Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Back In Action
12/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2010
Fresno State (8-4) vs. USC (7-3) at the Save Mart Center, Fresno, Calif.
Tipoff: Wednesday, 6 p.m.
Bulldogs Back In Action
After a brief respite for the holidays, Fresno State returns to the court for Wednesday night's nonconfernece run-in with USC. The Bulldogs have two games remaining before WAC play begins Jan. 8. Fresno State, which is 3-1 at home this season, hasn't played at the Save Mart Center since beating TCU 75-72 on Dec. 4.
Scouting The Trojans
USC comes to Fresno riding a three-game winning streak, as it beat San Diego State 74-64 in the Women of Troy Basketball Classic championship game Dec. 19. Junior guard Ashley Corral led all scorers with 23 points en route to earning Pac-10 Player of the Week honors. Christina Marinacci finished with14 points, and Briana Gilbreath and Jacki Gemelos added 13 points apiece. Head coach Michael Cooper, a former NBA star with the Los Angeles Lakers and a WNBA head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks, is in his second season at USC.
The Series vs. USC
The Trojans lead the all-time series with Fresno State 4-3, including a 68-63 win last season.The Bulldogs' last win against USC came during the 1998-99 season when they prevailed 65-59.
Last Time Out
Fresno State ended its New York adventure on a positive note, routing Southern Mississippi 88-51 in the St. John's Chartwells Holiday Classic consolation game. Senior guard Jaleesa Ross scored a season-high 28 points in the victory. Ross, who is currently third on Fresno State's all-time scoring list, was 11-for-19 from the floor and hit six 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Rosie Moult added 21 points, and senior forward Hayley Munro had 12 points and four steals.
Fresno State Picked To Win WAC, Again
Given the way the Bulldogs have performed in the WAC recently, perhaps it's no surprise they were selected to win the conference title again this year. Fresno State,winners of three consecutive WAC championships, collected seven of nine first-place votes in the recent coaches' preseason poll and 14 of 18 in the media poll. Senior guard Jaleesa Ross was selected as the preseason player of the year.
Ross' Record Watch
Senior guard Jaleesa Ross heads into her final season with her sights set on a number of prestigious marks. One of the best 3-point shooters in the nation, Ross has made 320 3-pointers during her career and currently sits in third place in the WAC for 3-point field goals made. Already Fresno State's leader in that category, Ross is 73 away from becoming the NCAA's all-time leader for 3-pointers made. Former Kansas State guard Laurie Koehn holds the current record with 392 treys. Ross made 103 last season.
Ross' Record Watch Part II
Jaleesa Ross is also threatening to become Fresno State's all-time leading scorer. She has already amassed 1,636 points in her career and is currently in third place on the Fresno State all-time scoring list. She needs 11 more points to pass Lindsay Logan (1,646) and move into second place and 143 to leap to the top of the list, surpassing Yvette Roberts (1,778 points).
"We Are Your Team!" -- Central California Blood Center will be in front of the Save Mart Center on Wednesday between 4:30-8:30 p.m. taking blood donations. Donors will receive free admission and a Bulldog T-shirt. Also, Mutts in Motion will be performing at halftime.
