Fresno State Athletics
2003-04: A Look Back
7/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 15, 2004
FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State closed out the 2003-04 campaign at 13-16 overall and 7-11 in the WAC, translating into a sixth-place conference finish. Despite suffering through an eight-game losing streak that spanned nearly a month, the Bulldogs ended the regular season with six victories in their final nine games. The late-season push was similar to that of 2002-03, when the 'Dogs went 8-2 in their final 10 contests.
Head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein's first two seasons at the helm have yielded some positive results as the Bulldogs are back on the winning track. Fresno State, now 34-29 under Johnson-Klein, has recorded consecutive double-figure victory seasons for the first time since 1999-2000. In addition, with seven WAC victories last year and 11 during the 2002-03 season, Fresno State has amassed 18 league wins over the last two years. In comparison, the Bulldogs recorded 18 WAC wins over the four previous years (1998-2002) combined.
The loss of six seniors to graduation meant some mid-season struggles for the Bulldogs in 2003-04, but also allowed the coaching staff to witness several players make an impact in starting roles. Returnees Mindy Clark, Aritta Lane and Veronica Mack enjoyed career-best seasons, while newcomers Chantella Perera, Jasmine Plummer and Brittani Green gained invaluable starting experience and ultimately helped carry the team during the late-season push.
For the second straight season, the Bulldogs opened the year on the road with a contest against Washington State. The Cougars raced out to an 18-point halftime advantage and held on for a 69-51 victory, shooting 42-percent overall and connecting on 17-21 free throw attempts in the process. Aritta Lane led the Bulldogs with a game-high 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double, while Chanie Sutherland chipped in with 10 points. Sitting at 0-1, the Bulldogs would return home for the first regular season game in the Save Mart Center.
The 7th annual Fresno State Classic would serve as the new arena's first women's basketball event. The Bulldogs fared well in the tourney, dismantling Louisiana-Monroe 88-56 in the opening round before falling to No. 22 Utah 66-53 in the championship game.
Fresno State combined a lights-out shooting performance (50.7-percent, five players in double figures) with an aggressive defense to produce an 88-56 rout of the Lady Indians, representing the team's biggest victory since a 93-63 triumph over UTEP on Jan. 19, 2002. The championship game would be a different story though, as Utah's Kim Smith scored 22 points- 18 of those from three-point territory- and ruled out any possibility of an upset over the Utes. Aritta Lane tallied 16 points and eight rebounds, while Jasmine Plummer nearly recorded her first career double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.
The Bulldog's second tournament in as many weeks, the Oklahoma State Cowgirl Classic, loomed ahead in Stillwater, Okla. An 64-52 opening round triumph over Western Illinois that was highlighted by Chanie Sutherland's 12 points and a 38-21 rebounding edge evened Fresno State's record at 2-2.
But the squad would have to settle for another runner-up finish, falling 67-60 to host Oklahoma State in the championship game. The Bulldogs, who nearly overcame a 15-point second half deficit and made it a one-possession game with 25 seconds remaining, were led by Aritta Lane's 12 points. For the weekend, Lane scored 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and was the Bulldog's lone representative on the Cowgirl Classic All-Tournament Team.
Fresno State responded by winning its next three contests to move to 5-3 overall. Road wins at Long Beach State (70-65) and Cal State Fullerton (71-53) sandwiched a 71-61 home-court victory over Santa Clara, the Bulldog's third in a row over the Broncos. Aritta Lane, named WAC Player of the Week for Dec. 8-14, enjoyed the most success during the winning streak with 22 points against Long Beach State and a career-high 25 vs. Santa Clara. Equally impressive during the stretch was Veronica Mack, who poured in 41 points over the three games including the game-winning free throws against the 49ers.
The Bulldogs would carry momentum into a much-anticipated battle at UCLA. However, Bruin standout Nikki Blue scored 23 points to lead UCLA past Fresno State 69-56. Fresno State, down just 35-31 at halftime, received a career-high 19 points from Veronica Mack, but the Bulldogs uncharacteristically were outrebounded 42-25.
The team wrapped up non-conference play with a 53-50 home win over Denver, despite committing 33 turnovers. Jasmine Plummer finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Veronica Mack led the Bulldogs with 14 points. The Bulldogs concluded non-conference play at 6-4, equaling last year's mark in non-league action.
The WAC season began with two different outcomes: a close loss and a blowout win. Jade Abele's lay-up with just over two seconds remaining in regulation lifted Hawai'i to a 48-46 victory in the WAC opener, offsetting Chanie Sutherland's 14 points. Mindy Clark registered her second double-double of the year, grabbing 14 rebounds to match 10 points.
The heart-breaking loss was short-lived though, as Fresno State ran its record to 7-5 after an 81-39 trouncing of San Jose State, which entered the contest 9-1. The Bulldogs built a 38-17 halftime edge, led by as many as 44 and made a season-high 12 three-pointers in the victory. The biggest factor was shooting percentage: Fresno State hovered above 50-percent for much of the game, finishing at 47.5-percent (28-59) while San Jose State checked in at 22.7-percent. Chanie Sutherland scored a career-high 19 points (four threes), while Aritta Lane and Mindy Clark added 14 and 10, respectively.
It would be down, up and then unfortunately, down again for the Bulldogs. An eight-game losing streak during WAC play followed, dropping the team to 7-13 overall and 1-9 in conference action. The streak consisted of either tough, hard-fought defeats (four within 10 points) or blowouts (four losses with an 18-point margin). Shooting woes plagued the team during the stretch, as the Bulldogs shot under 32-percent overall from the field in five games.
Fresno State got back into the win column eventually, as Mindy Clark and Faith Probst notched double-doubles in a 49-35 home win over SMU. The Bulldog's defense limited the Mustangs to 19.7-percent shooting and forced 22 turnovers. The 'Dogs held a 59-51 edge in rebounds, with Clark hauling 13 boards to go along with 10 points and Probst grabbing 10 rebounds to match 10 points.
The following weekend's road swing against UTEP and Boise State turned out to be a split, putting Fresno State at 8-15 overall and 3-10 in the WAC. Against UTEP, Fresno State shot 22-percent from the field while the Miners were slightly better at 32-percent. Each team endured a scoreless spell of at least seven minutes in the game. The difference came in the second half, when UTEP shot 47.6-percent to Fresno State's 26.9-percent. Leading the Bulldogs was Mindy Clark, with nine points and 12 rebounds.
Fresno State ended the road trip with a 77-75 overtime win over Boise State on Valentine's Day, improving to 9-14 and 3-10 in the WAC. Veronica Mack's lay-up with 3.8 seconds remaining in overtime proved to be the game-winner, but the Bulldogs found themselves in position to win largely because of a breakthrough performance from Chantella Perera. The freshman was 7-15 from beyond the arc and poured in a game-high 25 points in just her eighth game. Overall, the Bulldogs were 11-36 from the three-point line, establishing a single-game record for three-point field goals attempted. Mack was 3-16 from beyond the arc and finished with 17 points and four assists. Also, Mindy Clark recorded her sixth double-double of the year, pulling down a career-best 16 boards to go with 14 points.
A three-game homestand followed, beginning with a rematch against Tulsa. The Bulldogs outlasted the Golden Hurricane 85-76 this time around, as Aritta Lane (22 points, 11 rebounds) led five players in double-figures. Jasmine Plummer tallied her first career double-double with 18 points and 12 boards in the win, while Fresno State held a 47-30 rebounding edge and survived a 60.7-percent first-half shooting performance by the Golden Hurricane.
The 'Dogs encountered a roadblock two nights later, as four different Rice players scored in double figures in the Lady Owls' 71-58 win at the Save Mart Center. Rice shot 49-percent compared to Fresno State's 36-percent clip and never trailed in the contest. With every statistical category relatively even, two numbers jumped out. Fresno State held a 40-34 edge on the boards, while Rice tallied nine of the game's 11 blocked shots. Veronica Mack led the Bulldogs with 14 points, while Chantella Perera added 13.
Senior Night festivities and a program-record crowd of 5,237 highlighted Fresno State's 63-44 triumph over Nevada the following weekend. Aritta Lane's 15 points led three players in double-figures and the Bulldogs used sizeable scoring runs at the start of both halves to help dispatch of the Wolf Pack, which dressed only eight players. The Bulldogs held a 47-39 edge on the boards and shot 37.8-percent compared to Nevada's mark of 31.5-percent.
With two games remaining in the regular season (at San Jose State and Hawai'i), Fresno State had a chance to earn a first-round bye as the No. 6 seed in the WAC Tournament with a road sweep. Mission accomplished, as the Bulldogs completed their first two-game conference road trip sweep since 1997 to avoid the play-in round of the conference tournament.
In a 72-60 win over San Jose State to open the trip, Fresno State received a game-high 23 points from Aritta Lane and benefited from a stifling pressure defense. From the three-point line, the Bulldogs converted on 9-19 chances compared to the Spartan's 1-10 clip. Veronica Mack added 14 points and Chantella Perera chipped in with 10. Despite misfiring on 15 of their first 18 shots, the Bulldogs took a 26-24 lead into the break. However, Fresno State rattled off an 11-0 run to start the second half and put the game out of reach.
The Bulldogs officially locked up a WAC Tournament first-round bye with a 63-54 victory over Hawai'i in the regular season finale, the team's first win in Honolulu since 1991. Aritta Lane played well in front of her home crowd, leading the Bulldogs with 16 points while Chantella Perera added 11. Fresno State held a 47-42 edge in rebounding, as Mindy Clark pulled down 11 and Jasmine Plummer grabbed 10. Leading 35-30 at intermission, the Bulldogs held off a late Rainbow Wahine charge for the win.
Fresno State entered the WAC Tournament at 13-15 overall and 7-11 in the WAC. Despite having won four of its last five and serving as the host school for the conference tournament, Fresno State dropped a season-ending 79-55 decision to Tulsa in the quarterfinals. Tulsa's Megan Moody was 10-14 from the field- including three triples- and led all scorers with 23 points, as the Golden Hurricane shot 49-percent from the field and received double-doubles from two other players. Fresno State was led by Veronica Mack's 15 points- nine of which came from three-pointers. Mindy Clark notched her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs shot just 36-percent overall and were down by double-digits for much of the second half.
