Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
2-1
University of Southern California
3-1
Fresno State Falls at USC 68-50
11/23/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
LOS ANGELES - The Fresno State women's basketball team was handed its first loss of the young season as four Trojans scored in double figures to give USC a 68-50 win this afternoon at the Galen Center.
Senior forward Alex Sheedy led the Bulldogs with 16 points and seven rebounds, but the effort wasn't enough as she was the only Fresno state player in double figures. The Trojans got 12 points from both Alexyz Vaioletama and Courtney Jaco, and 10 points from Jordan Adams and Brianna Barrett.
A layup by Vaioletama less than two minutes into the game gave the Trojans a 2-0 lead, the first time the Bulldogs have trailed this season, but Fresno State senior guard Alex Furr quickly grabbed the lead back for `Dogs with a shot from outside.
The Trojans responded with a 7-0 run by pounding the ball inside. Senior guard Robin Draper connected on a shot from behind the arc to end the run and make it 9-6 with 14:35 on the clock, but USC then ran off a 6-0 run.
Junior guard Shauqunna Collins ended the stretch by getting into the lane for a layup. With 5:45 left, Draper capped a 6-2 Bulldog run to pull Fresno State within two at 21-19 on a layup after an outlet pass from Sheedy who forced a turnover.
USC though was able to outscore the Bulldogs 6-2 over the final minutes of the half to take a 29-23 lead into the break.
After being saddled with foul trouble throughout the first half, redshirt freshman center Bego Faz Davalos converted 1-of-2 from the line just 17 seconds into the half, but a 7-0 spurt from the Trojans extended their lead to 12 less than two minutes into the half. Kaneisha Horn's layup made it a 36-24 lead, the Bulldogs' largest deficit to that point of the game.
Fresno State continued to claw back though over the next five-plus minutes. Senior guard Raven Fox dropped a 3-pointer with 12:52 on the clock, which brought the `Dogs within four at 38-34.
USC subsequently called a timeout to slow the rally. The break seemed to work as Jaco hit a corner 3 that was followed by a layup from Vaioletama that pushed the Trojans' lead back up to 12 at48-36 with just under 10 remaining. USC continued to push the pace and hit from both the inside and outside. The Trojans used a 23-7 stretch to build up a 19-point lead with 5:44 on the clock to all but end the game.
The Bulldogs were able to bring the deficit down the 14, but with under six minutes remaining, time wasn't on the Bulldogs' side as the fell 68-50
After hanging with the Trojans and shooting 43.5 percent (10-of-23) in the first half, the Bulldogs were unable to replicate the first 20 minutes as they shot only 29.6 percent (8-of-27) in the second half compared to USC's 57.1 percent (16-of-28). The Trojans also controlled the paint throughout the contest, out-rebounding Bulldogs 40-21, outscoring them in the paint 44-22 and holding a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points.
"Be Bold" - ESPN2 790 AM is the home of the Fresno State women's basketball team.
