Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
11-3, 3-0MW
Utah State
3-12, 0-3MW
Fresno State Outlasts Utah State 70-64
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
LOGAN, Utah - A dagger 3-pointer from well behind the line with the shot clock expiring and 27 seconds remaining in the game, senior guard Alex Furr all but sealed the win as Fresno State topped Utah State 70-64 Wednesday night at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Furr and fellow senior Alex Sheedy paced the Bulldogs with 17 points apiece.
Trailing 6-5 four-and-a-half minutes into the game, senior guard Raven Fox was inserted into the game and made an immediate impact grabbing a steal and taking it the other way for an uncontested layup.
Just minutes later, Fox was back at it for her second steal and lay-in to give the `Dogs a 13-8 lead with 11:15 on the clock. Collins extended Fresno State's run to 10-2 less than a minute later, but Funda Nakkasoglu responded with a 3-pointer for the Aggies.
After Fox found junior forward Moriah Faulk on the break for an acrobatic lay-in, Utah State countered with a three from Jasmine Porter. The shot ignited a 16-6 run by the home team over the ensuing 3:44 which Porter finished off with her second 3-pointer of the half as they took a 27-25 lead.
The Bulldogs regained the lead a minute-and-a-half later as they put together an 8-2 run that Fox capped off with a steal in the backcourt and fast-break layup.
Holding a one-point lead with 1.9 seconds remaining in the half, senior guard Robin Draper found an open Furr outside the 3-point line. The senior guard sank the open look at the buzzer to give the `Dogs 36-32 lead heading into the break.
Four quick points from the Aggies out of the half to knot-up the game forced a timeout from the Bulldogs. Out of the stoppage, Furr lined up and dropped her second 3-pointer of the night.
After only scoring four points in the opening 20 minutes, Sheedy went to work, scoring the Bulldogs' next nine points in a 12-3 run. The near five-minute spurt gave Fresno State a 48-39 lead with 13:34 to go.
Fresno State continued to put the pressure on leading to turnovers. Four points from Furr with just over eight minutes remaining in the game gave Fresno State its largest lead 57-46.
Utah State refused to go away though as they closed with one on with 2:03 left after Porter knocked down a pair of free throws. Junior guard Shauqunna Collins followed that by driving into the heart of the defense, switching hands in mid-air and lofting up a lay-in.
The Aggies responded with a jumper from Franny Vaaulu. Once again, it was Collins answering, this time with two from free throw line.
After a missed 3-point attempt by Nakkasoglu, redshirt freshman Bego Faz Davolos grabbed her tenth rebound of the game. Trailing by only three, the Aggies tried to locked down Fresno State with its defense, but with one second left on the shot clock, Furr let a shot fly nearly seven feet behind the top of the key. The 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a six-point lead with 27 seconds remaining.
Nakkasoglu went to the foul line on Utah State's next possession and made it a four-point game 18 seconds to play. Collins was fouled a second later. After missing the first, Collins missed the second but came down with her own rebound and got the ball to Furr. The senior calmly sank both free throws to seal the 70-64 victory, extending the Bulldogs win streak to seven.
Aside from Furr and Sheedy, Collins and Fox were also in double figures with 10 points each. Fox also chipped in a career-high six rebound to go with four assists and three steals. Faz Davalos was key piece to Bulldogs defense as she grabbed nine defensive rebounds as she ended the night with 10 total boards. The redshirt freshman also tied her career high in blocks with seven.
Fresno State's fast pace of play and pressure defense, which Utah State struggled to handle, resulted in a 23-2 advantage in fast break points.
The Bulldogs return home on Saturday as they host Nevada at the Save Mart Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m., PT.
"Be Bold" - ESPN2 790 AM is the home of the Fresno State women's basketball team.
