Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Opens Four-Game Homestand Friday Night
12/8/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Dec. 8, 2005
Fresno State Bulldogs (3-2) vs.
Cal State Fullerton Titans (1-5)
Date: Friday, Dec. 9
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Facility: Save Mart Center (16,116)
Series History: Cal State Fullerton leads 18-10
Last Meeting: FS 71, CSUF 53 (12/9/03 at Fullerton, Calif.)
Television: Comcast Cable (ch. 14)
Tip-Off
After playing four of its first five games on the road, Fresno State (3-2) returns to the Save Mart Center for a four-game homestand Friday evening. The `Dogs snapped a two-game losing streak with a defensive-minded 56-50 victory at San Diego on Monday night. Now the Bulldogs look to continue their success against a pair of Big West opponents in consecutive days. Fresno State's first game of the homestand comes against Cal State Fullerton (1-5) on Friday, Dec. 9. The following day, the Bulldogs host UC Riverside (3-3). Fresno State has played only one home game to date so far, as the Bulldogs trounced Texas Southern 91-62 back on Nov. 21. Looking ahead, Fresno State hosts No. 12 Arizona State (Dec. 15) and Arizona (Dec. 17) next weekend.
Upcoming Promotions
Fans are enouraged to bring a new unwrapped or wrapped toy with them to the game on Friday night, as the Bulldogs hold their annual Toys-for-Tots night. On Saturday evening, fans can redeem a two-for-one coupon for one free general admission ticket with the purchase of a ticket of equal or greater value. Coupons are available online at www.gobulldogs.com (refer to the right sidebar of the women's basketball page in the promotions section). Coupons must be redeemed at the Save Mart Center.
Scouting Cal State Fullerton
Cal State Fullerton (1-5) has struggled out of the gate, dropping its first five games of the year prior to a 53-49 comeback victory over Nevada at home on Dec. 6. India McDaniel poured in 14 points to lead three players in double-figures as the Titans rallied from a 29-18 halftime deficit and forced 30 Wolf Pack turnovers. The Titans play five of their next six games on the road starting with the Bulldogs on Friday. Cal State Fullerton, picked to finish sixth in the Big West standings, is scoring 62.3 ppg and allowing 74.5 while getting outrebounded 41.3 to 33.2 per contest. Charlee Underwood's 13.2 ppg leads the club. Head coach Dr. Maryalyce Jeremiah begins her 26th career season.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Cal State Fullerton
28 games have been played between the two programs, with Cal State Fullerton holding an 18-10 advantage. Fresno State has won five in a row overall, including a 71-53 victory in the most recent contest played on Dec. 19, 2003. Fresno State and Cal State Fullerton were once conference rivals from 1986-1992, slugging it out in the PCAA and Big West. The Bulldogs, who have won six of the last seven meetings, are 6-7 all-time in games played in Fresno.
Scouting UC Riverside
Fresno State's second Big West opponent of the week will be UC Riverside (3-3). The Highlanders are coming off a 67-53 loss to BYU at home on Dec. 7, in which Kemie Nkele scored 20 points on 7-16 shooting with seven rebounds. UC Riverside's game against Fresno State kicks off a three-game road swing that will include games at Iowa State and Drake. Eight days later, the Highlanders return to Riverside for the start of league play against Cal Poly. The Highlanders are the third-youngest team in Division-1 competition, boasting seven freshmen and four sophomores. Two players are scoring in double-figures, led by Kemie Nkele (15.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg). Head coach John Margaritis is in his second season.
Fresno State All-Time vs. UC Riverside
When Fresno State and UC Riverside hook up on Dec. 10, it will represent the first meeting between the two teams since the 1979-80 campaign (date unavailable). Fresno State holds a 6-1 edge in the series and has won five straight games. The most recent contest resulted in a 67-66 Bulldog triumph.
Making A State-Ment
Since the start of the 2002-03 season, the Bulldogs have performed very well against California schools, notching a 19-4 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). Fresno State is 2-1 so far in such games this year.
Back In The Lineup
The loss of Aritta Lane to graduation coupled with the unavailability of starting point guard Mirenda Swearengin and reserve Tierre Wilson has translated into opportunties for other players to crack the starting lineup. In the case of juniors Paige Diggs and Brittani Green, both players were starting for the first time since their freshman year. Toni Atherley, who made only seven starts last year, has been in the starting linuep at guard in each of the first six contests.
Score At The Half
When the Bulldogs turned a 28-26 halftime deficit into a 56-50 victory at San Diego on Dec. 5, it signaled the first time Fresno State has rallied to win a game after trailing at the half since Feb. 14, 2004. In that game, Fresno State was down 32-30 at halftime and won 77-75 in overtime at Boise State.
Tella's Three-Point Barrage
While Fresno State's defense proved to be the deciding factor in Monday's 56-50 victory at San Diego, the Bulldogs can also thank Chantella Perera for her long-range shooting. Entering that game, Fresno State had made just 21-71 from three-point territory, translating into a 29.6-percent clip. Opponents were connecting at 45.1-percent (32-71). However, Perera made 5-12 from beyond the arc and all five of those triples came at crucial points in the game.
Winning The Rebound Battle
Fresno State has developed into a solid rebounding club in recent seasons and this year is no different. The Bulldogs, who have outrebounded their opponent in all but one game so far, are averaging 47.8 boards per game while allowing only 32.8. That's a difference of +15, a mark that ranks eight-best in the nation. Fresno State has pulled down at least 45 boards in a game on four different occasions, including a season-best 58 at Utah Valley State. Amy Parrish leads the club with 10.0 rebounds per game while seven players are currently averaging at least four boards per contest.
Picking Up The Slack
With starting point guard Mirenda Swearengin and valuable reserve Tierre Wilson unavailable to compete during the fall semester due to academic reasons, many were wondering how things would shape up for Fresno State in the backcourt. If Fresno State's first five games are any indication, the Bulldogs appear to be in good hands. Paige Diggs (9.4 ppg, career-high 18 points at UC Irvine) and Toni Atherley (9.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg) have been productive while returning starter Chantella Perera is second on the squad at 14.2 ppg.
Parrish The Thought
Amy Parrish is doing her best to provide an encore to last season's impressive campaign in which she garnered first-team All-WAC honors. The senior forward has been the Bulldog's dominant force early on as she leads the team with 17.4 ppg while pulling down 10.0 rpg. She has scored at least 20 points in three games, her field-goal percentage stands at 50.7-percent and she represents the team's best three-point threat having knocked down 9-20 attempts. Against Utah Valley State on Nov. 26, she hauled in a career-best 18 rebounds.
`Dogs Offense Coming From Starters
Head coach Adrian Wiggins employed the same starting lineup through the first four games and did not change things up until Monday's game against San Diego. 74.1-percent of Fresno State's scoring has come from its starting lineup through the five games. Four regular starters are averaging double-figure scoring as the Bulldogs lead the WAC with an average of 74.2 ppg. That's not to say the Bulldogs are thin on the bench. Erica Henry is averaging 6.0 ppg and 4.2 rpg off the bench and Andrea Roberson has contributed in her first season at the Division 1 level with 4.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg.
Atherley Making Impact
Entering this season, Toni Atherley knew that she would have an opportunity for a breakthrough season as she continues to receive extended minutes in a starting role. She has made the most of her playing time, ranking third on the club in scoring (9.6 ppg) while also contributing on the boards (4.4 rpg). She bettered her single-game, career-high scoring mark over each of the first three games, establishing the total with 15 points against No. 13 Stanford.
`Dogs Hit The 90 Mark
When Fresno State reached the 90-point plateau in its first two games of the year, it signaled the first time the Bulldogs scored at least 90 points in back-to-back games since 1990. On Feb. 17, 1990, Fresno State routed San Jose State 94-66 before falling to Long Beach State 104-98 five days later.
Winning Big With Wiggins
The Bulldogs have posted an 10-6 overall record under the direction of head coach Adrian Wiggins, who has been at the helm of the `Dogs since Feb. 9, 2005. In those 16 games, Fresno State has tallied some impressive wins. Of the 10 victories under Wiggins, seven have come by margins of at least 15 points. Two others were nine-point victories. Fresno State is also 7-0 in games played at the Save Mart Center under Wiggins' guidance.
Fresno State All-Time At The Save Mart Center
Fresno State has compiled an 18-12 overall record in games played at the Save Mart Center since the arena opened in 2003. The Bulldog's inaugural season in the arena produced several school attendance records, including a No. 19 national ranking in average home attendance and the third-largest yearly increase among all other DIvision 1 programs. Last year, Fresno State ranked 22nd in both total and average attendance and a record crowd of 7,042 witnessed the Bulldog's 58-38 win over Pepperdine in the season opener.
Bulldogs Ink Two Signees For 2006-07
Head coach Adrian Wiggins announced the signing of Brittany Allen and Stephanie Madden to national letters of intent. Allen, a 5-6 point guard from Auburn, Calif., attends Forest Lake Christian High School. A three-time all-state selection and three-time honorable mention All-American, she is rated the 15th-best point guard in the nation and 62nd player overall by Michael T. White's All-Star Report. Madden, a 6-1 forward from West High School in Bakersfield. As a sophomore, Madden earned second-team all-league and first-team all-area honors. In a shortened junior season, she was named second-team all-league.
