Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Look To Continue Road Success Later This Week
1/10/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 10, 2005
Check out the latest edition of the "Bulldog Court Report" -a women's basketball diary!Fresno State Bulldogs (10-3, 2-2 WAC) at
Boise State Broncos (5-7, 0-3 WAC)
Date: Thu., Jan. 13
Time: 6 p.m. PST
Site: Boise, Idaho
Facility (capacity): Taco Bell Arena (12,400)
Series History: Boise State leads 6-5
Last Meeting: Fresno State 77, Boise State 75 (OT- Feb. 14, 2004)
Radio: ESPN 1430 AM- live
Tip-Off
Fresno State (10-3, 2-2 WAC) will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak when it travels to Boise State and UTEP this weekend as WAC play continues. The schedule might be working in the team's favor though, as the Bulldogs are 6-0 on the road this season and have won nine straight away from Fresno dating back to last year. Last week's losses to SMU and Louisiana Tech- the top two teams in the WAC- bumped Fresno State into a three-way tie for fourth place in the standings. The first opponent during this weekend's road trip is Boise State (5-7, 0-3 WAC), a team the Bulldogs have defeated three times in the last four meetings.
Media Memo
Fresno State's seven remaining regular season road games will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio 1430 AM.
Scouting Boise State
Boise State brings a 5-7 overall record and 0-3 conference mark into Thursday night's game. The Broncos, who will be hosting their first two WAC home games this week, have lost three in a row and five of their last seven overall. Boise State was swept last weekend, suffering losses at Tulsa (71-60) and Rice (75-48). The Broncos are outscoring their opponents 62.8 to 60.6 in addition to averaging 37.4 rebounds per game. Three-point shooting has been a strength for Boise State this season, as the team is leading the WAC in percentage and three-point field goals made. Players to watch include: Tasha Harris (12.3 ppg, 20-42 from three-point territory, 37-49 from the foul line), Cassidy Blaine (10.3 ppg, 23-48 from three-point territory, 42 assists) and Jamie Hawkins (7.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Head coach Jen Warden is entering her third year at Boise State.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Boise State
Boise State holds a 6-5 edge in the all-time series, which dates back to 1984. Fresno State has won three of the last four meetings, including a 77-75 overtime win in Boise on Valentine's Day last season after the Broncos recorded a 52-50 victory at the Save Mart Center one month earlier. Fresno State is 3-1 all-time in games played in Boise.
Scouting UTEP
Much like Fresno State, UTEP (6-7, 1-2 WAC) will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak when it faces Nevada on Thursday night. Before getting swept last weekend at Rice (55-50) and Tulsa (63-79), UTEP had won four in a row following a five-game losing streak. UTEP's only WAC victory came back on Jan. 1, when the Miners defeated Boise State 71-69 in overtime. UTEP's scoring average (60.1), field goal percentage (37.5) and three-point field goal percentage (21.2) all rank last in the WAC. Five different players are averaging at least 8.0 points per game, led by Charnette Phelps (9.7 ppg, 7.2 rpg). Marta Dydek (9.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 28 blocked shots) and Angie McGee (9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg) also contribute. Head coach Keitha Green begins her fourth season.
Fresno State All-Time vs. UTEP
UTEP leads the all-time series 10-8. The Miners swept both games last season, winning 59-53 in Fresno and 45-38 in El Paso. Prior to those meetings, Fresno State had won five of seven in the series. The Bulldog's most recent win over the Miners came back on Feb. 6, 2003 in the form of a 64-39 rout. Fresno State is 1-8 all-time in games played at the Don Haskins Center.
Recapping The Bulldog's Recent Action
SMU 68, Fresno State 59 (Jan. 6 at Fresno, Calif.)
Fresno State nearly erased a 16-point second-half deficit before coming up short in a 68-59 loss to SMU. SMU and Fresno State both placed three players in double figures, with Janielle Dodds leading all scorers with 22 points. Amy Parrish's 15 points led three Fresno State double-figure scorers.
Louisiana Tech 80, Fresno State 70 (Jan. 8 at Fresno, Calif.)
Tasha Crain and Lakiste Barkus paced a guard-oriented Louisiana Tech attack during an 80-70 victory over Fresno State. Crain scored a game-high 28 points and Barkus added 27, while Fresno State was led by Amy Parrish's double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Bulldogs made only 16-27 free throws.
Conference Chatter
Taking into account this season's 2-2 start, Fresno State has now amassed 20 WAC victories since the beginning of the 2002-03 season. 11 of those wins came during the 2002-03 campaign and the Bulldogss notched seven league victories last year. In comparison, the Bulldogs recorded 18 WAC wins over the four previous years (1998-2002) combined.
Road Warriors
After a 79-63 win at San Jose State on Jan. 1, the Bulldogs have now won nine straight road games in a row dating back to last season when the team won its final three away from Fresno. In fact, Fresno State has not lost a road game since a 45-38 loss to UTEP in El Paso on Feb. 12, 2004. The Bulldog's next road trip will take them to Boise State (Jan. 13) and UTEP (Jan. 15) this weekend. On the flip side, Fresno State is just 4-3 in games played at the Save Mart Center this year.
Score at the Half
Not sure how the Bulldogs will fare against an opponent? Enjoy the first 20 minutes of action and glance at the scoreboard at halftime. The `Dogs are 9-0 when leading at the half and 0-3 when trailing. Fresno State and Long Island were tied 40-40 at intermission on Dec. 20 before the Bulldogs pulled away for a 74-64 victory.
If It's Not Broke...
Head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein used 11 different lineup combinations last year, the majority of those switches taking place during the team's eight-game losing skid midway through the year. This season has been different, as Fresno State's lineup has changed only once with just a single player change. The Bulldogs won their first six games of the season with a lineup of Mirenda Swearengin, Chantella Perera, Toni Atherley, Aritta Lane and Amy Parrish. Since then, Fresno State is 4-3 using a lineup of Swearengin, Perera, Lane, Parrish and Cophie Moore in place of Atherley.
Sharing Minutes
10 of the 15 players who have appeared in at least one game so far this year are averaging at least 10 minutes of playing time. Faith Probst (9.3) and Cophie Moore (9.2) are close behind and would bump that total to 12 with more playing time. Mirenda Swearengin leads the team with 28.6 minutes played per game.
Shaking It Off
During the first two seasons under head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein, Fresno State demonstrated the ability to bounce back after a tough defeat. The Bulldogs were 9-3 following a loss during the 2002-03 season and 8-7 after a defeat last year. Throw in a Dec. 17 road victory over Manhattan after a tough loss to UCLA, and Fresno State is now 18-11 in games following a loss under Johnson-Klein. Thursday's game at Boise State represents yet another test as Fresno State looks to recover from Saturday's 80-70 loss to Louisiana Tech.
Winning The Rebound Battle
Fresno State has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 43.2 to 35.6 per game, a margin of +7.6 that currently leads the WAC. The Bulldogs have outrebounded their opponents eight times this year and are 7-1 in such situations. Fresno State has tallied at least 40 rebounds on nine different occasions and recorded a season-best 55 against San Diego on Dec. 5. Three players are averaging at least five boards: Aritta Lane at 6.7, Amy Parrish at 6.4 and Mirenda Swearengin at 5.3 per game.
2's, Not 3's
Heading into this week, Fresno State's team field goal percentage of 42.4 ranked second in the WAC. However, the Bulldog's 29-percent success rate from three-point territory placed them eighth overall. Fresno State has connected on 69-238 attempts from beyond the arc. Mirenda Swearengin leads the club with 19 triples while Chantella Perera (14), Veronica Mack (11) and Kendra Walker-Roche (10) are other players with at least 10 successful attempts.
Getting To The Line
Fresno State is doing an excellent job of getting to the foul line and converting on its free throw attempts. The Bulldogs have made 159-234 (67.9-percent) from the foul line, while its opponents are just 119-172. Amy Parrish (31-47) and Aritta Lane (22-36) have been the most frequent visitors, but Faith Probst has been the most accurate. Prior to missing both free throw attempts against San Jose State on Jan. 1, Probst had knocked down her first 15 freebies of the year.
Driving The Lane
Fresno State's leading scorer from a year ago, Lane is again leading the squad in that category with 11.9 ppg while shooting 57.4-percent from the field (66-115). She is also the team's leading rebounder with 6.7 per game to lead Fresno State's assault on the boards. Lane, who has scored in double-figures eight times and has led the team in scoring three times, matched her career-high with 25 points in a victory against San Diego back on Dec. 5.
Her Engine Is Always Running
Junior guard Mirenda Swearengin has proved to be the catalyst for Fresno State's success in the transition game. Swearengin has excited fans early and often with her no-look passes and lightning-quick speed. The transfer from New Mexico Junior College is second on the club in scoring with 11.0 per game and leads the team in assists (4.4 per game), three-pointers (19) and steals (24). Even more impressive, she ranks third on the team in rebounding with at 5.3 per game. Swearengin has scored in double-figures six times.
Parrish Contributing Inside
Junior forward Amy Parrish continues to develop into a force inside for Fresno State. A 12-point, 11-rebound performance against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 8 gave Parrish her second double-double of the year. She is second on the team in rebounds per game (6.4) and third in scoring (10.7). Parrish has scored in double-figures in each of the last four straight games and eight overall.
Dogs Ahead of Schedule
Fresno State has reached the 10-win plateau, something it has now accomplished with ease during the last two seasons. Last season, the Bulldogs did not win their 10th game of the year until an 85-76 triumph over Tulsa on Feb. 19. So what is the next target for the Bulldogs? How about matching the 1986-87 squad, which opened that year 11-2 en route to a 22-8 finish- the best season in school history.
Gimme Five!
One of the trademarks of head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein's offense since her arrival at Fresno State has been her unique substitution method. Johnson-Klein often employs a "five-for-five" rotation, where she works with two separate lineups and alternates among them based on productivity. The five-for-five strategy was used in almost every game during the 2002-03 season, when Fresno State finished 21-13 during Johnson-Klein's first year.
Singles Club
Fresno State's defense turned in yet another stellar performance against Hawai'i last week's WAC opener, limiting the Rainbow Wahine to just 33-percent shooting and 48 points overall. Even more impressive, the Bulldogs held their opponent without a double-digit scorer for the second time this year. Milia Macfarlane's nine points paced Hawai'i, while Kelsey Ball's eight points led Pepperdine in the Bulldog's 58-38 win over the Waves back on Nov. 19. Just how good has Fresno State's defense been this season? The Bulldogs are allowing their opponents just 59.8 ppg and 37.1-percent shooting from the field.
