Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
6-2
TCU
4-4
Fresno State Upends TCU
12/4/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 4, 2010
Fresno State women's basketball coach Adrian Wiggins took his place inside the locker room Saturday afternoon - surrounded by a host of smiles - when he let fly with the perfect postgame statement.
"That's a good victory right there!" he said with a smile.
Indeed. The Bulldogs rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit and, in doing so, treated fans to a spectacular ending even the giants from Hollywood couldn't have scripted. Senior guard Emma Andrews, who was playing in her first game since having right knee surgery last spring, knocked down the game-winning shot with 16 seconds to play to send Fresno State to a thrilling 75-72 victory over TCU at the Save Mart Center.
"We've got a great deal of confidence in Emma; we always have," Wiggins said. "Did anyone have any doubt (that shot) was going in?"
Andrews certainly appeared confident. Seconds after missing a layup, she calmly responded with what was likely the biggest bucket of her career. Andrews sank a 3-pointer from the top of the arc to break a 72-72 tie, and those late-game heroics handed the Bulldogs their most significant win of the season.
Andrews checked in with 16:23 left in the first half, replacing point guard Taylor Thompson, and was greeted with a strong round of applause from the 2,548 fans in attendance. She made an immediate impact, knocking down her first jumper from the floor. Andrews finished with six points, four assists and one steal in 19 minutes of playing time.
"I've been ready since the day I had the operation," said Andrews, who played in all 31 games last season. "It wasn't me; it was the team. They (raise) you up. You do the small things, and the bigger things just come along with it. I was open, and it went in. It looked like it was in slow motion to me."
Still, Andrew's big shot wasn't the only highlight of this game. The afternoon was rife with memorable moments.
There was senior forward Taja Edwards' (eight points, eight rebounds) big hustle play with 3:38 left, as she grabbed an offensive board, fell to the ground and called a timeout. There was Rosie Moult's (23 points) huge three-point-play gave Fresno State new life with 3:11 remaining. And there was senior guard Jaleesa Ross' (17 points, six assists) clutch 3-pointer from the top of the arc that tied the game at 70-70.
Everyone had a hand in pulling off a victory that only moments earlier looked extremely unlikely.
TCU guards Helena Sverrisdottir and Emily Carter continued to heat up throughout the game and helped the Frogs build a seemingly insurmountable double-digit lead.
Sverrisdottir, the reigning Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, dropped two key 3-pointers, including one from the top of the arc, to give TCU a 51-39 lead with 13:46 to go. She was 4-for-9 from 3-point range and finished with a team-high 22 points. Carter and Delisa Gross added 18 points a piece for a TCU team that just last week was ranked No. 21 in the nation.
"We just took in what (Wiggins) was saying and tried to relay that message over and over," Ross said. "We have big goals, and TCU is a tournament team. I know we know how good we can be, and we showed we can compete at that level."
"We Are Your Team!" -- Fresno State, winners of three in a row, will travel to Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
