Fresno State Athletics
Women's Basketball Searching For First WAC Home Win
2/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2005
Check out the latest edition of the "Bulldog Court Report" -a women's basketball diary!
UTEP Miners (9-12, 4-7 WAC) at
Fresno State Bulldogs (13-7, 5-6 WAC)
Date: Thu., Feb. 10
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Facility (capacity): Save Mart Center (16,116)
Series History: UTEP leads 11-8
Last Meeting: UTEP 68, Fresno State 64 (Jan. 15, 2005)
Radio: ESPN 1430 AM- live
(Play-by-play: Paul Swearengin, Color Analysis: Chantea Fleming)
TV: Comcast Cable (ch. 14)- live
(Play-by-play: Rob Emler, Color Analysis: Steve Weakland)
Tip-Off
Fresno State (13-7, 5-6 WAC) split a pair of road games last weekend against Louisiana Tech and SMU, improving to 9-2 on the road. With the conference race tightening up, this weekend would be a good time for the Bulldogs to improve on their 4-5 home record. Fresno State, 0-4 in WAC home games, begins a two-game homestand by hosting UTEP (9-12, 4-7 WAC) on Thursday night and Boise State (8-12, 3-8 WAC) on Saturday afternoon. There are eight games (seven conference contests) remaining for Fresno State in the regular season before the start of the WAC Tournament.
Scouting UTEP
UTEP hits the road this weekend and finds itself 9-12 overall and 4-7 in the WAC. Since ending Fresno State's nation-best 10-game road winning streak back on Jan. 15 with a 68-64 win, UTEP has dropped five of the last six games. The Miners earned a split during last week's homestand, defeating Tulsa 70-67 before falling to Rice 70-60. UTEP has been outscored by an average of 63.8-61.7 and is shooting 38.4-percent overall on the season. UTEP is led by the following: Marta Dydek (9.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 42 blocks), Charnette Phelps (9.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, .444 field goal percentage) and Shalana Taylor (6.2 ppg, 97 assists, 25 steals). The Miners have been a second-half team this year, being outscored by their opponents 616-566 in the first half only to rebound 709-705 in the second half. Head coach Keitha Green is in her fourth season at the helm.
Fresno State All-Time vs. UTEP
UTEP leads the all-time series 11-8, including a 68-64 win on Jan. 15 in El Paso. 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 7-2 all-time against UTEP in Fresno.
Scouting Boise State
Boise State, which will face Nevada on Thursday, brings an 8-12 overall record into this weekend's action and the Broncos are just 3-8 in the WAC. Not that the Bulldogs should take them lightly, as the Broncos are the only WAC team to knock off Louisiana Tech and shocked Tulsa 87-83 in overtime last week. Boise State has endured four losses in its last seven games and is just 1-8 on the road this year. The Broncos average 62.0 ppg, 38.1 rpg and are the WAC's best three-point shooting team at 34-percent. Boise State is led by: Tasha Harris (11.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 26 three-pointers), Cassidy Blaine (11.0 ppg, WAC-best 43 three-pointers) and Jamie Hawkins (7.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg). Boise State has blocked only 39 shots this season. Head coach Jen Warden is in her third year.
Fresno State All-Time vs. Boise State
The all-time series, which dates back to 1984, is locked at 6-6. Fresno State has won four of the last five meetings, including a 59-53 victory at Boise State back on Jan. 12. Last season, the teams split the series with each school winning on the opponent's home court. Fresno State is 1-3 all-time at home against Boise State.
February Is Finally Here
Since a three-game losing streak last month, Fresno State has now won two of its last three games. January has recently been a rough month for the Bulldogs, who have always managed to regroup down the stretch run and establish the best possible position for WAC Tournament play. Fresno State is a combined 19-9 in the final two months of the season under head coach Stacy Johnson-Klein.
`Dogs Match 2003-04 WinTotal
With a 70-62 win over SMU on Feb. 5, Fresno State recorded its 13th victory and matched last year's win total. Eight regular season games remain on the schedule, in addition to the WAC Tournament in March. Six members on the roster (two of which are regular starters) are in their first year of Division 1 basketball.
Posts Picking It Up
Fresno State's recent turnaround can be credited to the strong post play of Aritta Lane and Amy Parrish. The strategy of getting the basketball down low in the paint has not changed; the Bulldogs are simply executing at a higher level. Lane has recorded three double-doubles while Parrish, who has four double-doubles, has scored in double-figures 11 games in a row and 15 overall.
Lane Looking At A Record?
Senior Aritta Lane is currently 99-180 from the field, translating into a shooting percentage of 55-percent. Kellie Murphy is Fresno State's record holder for field goal percentage in a single season, setting the standard at 58.7-percent during the 1984-85 campaign. Lane ranks second in the conference in that category, behind Amber Jackson of San Jose State (69.1-percent).
Press Wreaking Havoc For Opponents
A swarming, quick pressure defense has yielded favorable results for Fresno State, which has now forced a combined 140 turnovers over the last six games (an average of 23 per game). In those contests, Fresno State has also come up with a total of 70 steals (an average of 11 per game).
20-20 Club
Prior to this year, the last time two Fresno State players scored at least 20 points in the same game was during a 71-65 win over Cal State Northridge on Nov. 22, 2001, as Lindsay Logan scored 25 and Omelogo Udeze 22. However, the Bulldogs have already accomplished the feat twice this year. Amy Parrish (20) and Chantella Perera (20) reached the 20-point mark in a Jan. 29 win over Nevada, and Parrish (22) and Arrita Lane (31) did it again on Feb. 3 in an 86-76 defeat at Louisiana Tech.
Score at the Half
Not sure how the Bulldogs will fare against an opponent? Enjoy the first 20 minutes then glance at the scoreboard at halftime. The `Dogs are 13-2 when either leading or tied at the half and 0-5 when trailing.
Road Warriors...but the streak is over
A 68-64 loss at UTEP on Jan. 15 was Fresno State's first of the season, as the Bulldogs entered the game tied with the University of Richmond for the best road record in the nation at 7-0. The defeat also snapped Fresno State's 10-game winning streak (dating back to last year), which at the time was the longest active road winning streak in Division 1 women's basketball.
Winning The Rebound Battle
Fresno State has outrebounded its opponents by an average of 42.2 to 35.5 per game, a margin of +6.7 that currently leads the WAC. The Bulldogs have outrebounded their opponents 14 times this year and are 10-4 in such situations. Fresno State has tallied at least 40 rebounds on 14 different occasions and recorded a season-best 55 against San Diego on Dec. 5. Three players are averaging at least five boards: Amy Parrish at 6.9, Aritta Lane at 6.4 and Mirenda Swearengin at 5.3 per game.
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. This season has been different, as Fresno State's lineup has changed only four times. The Bulldogs won their first six games of the season with a lineup of Mirenda Swearengin, Chantella Perera, Toni Atherely Aritta Lane and Amy Parrish. A recent combination of Swearengin, Perera, Jasmine Plummer, Lane and Parrish has gone 2-1.
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. Fresno State is now 21-13 following a loss under Johnson-Klein.
Parrish Contributing Inside
A 22-point, 13-rebound performance against Louisiana Tech last week gave junior center Amy Parrish her team-leading fourth double-double. She leads the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). Parrish has scored in double-figures in 11 straight games and 15 overall. In WAC action, she is averaging 16.1 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Her field-goal percentage stands at 49.2-percent (98-199).
Driving The Lane
Fresno State's leading scorer from a year ago, Lane is second in that category with 12.0 ppg while shooting 55.0-percent from the field (99-180). She also ranks second on the club with 6.4 rebounds per game to aid Fresno State's assault on the boards. Lane, who has scored in double-figures 11 times and has led the team in scoring six times, established a career-high with 31 points in Fresno State's 86-76 loss at Louisiana Tech last week. She recorded her third double-double of the year on Jan. 22 against Tulsa, with 18 points and 13 boards.
Her Engine Is Always Running
Junior guard Mirenda Swearengin has excited fans early and often with her no-look passes and lightning-quick speed. The transfer from New Mexico Junior College is third on the club in scoring with 9.5 points per game and leads the team in assists (4.0 per game) and three-pointers (26). Even more impressive, she ranks third on the team in rebounding with at 5.3 per game.
Fresno State, Save Mart Center To Host 2004 NCAA Tournament
Fresno State has been tabbed as one of eight schools to host the first and second rounds of the 2005 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, with competition taking place at the Save Mart Center. The first and second rounds for the 2005 and 2006 championships will be conducted at eight pre-determined sites, which represents a format change from previous years. Fresno State joins Texas, Minnesota and Washington as schools that will host NCAA Regional contests on Saturday, March 19, and Monday, March 21, 2005.
