Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
22-7
New Mexico State<br>(WAC Tournament Quarterfinals)
9-19
Women's Basketball Upset In WAC Quarterfinals, 74-66
3/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 8, 2006
RENO- Cecilia Russell-Nava knocked down four key second-half three pointers and Jenean Ford notched a double-double as New Mexico State upset Fresno State 74-66 on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the WAC Tournament.
Fresno State (22-7, 14-2 WAC), bidding for a program record 23rd win, now awaits its status for at-large consideration into the NCAA Tournament or a more likely WNIT berth when selections are announced Monday evening. New Mexico State (9-19, 5-11 WAC), which checked in as the No. 7 seed, advances to face Boise State (15-14, 6-10 WAC), a 72-63 upset winner over Hawai'i, on Friday afternoon in the semifinals.
A close game throughout, the Aggies used an 12-2 scoring run during the final three minutes to ice the game and stun the Bulldogs, who were projected by many to reach the conference tournament title game.
The Bulldogs shot 45.5-percent overall and limited the Aggies to just 35.6-percent. However, New Mexico State was able to stay within striking distance thanks to a surprisingly strong rebounding effort. In the first two meetings, Fresno State outrebounded New Mexico State by an average of 15 boards and 92-62 overall. On Wednesday afternoon, the Aggies held a commanding 49-30 edge (18-8 offensive) and benefited from numerous second half looks and a hustling lineup.
"Give credit to New Mexico State; they played harder than we did and deserve to win," said head coach Adrian Wiggins, who has guided the Bulldogs to a 29-11 record since taking over last February. "They did some of the little things better than us, specifically making free throws and rebounding. I didn't feel like we gave the effort we normally do and you absolutely must at this time of year. However, we are still 22-7 and that's a good season. We have a good chance to play another game (WNIT) and that will give us an opportunity to shake this off."
New Mexico State was also 24-28 from the free throw line compared to Fresno State's 14-28 clip.
Mirenda Swearengin paced the Bulldogs with 18 points, six assists and six steals. Chantella Perera added 14 points and five rebounds while Tierre Wilson chipped in with 11.
New Mexico State placed four players in double-figures, led by Ford's 16 points. Ford, who also grabbed 16 boards, was 10-10 from the foul line while Russell-Nava scored 15 of her 17 points in the second half. The Aggies connected on 8-20 triples.
The Bulldogs forced 18 turnovers but were outscored 50-36 in the second half.
Fresno State held a 30-24 lead at halftime, despite shooting 50-percent from the field while limiting New Mexico State to just 30.3-percent. The Bulldogs were unable to pull away, with their largest lead coming at 29-22 following a put-back from Brittani Green with just over two minutes left.
The Aggies, who entered the game owning the worst field-goal percentage in the WAC at 35.4-percent, were able to keep things close in the first half thanks to a 23-16 rebounding advantage that resulted in frequent second-chance opportunities.
Aside from a 2-2 tie, the Bulldogs led the entire first half. The Aggies managed to climb within one at 23-22 after a runner from Russell-Nava, only to see Fresno State close out the first half on a 7-2 run.
A three-pointer from Perera on the first possession of the second half put Fresno State in front 33-24. A lay-up from Andrea Roberson stretched the Bulldog's lead to 42-31 with 15:15 on the clock- their largest lead of the second half.
Trailing 47-37, New Mexico State responded with a 16-7 scoring run that included back-to-back triples from Russell-Nava to slice the Fresno State lead to 54-53 with 7:48 remaining.
Another Russell-Nava trey at the 3:50 mark knotted the game at 62-62 and New Mexico State iced the game from that point on. The Aggies would go on to score 12 of the next 14 points.
