Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
2-2
Utah Valley State
1-2
Women's Basketball Shocked By Utah Valley State, 72-64
11/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 26, 2005
OREM, Utah- Tied at 62-62, Utah Valley State outscored Fresno State 10-2 over the final two minutes and notched its first victory of the year in a 72-64 upset of the Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Fresno State (2-2) dropped its second game in a row despite an outstanding performance from Amy Parrish, who scored a team-high 15 points and pulled down a career-best 18 rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time.
Erica Henry added a career-high 11 points off the bench and pulled down six boards. Paige Diggs scored nine points and Toni Atherley chipped in with eight but Fresno State could not overcome 35.6-percent shooting and 22 turnovers.
Utah Valley State (1-2) was paced by Rebekah Fales' 17 points and also received 13 from Miriam Palkki, who iced the game with six free throws down the stretch.
Fresno State dominated the glass with a 58-37 rebounding edge- the most since pulling down 59 boards against SMU on Feb. 7, 2004. However, Utah Valley State made 7-17 from three-point territory compared to Fresno State's mark of 6-25. The Wolverines also cashed in at the foul line, knocking down 21-30 attempts while the Bulldogs made just 6-13.
After Henry knocked down a jumper to tie the game at 62-62 with 2:00 remaining, Ashley Grimm's lay-up made it 62-60 and the Wolverines never looked back. The Bulldogs were outscored 45-38 in the second half.
Both teams struggled from the field throughout the first half, with Fresno State making 27.3-percent and Utah Valley State shooting 29.0-percent. Despite holding a 35-16 edge in rebounds, the Bulldogs could not manage a lead larger than six.
Utah Valley State took its first lead at 7-5 following a three-pointer from Hollie Beaman. The Wolverines would continue to possess the lead until the 3:40 mark when Chantella Perera's lay-up made it 19-19.
Two free throws from Brittani Green put the `Dogs up 21-19 and five points from Andrea Roberson over the next two minutes stretched Fresno State's lead to 26-22.
But Utah Valley State scored the final five points of the half, including a triple from Rebekah Fales as time expired to give the Wolverines a 27-26 advantage.
The score remained close for the early portion of the second half. Trailing 29-28, Fresno State retook the lead and went up 37-32 with 14:43 on the clock following a jumper from Henry.
The next 11 minutes featured six ties and six lead changes as neither club could pull away. Utah Valley State led 54-49 with 7:28 remaining after Ashley Grimm converted the first of two free throws but Fresno State bounced back to take a 60-58 lead with just under five minutes left.
A runner from Fales put the Wolverines up 62-60 with 2:29 left to play, only to have Henry respond with a 10-footer that knotted the game at 62-62.
Utah Valley State then ended the game on a 10-2 scoring run.
Fresno State plays its next game on Dec. 5, when it travels to San Diego. The Bulldogs do not return to the Save Mart Center until Dec. 9, when they face Cal State Fullerton.
FRESNO STATE-UTAH VALLEY STATE GAME NOTES
- Tonight's game marked only the second meeting between the two teams. Fresno State racked up 21 steals and forced 31 turnovers in a 57-36 rout of Utah Valley State on Feb. 23, 2005.
- Entering its third full year of Division-1 competition, Utah Valley State is not affiliated with a conference but rather operates under Independent status.
- The Fresno State women's basketball team got its first taste of winter on Saturday, as snow fell throughout the day in the picturesque city of Orem.
- Fresno State's 35 rebounds at halftime eclipsed the team's overall total of 32 during Wednesday's 89-67 loss at No. 13 Stanford. In the first half alone against the Wolverines, five players tallied at least four boards.
- Fresno State's starting backcourt trio of Paige Diggs, Chantella Perera and Toni Atherley are a combined 37-46 (80.4-percent) from the free throw line through four games.
- Kendra Walker-Roche scored her first basket of the season, hitting a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs a 35-31 lead with 15:52 remaining in the second half. She was 0-6 combined in her first two games.
- The 15-point, 18-rebound for Parrish more than made up for her five-point, four rebound effort against Utah Valley State last year at the Save Mart Center.
- Fresno State pulled down at least 50 rebounds for the third time this year.
