Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
6-4
Arizona
6-6
Dogs' Pound Out Win At Arizona 69-60
12/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 18, 2006
Tucson, Ariz. - Stifling defense down the stretch was the key for the Bulldogs, who held Arizona scoreless over the final 4:50 to grab their second road win of the year 69-60. Tierre Wilson and Chantella Perera both scored over 20 points, leading the Bulldogs who improved to 6-4 with the win.
The Bulldogs hit five straight free throws to close the game, capping what had been an 8-0 run started by Paige Diggs layup at 4:33. The Bulldogs then tied the game at 60 and moved ahead for good after a Wilson jumper and an Erica Henry layup. Henry finished the game with 7 points and 9 rebounds, battling inside for 26 minutes as the two teams fought through a physical ballgame down low. Fresno State came away with the edge on the glass however, as five players recorded eight or more rebounds as the `Dogs outrebounded Arizona 54-43.
Fresno State opened the game with a quick two from Wilson, but Arizona answered back to take the early lead. Fresno State's outside shooting helped the Bulldogs at that point, as a three pointer by Wilson gave back Dogs' lead at 7-6. Fresno State increased that lead with a backdoor basket from Brittani Green, and combined with defensive pressure the Bulldogs led 9-6 at the 15:00 mark.
Arizona answered back with a 4-0 run to get lead back, but Chantella Perera hit her first three of the night to move back ahead 12-10 with 11:28 remaining in the first half. The two teams would continue to stay very even from that point. The Bulldogs moved out to a second three point lead after a fast break basket from Perera to Wilson, but a Jessica Arnold three evened the game one more time as the teams moved towards the break.
Both teams stepped up the defensive pressure following a four-point spurt by the Bulldogs, moving into a scoreless pair of minutes marked by both teams recovering turnovers and making steals. Arizona rattled off a 8-2 run near the end of the half to take a two point lead at 27-25, and scored two more after a Perera free throw to bring a 29-26 lead into halftime.
Fresno State and Arizona opened the second half trading baskets early, as Wilson hit an offensive putback early, but Joy Hollingsworth knocked down a three pointer to give Arizona the biggest lead of the game to that point at 36-30 with 17:00 minutes remaining. The Wildcats continued to stretch their lead at that point, using another three from Hollingsworth to move ahead 42-33 with 15:25 remaining.
Fresno State recovered behind the play of Wilson once again. The junior guard hit a three from the wing to cut the lead back to six, and after giving up a basket, Wilson put in a second chance basket to keep the margin the same, and then the Bulldogs moved to 44-40 with a jumper from Perera. The Bulldogs made one more notch in the margin with a Perera three, and tied the game on a fast break basket from Jenny Thigpin with 12 minutes remaining at 45-45.
The Wildcats pulled back ahead, but Thigpin scored more of her second half points making two free throws to cut the lead to one at 48-47. The Bulldogs were unable again to take the lead, as the Wildcats made three of the next four baskets to move ahead 54-49 just after Wilson reentered the game after committing her fourth foul.
Capitalizing on that extra energy, Fresno State unreeled a 7-2 run capped off by a Perera three-point play to tie the game at 56 with just over five minutes remaining. Arizona answered back, scoring four to grab a 60-56 lead, but a Wilson jumper gave the Bulldogs their first lead since the 2:20 mark of the first half at 62-60.
Fresno State returns home for one more game before a small break around the holidays. The Bulldogs will host Loyola Marymount on Thursday, Dec. 16, with tipoff occurring at 7 p.m. in the Save Mart Center.
