Women's Basketball Tries For Seventh 20-Win Season

Feb. 24, 2006

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Fresno State Bulldogs (19-6, 11-2 WAC) at
Boise State Broncos (14-12, 6-8 WAC)
Date: Sunday, Feb. 26
Time: 12 p.m. PST
Site: Boise, Idaho
Facility: Taco Bell Arena (12,380)
Series History: Fresno State leads 8-6
Last Meeting: FS 81, BS 64 (Feb. 4, 2006)
Radio: 1430 ESPN Radio (Play-by-Play: Brian Risso)

Tip-Off
Fresno State (19-6, 11-2 WAC) needs just one more victory to reach the 20-win plateau, a feat that has been accomplished only six other times in school history. The Bulldog's first opportunity to reach that mark comes on Sunday afternoon at Boise State (14-12, 6-8 WAC). Fresno State appears to be back on the winning track, coming off a 77-60 win over San Jose State on Wednesday night at the Save Mart Center. That victory ensures the Bulldogs will finish no lower than second place in the WAC- a program best in any conference.

Looking Ahead
Fresno State will play its final two regular season games at the Save Mart Center. The Bulldogs host Utah State (Thur., Mar. 2 at 7 p.m.) and Nevada (Sat., Mar. 4 at 2 p.m.). Saturday's game against the Wolf Pack will also represent senior day. Single-game tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.gobulldogs.com or at the Save Mart Center box office. Fresno State is 11-1 at home so far this year.

Scouting Boise State
Fresno State's second opponent of the week will be Boise State (14-12, 6-8 WAC). The Broncos are coming off a 72-55 win over Utah State on Thursday night, a game in which three players scored in double-figures led by Jackie Lee (15 points, six rebounds, five assists). Since a five-game winning streak to begin the year, the Broncos have won back-to-back games only twice. Boise State enters Sunday's game having lost four of its last six, with the only other victory coming in the form of a 72-45 win over New Mexico State last week. The Broncos are 9-3 at home and 4-9 on the road. Boise State holds an edge over its opponents in scoring (66.7-61.9), rebounding (42.2-38.4) and field-goal shooting percentage (39.2-37.2). Jessica Thompson leads three players in double-figures at 14.0 ppg. Gordy Presnell is in his first year as head coach.

Fresno State All-Time vs. Boise State
The all-time series, which dates back to 1984, is now led by Fresno State 8-6. The Bulldogs have won four in a row and six of the last seven meetings, including an 81-64 triumph at the Save Mart Center on Feb. 4.

Who's Hot Against Boise State
Chantella Perera has enjoyed the most success against Boise State. In four games, she is shooting 57.5-percent from the field with 13 three-pointers while averaging 17.8 ppg. In five games, Jasmine Plummer has pulled down 28 rebounds. Brittani Green is 8-15 from the field in five contests.

Chasing History
There are three regular-season conference games remaining on the 2005-06 schedule. Fresno State stands one victory shy of recording the seventh 20-win campaign in program history and three away from matching the all-time record. The Bulldogs are also guaranteed at least one game in this year's WAC Tournament, which gets underway Mar. 8 in Reno, Nev. Here is a quick look at the best single-seasons in the history of the program:

YEAR    RECORD  POSTSEASON  HEAD COACH1986-87 22-8    none    Bob Spencer1985-86 21-9    WNIT    Bob Spencer1989-90 21-12   WNIT    Bob Spencer2002-03 21-13   WNIT    Stacy Johnson-Klein1984-85 20-9    none    Bob Spencer2004-05 20-11   WNIT    Stacy Johnson-Klein/            Adrian Wiggins2005-06 19-6*** ??? Adrian Wiggins*** denotes three regular-season games left to play

Conference Chatter
Fresno State (11-2) and Louisiana Tech (13-1) are battling for the regular-season WAC title. The `Dogs have never won a conference championship, regular-season or conference tournament. Fresno State has already surpassed last year's WAC win total (10). Here are the Bulldog's top-five league finishes prior to this year:

YEAR    CONFERENCE RECORD (PLACE)   FINAL RECORD1986-87 12-6 PCAA (4th)     22-82002-03 11-7 WAC (3rd)      21-131989-90 11-7 Big West (4th) 21-121987-88 11-7 Big West (5th) 16-121985-86 8-4 NorPac (3rd)        8-4

Strong Finishers Down The Stretch
Fresno State's success down the stretch has been particularly impressive, as the `Dogs are 31-14 in the final two months of the year since the start of the 2002-03 campaign.

Winning Big With Wiggins
Fresno State has posted a 26-10 overall record under the direction of interim head coach Adrian Wiggins, who has been at the helm of the `Dogs since Feb. 9, 2005. Of the 26 victories under Wiggins, 21 have been of the double-digit variety. In addition, Fresno State has also posted a 17-1 record in games played at the Save Mart Center under Wiggins' guidance.

Welcome Back
Guards Mirenda Swearengin and Tierre Wilson, who sat out the fall semester after being ruled academically ineligible, have led the Bulldogs to a 14-3 record since returning Dec. 17. In 17 games, Swearengin is averaging 15.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Wilson, who has scored in double figures 11 times, is averaging 10.7 ppg and 4.6 rpg in 17 games off the bench.

Fresno State Athletics

Women's Basketball Tries For Seventh 20-Win Season

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Brittani Green

Chantella Perera

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