career highs in points (9) and rebounds (6). Against UTEP on Jan. 17, she played 23 minutes. Diggs scored six bench points against Hawai'i last weekend. She is averaging just 3.3 ppg but has provided a spark off the bench the 'Dogs. She is 5-13 from beyond the arc so far this year.
- Brittani Green: The Dallas, Texas, native is developing into a solid post option for the Bulldogs. Green notched a career-high 14 points in a loss at Rice on Jan. 22 and was 10-13 from the charity stripe in that contest. She has been active on the glass, grabbing 77 rebounds and has been consistent from the foul line at 47-67. She has pulled down at least five boards in a game eight times and ranks sixth on the club in scoring with 4.3 ppg.
- Chantella Perera: Perera is quickly becoming a fixture in the Bulldog's starting lineup. After pouring in a career-high 25 points in a win over Boise State on Feb. 14, Perera has scored in double-figures five straight times. Perera, who has made eight starts, is 33-116 overall from the field, with 24 of those coming in the form of three-pointers. As a result, she currently ranks third on the team in scoring with 8.2 ppg in 13 games played.
- Jasmine Plummer: Aggressive on defense and opportunistic on offense, Plummer notched five assists in her first career game at Washington State and is second on the team with 48. She is currently fifth in scoring with 6.3 ppg and is second on the club in rebounding at 6.4 per contest. Plummer is second on the team in steals with 39 on the year. Her 21 blocked shots are a team-best.
Recapping the Bulldog's Recent Action:
Fresno State 63, Hawai'i 54 (Mar. 6, 2004 at Honolulu, Hawaii)
Fresno State completed its first two-game conference road trip sweep since 1997 on Saturday night with a 63-54 victory over Hawai'i. Aritta Lane played well in front of her home crowd, leading the Bulldogs with 16 points. Chantella Perera added 11. Fresno State held a 47-42 edge in rebounding, as Mindy Clark pulled down 11 and Jasmine Plummer grabbed 10. Fresno State shot 38.3-percent overall compared to a 32.3-percent clip from Hawai'i. Trailing 50-48, the Bulldogs battled right back with a 9-4 scoring run to go up 57-54 with just over two minutes remaining.
Driving The Lane
Junior forward Aritta Lane is having an impressive year. Lane is averaging a team-best 12.7 ppg and ranks third in rebounding at 5.8 per game. She is also 87-131 from the free-throw line. Against Santa Clara on Dec. 13, she paced the Bulldogs with a career-high 25 points, and has led the team in scoring 14 times. Lane, tabbed WAC Player of the Week for Dec. 8-14, was also named to All-Tournament Teams at the Fresno State Classic and Oklahoma State Cowgirl Classic.
Clark Controls The Paint
Senior center Mindy Clark has developed into one of the premier post players in the WAC. Clark is currently averaging 8.0 ppg, a clip that is good enough for fourth on the squad. She is also leading the team with 8.1 rebounds per game and 226 overall. She has recorded six double-doubles this year. In a win over Boise State on Feb. 14, Clark established a career-highs with 16 boards to go along with 14 points. Against Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 19, she recorded her first career double-double with a 11 boards and 10 points. Clark has started a career-best 23 games.
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 8.6 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 with 48 treys in 161 chances. Mack is averaging a team-best 27.5 minutes per game.
Home Sweet Home
13 games were played at the Save Mart Center in 2003-04 and the home crowds were impressive. Fresno State, which finished 7-6 at home, topped the 4,000 mark every game, with the 5,237 fans that turned out for last weekend's contest against Nevada representing the largest crowd in program history. The Bulldogs drew 61,026 total fans this year and averaged 4,694 per game- both program records. This year's success comes on the heels of last year, in which the Bulldogs finished 13-2 at home. 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 13 games: 61,026
Average attendance through 13 games: 4,694
Sharing Minutes
Seven of Fresno State's 12 eligible players are averaging at least 20 minutes of playing time. Three other Bulldogs are logging 10 minutes per contest, while 11 of the 12 players have received a starting nod. A recent lineup of Chantella Perera, Chanie Sutherland, Veronica Mack, Aritta Lane and Mindy Clark yielded two consecutive wins.
When They're Down, They're Out
Fresno State has trailed at the half on 15 occasions this year, winning just twice. Conversely, the Bulldogs are 10-2 when leading at the half and 1-0 during a tie game.
Not Good At Rejection
Amazingly enough, the Bulldogs have tallied only 52 blocked shots on the year and the leading shot-blocker is, ironically, a guard. Freshman Jasmine Plummer has 21. Bulldog opponents have blocked 126 shots total.
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.
Early Returns
Fresno State's 53-50 win over Denver on Dec. 30 translated into a 6-4 non-conference record for the year, equaling last season's non-league mark. In fact, last year's 6-4 non-conference ledger marked the first time the 'Dogs fininshed preseason play with a winning record since 1996-97.
