Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
2-0
Sacramento State
0-2
Dogs catch fire vs. Sacramento State
11/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Nov. 14, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Fresno State guard Jaleesa Ross may be known as a prolific 3-point shooter, but that tag only accounts for part of her gift.
She's also a slasher with an explosive first step, a lock-down defender and a deft passer, capable of sharing the wealth with those around her. Ross' varied skill set was on full display Sunday afternoon, as the senior scored a team-high 25 points to lead the Bulldogs to a commanding 120-93 win over host Sacramento State. Their 120 points were the second-highest in school history and just 10 shy of a new single-game record. Fresno State scored 129 points against Baylor in 1989.
The victory caps a successful two-game road trip for the Bulldogs (2-0), who will return to Fresno on Wednesday for their home-opener against Cal Poly. It's sure to be a special night, as it marks the unveiling of the 2010 NCAA Tournament banner and the presentation of the WAC Champion rings to members of last season's team.
"Jaleesa stepped up as a leader and helped us where we needed it," said Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins, whose team punished Sacramento State 105-57 last season. "Today it was in points. Other days it's defense and rebounding."
Still, Ross wasn't the only Bulldog toying with the Hornets. Seven players scored in double figures for Fresno State, which led by as many as 35 points. Sophomore Rosie Moult finished with 17 points, while senior Hayley Munro posted her first double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Bree Farley scored 14 points, Taja Edwards had 12 and Alex Furr and Marnique Arnold scored 11 points apiece.
Ross torched the Hornets (0-2) in the beginning of each half. She scored 10 points in the first 5½ minutes of the game and had 12 more six minutes into the second half. Her second-half spurt was especially instrumental in putting Sacramento State away. Ross scored 10 of the Bulldogs' first 15 points of the second half, including a 3-pointer for a 71-54 lead.
Ross was 9-for-19 from the floor and 4-for-9 from 3-point range. She now needs 101 3-pointers to become the NCAA's all-time leader in makes. What's more, she needs 16 points to move into fourth place on Fresno State's all-time scoring list.
"I never feel pressure to have to score," Ross said. "(Scoring 120 points) was awesome. But I still feel like we missed a lot of shots. I just saw that we got stagnant and got comfortable shooting 3s. I tried to lead by example and go to the hole a little more."
After watching the Hornets go on an early 12-2 run to close the gap to 23-22 following a 3-pointer from junior guard Sadie Clements, the Bulldogs maintained their distance by buckling down on defense, repeatedly crashing the boards and beating Sacramento State down the floor. Fresno State led 56-45 at the break.
Junior center Veronica Wilson pushed the Bulldogs over the century mark (100-73) with a transition layup with 6:30 left.
"We just had a lot of possessions, and Sacramento State does a great job in speeding you up," Wiggins said. "I think this was a fun night for our players."
Kylie Kuhns led all scorers with 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting, but her effort was thwarted by Sacramento State's collective 32 turnovers.
"We are your team!" --Bring in a canned food item before the end of the first half of Wednesday's home game against Cal Poly and get in free. Those who donate to the food drive will also get half off the price of a men's ticket.
