Fresno State Athletics
Dogs Begin Defense of WAC Title
1/7/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 7, 2011
Bulldogs Begin Defense of WAC Title
Fresno State's quest to defend its WAC regular-season title begins Saturday with a road contest at Utah State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. The Bulldogs won their third consecutive conference championship last season with a resounding 16-0 finish in WAC play. Indeed, Fresno State hasn't lost a conference game since falling to Louisiana Tech 80-62 on March 2, 2009.
Scouting The Aggies
Utah State opened WAC play Thursday night with a 69-57 win over Boise State, ending a two-game losing streak. Sophomore guard Devyn Christensen scored a game-high 21 points. The Aggies were tabbed to finish eighth in the WAC coaches preseason poll.
The Series vs. Utah State
Fresno State leads the all-time series against Utah State 9-2 and has won the past five games. The Aggies' last win against the Bulldogs came with a 44-40 home victory during the 2007-08 season.
Last Time Out
Behind some stellar outside shooting from sophomore forward Rosie Moult, Fresno State defeated UC Riverside 80-57 in its final nonconference game of the season. Moult was 6- for-6 from 3-point range and finished with 21 points. Her six 3s marked a new career high. Senior guard Jaleesa Ross added 19 points and is averaging 23.5 points over the past three games.
WAC Winning Streak
Fresno State has won 18 consecutive WAC regular-season games dating back to the 2008-09 season. That mark is the third best in conference history behind Louisiana Tech's 23-game winning streak from 2003-05 and its 22-game spree from 2002-04.
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 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 330 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 66 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 1,684 points in her career and is currently in second place on the Fresno State all-time scoring list. She needs 95 more points to leap to the top of the list, surpassing Yvette Roberts (1,778 points).
"We Are Your Team!" -- Make sure to head to the Save Mart Center on Jan. 13 when Fresno State takes on rival Louisiana Tech in the WAC "Pack the House" challenge. Help the Bulldogs break the current attendance record of 7,042 and be a part of a nationally televised audience, as the game will be televised on ESPNU. The first 1,500 fans through the doors get a free pompom to help cheer on the team.
