Bulldogs Open Final Homestand With Utah State On Thursday

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Feb. 28, 2006

Fresno State Bulldogs (20-6, 12-2 WAC) vs.
Utah State Aggies (3-21, 2-12 WAC)
Date: Thursday, Mar. 2
Time: 7 p.m.
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Facility: Save Mart Center (16,116)
Series History: Fresno State leads 1-0
Last Meeting: FS 60, USU 58 (Jan. 7, 2006)
Radio: 1430 ESPN Radio (Play-by-Play: Paul Swearengin)
Tickets: (559) 278-DOGS; (559) 485-TIXS; www.gobulldogs.com

Tip-Off
Already assured of a 20-win season, Fresno State (20-6, 12-2 WAC) can match the single-season program record of 22 victories with a homestand sweep this week. The Bulldogs host Utah State (3-21, 2-12 WAC) on Thursday night to open the week and conclude the homestand two days later against Nevada (12-14, 8-6 WAC). Fresno State is guaranteed to finish no worse than second place in the WAC- the best league finish in school history.

Senior Salute
Five seniors will be honored prior to Saturday's game against Nevada. Those individuals include: Toni Atherley, Angelica Lopez, Amy Parrish, Faith Probst and Mirenda Swearengin.

Parrish Named WAC Player of the Week
Amy Parrish was named the Xbox Live WAC Player of the Week for Feb. 27. In two Bulldog victories last week, Parrish was 15-26 from the field while averaging 23.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg with one double-double.

Scouting Utah State
Utah State has struggled in its first season as a member of the WAC, posting a 3-21 overall record and 2-12 mark in conference play. The Aggies have posted conference wins over New Mexico State and Idaho, in addition to a 74-51 non-conference triumph over Utah Valley State. Last year, Utah State finished 14-14 overall and 8-8 in the Big West, good for sixth place. The Aggies average 56.2 ppg, boast a shooting percentage of 37.9-percent and have an assist/turnover margin of -7.2. Ali Marchant (9.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) is the team's leading scorer and rebounder, while Jessica Freeman (8.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg) and Taylor Richards (8.3 ppg, 92 assists) are other players to watch. Utah State is 1-10 on the road.

Fresno State All-Time vs. Utah State
In the first-ever meeting between the two schools, Fresno State edged Utah State 60-58 in the WAC opener at Logan, Utah. In that game, the Bulldogs were led by Amy Parrish's 16 points while Mirenda Swearengin finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists.

Who's Hot Against Utah State
In the only meeting, three players scored in double figures: Amy Parrish (16 points, nine rebounds), Mirenda Swearengin (12 points, nine rebounds) and Tierre Wilson (11 points). Also, Chantella Perera finished with five points, five rebounds and eight assists.

Chasing History
Two regular-season WAC games remain. Fresno State stands two victories shy of matching the all-time single-season win mark of 22. The `Dogs are also guaranteed at least one game in this year's WAC Tournament, which gets underway next week. Here is look at the best single-seasons in program history.

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 20-6    ??? Adrian Wiggins

Conference Chatter
Fresno State, which stands at 12-2 in the WAC, has equaled the program record for conference victories in a single-season. The 1986-87 squad finished 12-6 overall in the PCAA, good for fourth place. In addition, Fresno State is guaranteed to finish no lower than second place- also a program best. The `Dogs have never won a conference championship, regular-season or conference tournament. Four-time defending WAC champion Louisiana Tech holds down first place at 13-2 with one game (vs. Hawai'i) left while Fresno State hosts Utah State and Nevada to close out the year.

Winning Big With Wiggins
Fresno State has posted a 27-10 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 27 victories under Wiggins, 22 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. The only loss came at the hands of then-No. 10 Arizona State in the form of a 68-52 setback.

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 15-3 record since returning Dec. 17. In 18 games, Swearengin is averaging 15.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. Wilson, who has scored in double figures 11 times, is averaging 10.6 ppg and 4.6 rpg in 18 games off the bench.

Last Time Out: Fresno State 65, Boise State 55 (Feb. 26, 2006)
Amy Parrish matched a career-high with 24 points and Fresno State secured its seventh 20-win season in school history in a 65-55 victory over Boise State. Sunday's outcome was never in doubt, as Fresno State shot 41.9-percent, held a 26-point advantage in the first half and built a 43-25 halftime lead. Boise State was paced by Nadia Begay's 14 points (four three-pointers). Tierre Wilson chipped in with eight points and five rebounds while Mirenda Swearengin added seven points and eight rebounds. The Bulldogs racked up nine steals and forced the Broncos into 21 turnovers. Boise State held a 40-39 rebounding edge. Fresno State shot 48.6-percent in the first half, going up by double-digits six minutes into the game at 12-2 following a free throw from Parrish. Leading 43-25 at intermission, the Bulldogs had stretched their lead back up to 20 by the 13:08 mark of the second half.

Opportunistic Defense
A quick, swarming pressure defense has yielded favorable results for Fresno State. The Bulldogs are forcing 19.4 turnovers per game, with most of those coming as a result of timely steals and opportunistic defense. The `Dogs have forced their opponents to commit at least 20 turnovers on 12 different occasions.

Score At The Half
How do you predict a Fresno State victory? When the Bulldogs lead at the half, they are 18-1. In games they trail at intermission, they own a ledger of 2-5. When the Bulldogs turned a 28-26 halftime deficit into a 56-50 victory at San Diego on Dec. 5, it signaled the first time Fresno State rallied to win after trailing at the half since Feb. 14, 2004 (down 32-30 at Boise State).

Winning The Rebound Battle
Fresno State continues to establish its reputation as a strong rebounding club. The Bulldogs, who own a 14-3 mark when outrebounding their opponent, are averaging 40.7 boards per game while allowing only 34.1. That's a difference of +6.6, a mark that ranks tops in the WAC and 19th nationally. Fresno State has pulled down at least 50 boards in a game five times.

Parrish The Thought
Amy Parrish is doing her best to provide an encore to last season's impressive campaign in which she garnered first-team All-WAC honors. She leads the team with 15.5 ppg while pulling down 6.6 rpg. She has scored in double-figures in all but five games, her field-goal percentage stands at 49.2-percent and she has even knocked down 20-66 three-pointers. Parrish has registered nine 20-point games and posted three double-doubles.

Call The Plummer
One of two players to start every game, Jasmine Plummer is normally given the assignment of guarding the opposing team's leading scorer. She is averaging only 3.3 ppg but her contributions in transition and on defense are invaluable. Plummer ranks third on the squad in rebounding at 5.4 ppg and leads the team in blocked shots (47) and steals (61).

Fresno State All-Time At The Save Mart Center
Fresno State, 11-1 in home games this year, has compiled a 28-13 overall record in games played at the Save Mart Center since the arena opened in 2003. The Bulldog's inaugural season produced several school attendance records, including a No. 19 national ranking in average home attendance and the third-largest yearly increase among all other DIvision 1 programs. Last year, Fresno State ranked 22nd in both total and average attendance and a record crowd of 7,042 watched the `Dogs 58-38 win over Pepperdine in the opener.

Fresno State Athletics

Bulldogs Open Final Homestand With Utah State On Thursday

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Angelica Lopez

Amy Parrish

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Jasmine Plummer

Faith Probst

Mirenda Swearengin

Tierre Wilson

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