Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
<li> Hawai'i
'Dogs Get Sixth Straight Home Win; Defeat Hawai'i 64-48
3/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 5, 2005
FRESNO, Calif.- Tied 24-24 at intermission, Fresno State outscored Hawai'i 40-24 in the second half to pull away during a 64-48 victory in the regular season finale at the Save Mart Center.In what has become a tradition, Fresno State (19-9, 10-8 WAC) continues its late-season surge and has won four straight and seven of its last 10. Hawai'i drops to 11-14 overall and 7-11 in the WAC.
The Bulldogs will be seeded either No. 4 or 5 in next week's WAC Tournament in Reno, with SMU the likely opponent. Official pairings will not be determined until after tonight's conference games.
Amy Parrish led all scorers with 20 points and also tallied nine boards, seven assists and six steals. Aritta Lane added 19 points while Mirenda Swearengin chipped in with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists. All 15 players saw floor time in the victory. A pre-game ceremony highlighted the careers of seniors Lane, Veronica Mack and Cophie Moore.
Hawai'i was led by Janevia Taylor's 14 points while Amy Sanders added 11.
Both teams struggled from the floor, with Fresno State shooting 36.8-percent and Hawai'i at 32.1-percent. The Bulldogs forced 25 turnovers and came up with 15 steals and also held a 41-38 rebounding edge.
Six ties highlighted the first half as neither team could take control. A jumper from Parrish gave Fresno State its largest lead at 15-9 with 12:15 on the clock, only to see the Rainbow Wahine counter with a 13-4 scoring run to take a 22-19 lead. The first half ended in a 24-24 tie.
A hook shot from Alofa Toiaivao gave Hawai'i a 26-25 on the second possession of the second half, but Fresno State then took the lead for good after Parrish made it 27-26.
A three-pointer from Swearengin (who finished 3-3 from beyond the arc) gave the Bulldogs a double-digit lead at 45-35 with 9:43 remaining.
Fresno State stretched its lead to 18 with under five minutes to play, led by 21 following two free throws from Brittani Green and finished with a 64-48 win.
