Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
4-2
Texas Tech
6-2
Fresno State Upsets No. 23 Texas Tech, 74-65
12/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2006
FRESNO, Calif. - Guards Tierre Wilson and Chantella Perera combined for 37 points as Fresno State took down their second ranked opponent on the season, defeating Texas Tech 74-65. Fresno State limited turnovers and outrebounded the taller Lady Raiders 44-37 to improve to 4-2 on the year.
"I was very proud of how our team fought so hard," said head coach Adrian Wiggins. "They are a very resilient group, and they played great tonight. They're a fast team, a strong team, and I thought they really came together as a group."
Texas Tech was in control of the game early. The Lady Raiders came out and jumper out to a 7-3 lead early, hitting the offensive glass and making shots down on the post to come out ahead. The Bulldogs fought back after the 16:00 mark, first with Wilson hitting a three and then another three from Perera, as the Bulldogs took an 11-7 lead at the 13:51 mark in the first half.
Neither team was able to pull away in a tightly contested first half, and the teams remained close. The Lady Raiders continued to hold the edge in rebounds while Fresno State continued to hit shots. The Bulldogs were led by Wilson's perfect 3-3 in three-point shots, and as a whole, came out with Wilson and Perera scoring 26 of the team's 32 first half points as Fresno State entered the break with a two-point lead.
The second half remained close through the first five minutes, but already the pieces were in place for a Fresno State run, as the Bulldogs took good shots and began to take away the Lady Raiders strength on the glass. With 16:45 remaining, the Bulldogs pulled ahead 38-37 with a nice layup from senior Paige Diggs, who made her first start of the season. Texas Tech's Alesha Robertson hit a jumper on the end to give the Lady Raiders a 39-38 lead, but the Bulldogs exploded with a huge 15-3 run at that point.
Jenny Thigpin hit an open jumper to give the lead back to the `Dogs, and Fresno State scored two quick transition baskets to pull ahead. After one answering basket for the Lady Raiders, Fresno State continued to move the ball around, getting four baskets from four different players, capped by a three-point play on a drive in the paint from Perera as the Bulldogs moved out to a 53-44 lead with 12:01 remaining.
Texas Tech never went away entirely, working their way back into the game, cutting the lead to one with 4:12 left, but Fresno State had an answer. Working the ball around the floor, Brittani Green found a wide open Andrea Roberson from the post and Roberson hit a three from the corner to give the Bulldogs a 66-62 lead. Using the momentum from that shot, the Bulldogs worked their way to the line and hit foul shots to maintain their lead.
The Lady Raiders moved into a press defense to try and force turnovers, but the Bulldogs hit Wilson for a final layup to seal the win, their second over a ranked opponent this season, and their 16th straight win at home.
"We really wanted this one for us," said Perera. "There were a lot of things that we worked for. We had a great crowd tonight, and it was exciting to play in front of them. It's always great to play at home, and we have a lot of success here."
