Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
16-7, 7-2
Boise State
11-13, 2-8
Ross Goes The Distance For Dogs
2/10/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2011
Fresno, CALIF. - With a wild and strenuous road trip safely in its rearview mirror, it was finally business as usual for the Fresno State women's basketball team.
Behind a 32-point effort from senior guard Jaleesa Ross, the Bulldogs rolled to a 78-59 win over Boise State at the Save Mart Center on Thursday night. Fresno State remains two games behind Louisiana Tech in the WAC title race with seven games to play.
"I'm very proud of the rebound our team had as far as coming off a long trip and coming back out here and playing," Bulldogs coach Adrian Wiggins said. "Basketball is a long season, and we came out with a great defensive effort."
That said, it was Ross' proficiency from beyond the arc that earned the bulk of the attention.
Already Fresno State's (16-7, 7-2 WAC) career leader for 3-pointers made, Ross tied a career-high with eight 3s against the Broncos. She now has 365 3-pointers to her name and needs just one more to break the WAC record for long-distance jumpers. WNBA star point guard Becky Hammon, formerly of Colorado State, has owned the mark for the past 12 years.
Ross was 12-for-22 from the floor and 8-for-16 from 3-point range against Boise State (11-13, 2-8). Her 32 points were one shy of her career high.
"I don't think it's anything I'm doing," said Ross, who earlier this season became the program's all-time leading scorer. "My teammates are working hard to get me open."
Ross may have dominated the scoring column, but it was the Bulldogs' collective effort that moved them past Boise State. The Broncos managed to climb to within eight points early in the second half, but Fresno State responded with a 7-0 run and pushed its lead to 55-40 following a 3-pointer by sophomore forward Rosie Moult.
Seven players scored for Fresno State, with Moult finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward Taja Edwards adding 14 points and six boards. Ross also had six assists against just one turnover.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 23 points, and the varied contributions were just what they needed, as they were forced to make do without senior forward Marnique Arnold. Arnold missed the game while serving a one-game suspension for her involvement in an altercation at the end of last week's 90-84 overtime loss at Louisiana Tech. Hayley Munro, who already had 13 starts under her belt this season, got the nod in place of Arnold.
With Arnold unavailable, Wiggins turned to his bench early and often. Guard Blakely Goldberg and center Veronica Wilson, both of whom tend to play sparingly, received a solid dose of court time. Both made the most of the opportunity. Goldberg had three points and five rebounds in 11 minutes, while Wilson added five points and three boards in 15 minutes.
"We've always been good at bouncing back," Ross said. "I think it has to do with the leadership of our coaching staff all the way to the bench. It was a huge group effort, and everyone tried to lead in some way."
"We Are Your Team!" -- The Fresno State athletics department will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday. The festivities will coincide with the Bulldogs' women's basketball game against Utah State and will include a free sports clinic for children. Fans in attendance will also get a chance to visit with honored former Fresno State student-athletes after the game.
