Fresno State Athletics
Dogs Arrive in Albuquerque
3/17/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 17, 2011
NCAA Tournament
No. 12 FRESNO STATE vs No. 5 North Carolina
When: Saturday, March 19
Time: 1 p.m.
Where: The Pit (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Radio: 790 ESPN
TV: ESPN2
Records: Fresno State (25-7) beat Louisiana Tech 78-76 last Saturday. North Carolina (26-8) beat Kennesaw State 98-52 on Sunday.
Bulldogs Return to NCAA Tournament
For the fourth consecutive year, the Fresno State women's basketball team is heading to the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs received an automatic berth to the Big Dance after beating Louisiana Tech 78-76 in the WAC Tournament championship game March 12. Fresno State enters the Big Dance riding a 10-game winning streak, and its No. 12 seed is the highest in program history.
Fresno State vs. North Carolina
This is the first time the Bulldogs have faced the Tar Heels.
Fresno State at the NCAA Tournament
The Bulldogs are making their fourth consecutive stop at the Big Dance. Prior to the 2007-08 season, Fresno State had never made it to the tournament. In 2008 the No. 14 seed Bulldogs lost to No. 3 Baylor 88-67, and then in 2009 No. 4-seeded Cal beat the No. 13 Bulldogs 70-47. No. 13 Fresno State lost to No. 4 Baylor 69-55 last season. The Bulldogs have never advanced to the second round.
Recapping the 2011 WAC Tournament
Fresno State has won 11 of its past 13 games in the conference tournament. The Bulldogs continued their hot streak and won the 2011 WAC Tournament with a 78-76 victory over Louisiana Tech. Fresno State has now won the event three of the past four years. Senior guard Jaleesa Ross was named Tournament MVP after finishing with 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting against the Lady Techsters. She is the first player to earn the honor three times. Sophomore forward Rosie Moult was also named to the all-tournament team. Moult tied a career high with 23 points in an 86-76 semifinal victory over Utah State.
Scouting The Tar Heels
North Carolina finished the season ranked No. 14 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. The Tar Heels advanced to the ACC championship game before falling to No. 6 Duke 81-66. Senior guard Italee Lucas averages 16.2 points per game. North Carolina has made 23 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and won the championship in 1994. Coach Sylvia Hatchell is 37-17 in NCAA Tournament play.
Bulldogs Earn All-WAC Honors
For the third consecutive year, senior guard Jaleesa Ross received first-team All-WAC honors. Sophomore forward Rosie Moult landed on the second team, and freshman point guard Taylor Thompson earned a spot on the All-freshman squad.
Wiggins Against Nationally Ranked Teams
Since Adrian Wiggins was named head coach of the Bulldogs in 2005, his team is 3-9 against nationally ranked opponents. In its last matchup with a ranked team, Fresno State lost to then-No. 2 Stanford 77-40 on Dec. 12. The Bulldogs haven't beaten a ranked opponent since the 2008-09 season when they knocked off then-No. 22 TCU 75-71.
We Are No. 1!
Fresno State currently leads the NCAA in 3-pointers made per contest at 9.7 Jaleesa Ross is ranked No. 7 in the nation with 3.1 3-pointers per game and Rosie Moult is 11th, averaging 2.9 3s per game.
Ross Sets Scoring Record
Senior guard Jaleesa Ross became the leading scorer in Fresno State women's basketball history on Jan. 27. Ross scored a game-high 18 points in the Bulldogs' 65-33 win over San Jose State, breaking former forward Yvette Roberts' scoring record of 1,778 points set in 1989. Then on March 5, Ross did even more by passing former Fresno State forward Melvin Ely and becoming the Bulldogs' all-time leading scorer ever. Ely's mark of 1,951 points stood for nine years. Ross now has 1,988 career points.
Ross' Record Watch Continues
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 385 3-pointers during her career. On Feb. 12, she set the WAC record for 3s in a career, breaking Becky Hammon's (Colorado State) 12-year-old mark. Ross is eight 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. James Madison senior guard Dawn Evans is also eyeing the record with 387 3s.
"We Are Your Team!" -- No. 12 seed Fresno State is set to play No. 5 seed North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The game begins at 1 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN2.
