Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Back Home for San Jose State Wednesday Night
1/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 13, 2015
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - After maintaining the lead in the Mountain West with a 4-0 record with a win on Dec. 10 against Nevada, Fresno State hosts San Jose State Wednesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., PT. The game will stream live on the Mountain West Network and Christian Lukens will be on the call for ESPN2 790 AM.
Saluting Our Military
Wednesday is Salute to Services night as all veterans and current military with a valid ID will receive free admission to the game.
Game Info
Fresno State (12-3, 4-0 MW) vs. San Jose State (8-7, 2-2 MW) -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video: Mountain West Network; Radio: ESPN2 790 AM; Live Stats: GoBulldogs.com
7 p.m., PT
Bulldog Bites
• Jaime White enters her first season at the helm of the Bulldog program. The 10th head coach in program history, White comes to Fresno State after eight seasons at Northern Colorado.
White earned the first win of her Bulldog career on Nov. 16, 2014 at the Save Mart Center in a 67-56 victory over Cal Poly.
• On the bench, White is joined by assistant coaches Mandi Carver, Keith Ferguson and Laura Dinkins, along with director of operations Tom Perkins and graduate assistant Erik DeRoo.
• The Bulldogs return 11 letterwinners in 2014-15, including two senior starters in forward Alex Sheedy and guard Robin Draper.
• Fresno State became the last unbeaten team in conference play, moving its record to 4-0 with a 65-43 win over Nevada on Jan. 10 as assistant coach Mandi Carver assumed head coaching duties due to the absence of head coach Jaime Smith who was away after a death in the family. Sheedy led the team in scoring with 17 points, while redshirt freshman center Bego Faz Davalos filled up the stat sheet with 14 points, six blocks, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
• The 'Dogs took over the conference lead with their third-straight win on Jan. 7, topping Utah State 70-64 on the road as seniors Alex Furr and Sheedy each posted 17-point performances. The duo combined to score 25 of their 34 points in the second half.
• Fresno State faced its first road test of the Mountain West road test of the season at San Diego State (Jan. 3), and the Bulldogs came away with a 56-44 win, led by 19 points for Sheedy. SDSU was held to 27.1 percent from the field, the second lowest mark for an opponent season this season. • The 'Dogs opened Mountain West play on New Year's Eve with a 71-65 win which saw junior guard Shauqunna Collins total 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. It was the team's fourth-consecutive victory over the Lobos.
• Fresno State won its final game of the non-conference season on Dec. 21, capturing its first win at a Pac-12 school since Arizona in 2006, as the team topped Oregon 68-59 at the Matthew Knight Arena. Sheedy led the 'Dogs with her second consecutive 25-point effort which mated her career high.
• On Dec. 14, the Bulldogs defeated Cal State Fullerton 57-52 to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since the start of the 2014-15 season. The win was Fresno State's first this year when trailing at the half as the Titans held a one-point lead. In the second half, Sheedy became the 22nd Bulldog to join the 1,000-point club as she led the team with 19 points on the afternoon.
• Fresno State returned to the Save Mart Center on Dec. 12 after its first trip outside of California to defeat a one-loss Saint Mary's team. The Bulldogs lost a 20-point lead midway through the second half, but led by senior forward Alex Sheedy's 18 points and 10 rebounds, and a season-high 10 points from senior guard Stephanie Rovetti off of the bench, they won 60-56.
• In the team's first trip of the season outside of California, Fresno State fell in to George Washington, 73-64, in a close game in Washington D.C. Junior guard Shauqunna Collins nearly willed the team to a win with 11 of her team-high 14 points in the second half.
• The 'Dogs took down their second undefeated opponent of the season, locking down on UC Riverside offense and the nation's leading scorer in a 73-61 victory. In only 16 minutes, and coming off of the bench for the first time this season, senior forward Alex Sheedy recorded her third double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Alex Furr chipped in a career-high five 3-pointers as the team shot 52.6 percent from beyond the arc.
• Unable to slow Bakersfield down on the road, Fresno State fell 80-60 as the Roadrunners shot 44.1 percent (26-of-59) from the field and 11-of-20 (55 percent) from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were forced into committing 29 turnovers that resulted in 38 Bakersfield points. Senior forward Alex Sheedy led Fresno State with her second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• Senior guard Raven Fox scored a career-high 31 points in the 'Dogs first road win of the season at San Diego, 93-88. The squad shot 71.4 percent in the second half as it overcame an eight point deficit midway through the final 20 minutes.
• Fresno State dropped its first game of the season at USC as the Trojans controlled the paint, holding a 40-21 rebounding advantage and outscoring the Bulldogs 44-22 in the paint. Sheedy led all scorers with 16 points, while adding seven rebounds.
• The Bulldogs won its second game to start the season with a 65-36 win against Cal State Stanislaus. Redshirt freshman Bego Faz Davalos recorded her first double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while also adding seven blocks. Sheedy chipped in a team-high 20 points.
• In Fresno State's opening win of the season over Cal Poly, senior forward Alex Sheedy led the team with her seventh career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. The Australian also added a career best five assists in the contest.
• Senior guard Alex Furr also chipped in 12 points as well, and fellow senior Robin Draper added 11.
• In her Bulldog debut, redshirt freshman Bego Faz Davalos totaled seven points, six rebounds and five blocks against the Mustangs.
Don't Trail, Don't Lose
• Although several games have appeared close throughout the season, the Bulldogs have been able to maintain leads, most notably since Mountain West play has started. During the 'Dogs 80 minutes of conference action, they have only trailed for a total of 4:56.
• The team's largest deficit during the four games has been two points and opponents leads' have only come in the first half.
Starting Fast
• During the Bulldogs current eight-game winning streak, they are averaging 35.5 points during the first half, while holding opponents to only 26.6.
Playing in Paint
• Whether it's been with its offense or defense, Fresno State has found a great deal of success this season in the paint, with the dominance there being a key to securing one win after another. The Bulldogs are 11-0 when outscoring opponents in the paint, averaging 36.4 points in those games compared to just 24.9 their opponents.
Turning Defense Into Offense
• Fresno State has embodied its nickname this season. Bulldogs is not just a name for the team, but a mentality for its aggressive defense. With a penchant for forcing turnovers and making them count, the 'Dogs are 7-0 on year when turning its defense into points at the other end.
Moving Fast
• Speed has been at times been a problem for Bulldog opponents this season as progressively throughout the year, Fresno State has increased its tempo and pressure. Whether it's off of an opponent's turnover or missed basket, the 'Dogs have made a habit of scoring on the break and it's churning out results in the win column as they are 10-0 this year when outscoring their opponents in fast break points.
• In the 10 wins, the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents by 6.9 points per game on the fast break.
Haven't Left Too Often
• Of Fresno State's 15 games, the team has only left the state of California on three occasions. With their first conference win outside of the state on Dec. 7 at Utah State, the team moved to 2-1 on the year outside of California.
Home Sweet Home
• Fresno State is 8-0 this season when playing its games at the Save Mart Center.
• During the last four-plus seasons, the Bulldogs are have lost only seven games in front of its home crowd.
Pickin' Pockets
• Through 15 games, Bulldog guards Shauqunna Collins and Raven Fox have been a nuisance for opposing players. The two are currently second and third respectively in the Mountain West in steals at 2.3 and 2.1 per game.
• Since the start of the conference season, Collins has swiped 16 of her 34 steals and leads the league with 4.0 per game.
• Collins and Fox are not the only 'Dogs coming up with steals. Against Nevada (Jan. 10), it was a complete team effort as six Fresno State players recorded two or more steals as the team finished with a season-high 21 steals and 33 forced turnovers.
• The 21 steals was the most since the Bulldogs recorded 21 at Air Force on March, 2, 2013.
Deep Range
• Senior guard Alex Furr has been a consistent threat from behind the arc this season, occasionally connecting for several feet behind the line. The Texan is 10th in the MW with 1.8 3's made per game, but hitting them at a 41.3 percent clip.
• Of Furr's 87 field goal attempts, 63 have come from 3-point range.
Block Party
• After redshirting in 2013-14, Bego Faz Davalos has burst onto the scene this year, using her rangy 6-foot-3 frame to be a defensive force inside for the Bulldogs. As of Jan. 12, she leads the MW and ranks 20th nationally in blocks per game at 2.87.
• She ranks second in country among freshmen in blocks per game.
• Her 43 blocks is tied for the 10th best single-season season total in Bulldog history which Jacinta Vandenberg posted in 2013-14 (33 games).
• She has twice recorded seven-blocks in a game (Cal State Stanislaus, Nov. 19; Utah State, Jan. 7).
• Since the start of conference play, Faz Davalos is averaging 4.8 blocks per game, 1.5 ahead of Nevada's 6-foot-8 Mimi Mungedi. She has posted games of seven, six and four blocks in conference play, all which rank in the top six-block performances through four league games.
Dog From Down Under
• Senior forward Alex Sheedy began her final season in Fresno, Calif., with a solid performance, recording her seventh career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds against Cal Poly (Nov. 16). The native of Moe, Australia, who earned a spot on the preseason All-Mountain West Team, ended the first half with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with four rebounds.
• She followed up the season opener with 20 points and eight rebounds against Cal State Stanislaus.
• For the third game in a row (at USC), Sheedy recorded double figures with 16 points and added seven points.
• At Bakersfield, Sheedy recorded her second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
• After missing practice leading up to facing undefeated UC Riverside (Dec. 4) due to the flu, the senior did not start, but still made a sizable impact, recording her third double-double of the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds in only 16 minutes of action.
• Facing three Australian counterparts, Sheedy refused to lose to Saint Mary's (Dec. 12), leading the 'Dogs to a 60-54 win with fourth double-double in eight games with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
• Trailing by five at the half against Bethesda (Dec. 19), the senior stepped up in a big way, scoring 19 of her career-high 25 points to help the 'Dogs score 54 points in the second half to win. Two days later, Sheedy tallied 25 points again, this time in a win at Oregon (Dec. 21).
Nearly Automatic Aussie
• In overall games, Alex Sheedy leads the Mountain West in free-throw percentage at at .864 (57-of-66) and ranks 36th nationally (as of Jan. 12).
• Sheedy has only missed more than one free throw in one game this season (two on Nov. 30 at Bakersfield), and has converted her last 13 in a row at the charity stripe, not missing since Dec. 30.
Streaking
• The Bulldogs are currently on an eight-game winning streak, the longest since last season's eight-game streak from Feb. 19-March 15.
• If the 'Dogs surpass the eight-game win streak, they'll be in search for the 12-game streak that the '11-12 team put together from Jan. 11-Feb. 23.
• The program's longest win streak came during the '09-10 season when they put together a stretch of 19 wins en-route to a perfect 16-0 season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Learning to Protect the Ball
• During the non-conference season (11 games), neither Shauqunna Collins (1.0) or Raven Fox (0.6) ranked in the MW's top 10 in assist/turnover ratio, but the two Bulldog point guards have had become two of the best in the conference since the start of league play. Through four games, Collins ranks second with a ratio of 2.4, while Fox is third with a 2.0.
Dishing the Rock
• Since the conference season started on Dec. 31, Shauqunna Collins and Raven Fox have been the second-best distributing due in the Mountain West. The two have combined to average 8.8 assists per game through the past four games.
• Fox ranks fourth at 4.5 per game, while Collins is sixth at 4.3.
Series History with San Jose State
• The Bulldogs hold a 52-19 record all-time against San Jose State.
• The Spartans have won two of the last three games, winning last season's second matchup, a 107-80 victory on senior night.
• Prior to dropping two games in a row in the series, the 'Dogs had previously won 20 consecutive games.
A Look at San Jose State
• The Spartans are 7-8 on the year and 2-2 in the conference.
• Outside of the Mountain West, SJSU has one opponent in common with Fresno State. The Spartans lost 100-80 at UC Riverside on Nov. 20, while the Bulldogs defeated UCR 73-61 on Dec. 4.
• San Jose State is led by Preseason All-MW selection Ta'Rea Cunnigan who is averaging 16.2 points per game. Fellow senior guard Rebecca Woodberry is the only other Spartan in double figures at 12.3 points per contest. She leads the team in rebounds with 7.9 per game.
• SJSU leads the Mountain West in scoring offense at 85.1 points per game, 14.1 points more than the next team, but the Spartans are also allowed a league-high 81.9 points per game.
• The Spartans are the only team in the conference which records more steals per game than the Bulldogs as they swipe 11.9 per contest.
Starting Conference Season Off on the Right Foot
• With the Mountain West opening win against New Mexico on Dec. 31, Fresno State has not dropped a conference opener since the 2003-04 season when it lost to Hawai'i at home, 48-46, on Dec. 30, 2003 while as a member of the Western Athletic Conference.
• Last season, the Bulldogs started MW play with four-consecutive wins.
• In two seasons in the Mountain West, Fresno State is 12-4 during the month of January.
Tough Non-Conference Slate
• After coming in at No. 22 early in the season in the Rating Percentage Index, Fresno State climbed to No. 1 after defeating then-undefeated UC Riverside (Dec. 4).
• Of Fresno State's, 9 Division I opponents during the non-conference season, six ranked inside the RPI's Top 100 on New Year's Day.
• The Bulldogs finished non-conference play with an 8-3 record.
Rolling Into the Mountain West
• Fresno State heads into conference play with the program's best non-conference record since the 2004-05 season when the team was 8-1 prior to playing its opening game WAC game of the season. That squad finished the season with a 9-2 record outside of the WAC.
• During the last 20 years, Fresno State has recorded eight or more wins in a season against non-conference opponents only three times (1994-95, 2004-05, 2014-15).
• The Bulldogs have won their last four games after going 4-3 to start the season.
"Be Bold" - ESPN2 790 AM is the home of the Fresno State women's basketball team.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's BasketballWBB Media Availability [12/5]
Saturday, December 06
WBB head coach Ryan McCarthy Introductory Press Conference [4/21/25]
Monday, April 21
WBB Media Availability [9/23]
Monday, September 23
The Game Changers: Coaches Corner - Jazmine Redmon
Wednesday, February 21