Fresno State Athletics
Basketball Leads Off Doubleheader To Begin Week
11/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 20, 2006
Fresno, Calif. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Tip-Off
Coming off of their first win over a ranked opponent in 14 years, Fresno State will look to continue their winning ways with another home matchup. The Bulldogs will host UC Irvine Tuesday at 6 p.m. as part of a basketball double-header with the men in the Save Mart Center. The men's team will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff immediately following the women's game. Fans looking to catch the game can do so either on the radio on 1430 ESPN Radio or locally on Comcast Cable 14.
Looking Ahead
The Bulldogs are back to the road for two interesting matchups in the coming week. First up for the Bulldogs after the Thanksgiving break is a trip to Oklahoma State, providing a homecoming for most of the coaching staff. Then, returning to California, the team travels south to face another Big West opponent in Cal State Fullerton.
Scouting UC Irvine
UC Irvine plays their third straight game on the road before beginning an extended homestand down in Southern California. Forward Stephanie Duda leads the Anteaters, scoring 13.3 points per game as well as leading the team in rebounding with 10.7 boards per game. Also contributing on the offensive end is the other starting forward, Kelly Cochran, who adds 11.0 points per game. As a sophomore, she led the team in scoring in a loss to Eastern Washington, and pulled in 11 rebounds in the team's lone win on the season, a 61-47 win over New Mexico State on the road in Las Cruces.
Fresno State All-Time vs. UC Irvine
The Bulldogs hold a lopsided edge in the all-time series with the Anteaters, leading 16 games to 3. UC Irvine won three of the first four matchups, beginning with a 70-66 loss in 1981, but Fresno State has since won 15 straight since their last loss in 1983. Included in that run is the last meeting between the teams, last year's tilt which saw Paige Diggs pour in a career-high 18 points in the regular season opener for Fresno State.
Rank This!
For the first time since the 1991-92 season, Fresno State toppled a ranked opponent, setting back No. 18 BYU 61-51 on Friday, Nov. 17. The Bulldogs capitalized on strong rebounding, outpacing the taller Cougars 45-37 on the glass, as well as getting 21 points from senior guard Chantella Perera. The previous win came on Feb. 8, 1992, when the Bulldogs defeated No. 25 Long Beach State 86-84 in overtime.
Around The Corner
Fresno State has a tough stretch of non-conference games coming up, travelling on the road this week to face Oklahoma State on Sunday, the first of two Big 12 teams the Bulldogs will face this season. Following that trip, the `Dogs make one stop at home and then head up to the Bay Area, playing No. 18 California along with Santa Clara. As for the home schedule, already through just the first of many marquee matchups at the Save Mart Center, the Bulldogs also host Texas Tech on Dec. 1 and make their regular season national television debut when the team hosts Stanford on Jan. 2 on CSTV.
