Fresno State Athletics
'Dogs Clash With Dons in WNIT First Round
3/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 18, 2015
Game Info:
Fresno State (22-9, 13-5 MW) vs. San (19-13, 8-10 WCC) -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video: Mountain West Network; Radio: ESPN 940 AM; Stats: GoBulldogs.com
Tipoff: 7 p.m., PT
Sly Like a Fox
White Signs Five in Early Signing Period
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State will face San Francisco in the first round of the Women's National Invitational at the Save Mart Center on Thursday at 7 p.m., PT. The game will stream live on the Mountain West Network with Paul Loeffler on the call. Christian Lukens and Marc Q. Jones call the game for ESPN 940 AM.
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State will face San Francisco in the first round of the Women's National Invitational at the Save Mart Center on Thursday at 7 p.m., PT. The game will stream live on the Mountain West Network with Paul Loeffler on the call. Christian Lukens and Marc Q. Jones call the game for ESPN 940 AM.
Ticket Info
Season ticket holders must purchase tickets over the phone at 559-278-DOGS or in person at the Fresno State ticket office located at the northeast corner of the Save Mart Center.
All other single-game sales for the WNIT can be purchased through the Save Mart Center box office or through Ticketmaster.
Ticket prices are $11 for reserved seats, $8 for general admission and $6 for youth/senior citizens.
Fresno State students will receive free admission and can pick up tickets at the USU.
For groups of 10 or more, tickets can be purchased in the general admission sections for $4 each through the box office.
Student Cash Giveaway
Fresno State students in attendance will be rewarded with a cash prize at Thursday's game. $5 bills will be given to students in attendance with up to $1,000 being given away. Students must present their student ID to receive the cash prize.
Game Info:
Fresno State (22-9, 13-5 MW) vs. San (19-13, 8-10 WCC) -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video: Mountain West Network; Radio: ESPN 940 AM; Stats: GoBulldogs.com
Tipoff: 7 p.m., PT
Bulldog Bites
After falling to New Mexico in the semifinals of the Mountain West Championship, Fresno State earned an at-large selection into the Women's National Invitational Tournament where the team will host San Francisco in its first round matchup.
This year marks the sixth appearance in the Bulldogs' history that the team has been selected to the WNIT.
It also marks Fresno State's eighth consecutive postseason appearance and 10th since 2003.
The `Dogs hold a 6-7 record all-time in the NIT, going 2-1 in 1990, 2003 and 2006.
After falling to New Mexico in the MW semifinals, it marked the first time since 2007 that Fresno State did not advance to its conference tournament championship game.
The loss to New Mexico marked the first time since 2011 that the Bulldogs had lost to a team twice in one season (Louisiana Tech).
The `Dogs are 6-0 in the MW tournament when entering as a No. 2 seed, but are now 1-1 when entering with a different seed.
Fresno State advanced to the semis after grinding out a 74-66 win over Wyoming in the quarterfinals, marking the first ever that the Bulldogs have swept the Cowgirls (3-0) in a season when the teams have played multiple times.
Although the Cowgirls got into the paint early and often via the drive from Marquelle Dent (26 points), the `Dogs held their perimeter offense in check once again, holding them to just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc (16.7 percent). Both the number of made 3s and 3-point percentage were season lows for the Cowgirls.
Alex Sheedy produced her 10th double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Moriah Faulk came through with a massive lift off of the bench, scoring all 16 of her points in the second half in just 16 minutes.
On March 9, senior forward Alex Sheedy became the fourth Bulldog to be named conference Player of the Year since Fresno State since 2006.
With Raven Fox's selection to the Mountain West's All-Defensive team, it marked the third consecutive year that the `Dogs have had a player named to the squad.
Fox also became the school's first player to be named a conference's Sixth Player of the Year.
Not having a player on the league's All-Freshman Team the past two seasons after having someone on the squad during the team's final three seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, Bego Faz Davalos became the first `Dog to earn MW All-Freshman honors.
During the past five-plus seasons, the `Dogs have only lost five games during the month of March. Four of those have come in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The team holds a 23-5 record in March during the past five seasons.
Fresno State closed out its regular season with a 55-52 win over Boise State in overtime, the `Dogs first overtime win during the 2014-15 season, and first since defeating the Broncos in Boise on Feb. 26, 2014.
Trailing by nine at the half against the BSU, the Bulldogs were able to overcome its largest half-time deficit of the season. It marked the `Dogs fourth time this year that they had trailed at the half, yet came back to win.
On Senior Night against Boise State, Alex Sheedy produced a clutch, game-tying 3-pointer with four seconds remaining to force overtime. The senior forward registered 22 points and eight rebounds as she led the `Dogs to a win in her final game at the Save Mart Center.
With 17 points at New Mexico (Feb. 28), Alex Sheedy moved into 10th place on the all-time Fresno State scoring list, passing former teammate Taylor Thompson.
After only scoring four points on Feb. 14 at Boise State Sheedy has scored 18, 22, 25, 17, 22 to close out the regular season.
On Feb., 25, the `Dogs held the Cowgirls to their lowest scoring output of the season (50), lowest number of made 3s (3) and least attempted 3s (10).
Fresno State ended its four-game losing streak on Feb. 21 with a 64-55 win over Utah State. The `Dogs had not dropped four games in a row since the start of the 2007-08 season. With all but one game being vacated that season, the last time Fresno State has, on record, lost four games in a row would be during the 2003-04 season.
The win was the Bulldogs first during the month of February after losing only one game during December and January.
Through the regular season, the `Dogs were the only team in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage defense, blocks and steals.
Fresno State's 13-game winning streak was snapped on in Feb. 4 in a 56-51 loss at San Jose State. The streak was the second-longest streak in program history.
The nine straight wins to start conference play was the `Dogs best start in league play since the 2011-12 season when the team won 11 in a row during its last season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Recent Results
The Bulldogs failed to make the MW Championship game for the first time since joining the league, falling 64-53 to New Mexico in the semifinals. After scoring 14 points in 33 points, senior Alex Sheedy fouled out of the game, only the second DQ of her Bulldog career. The `Dogs managed to pull within one point midway through the second half after a dismal first half from the field, but they were unable to regain the lead as the Lobos hit a 9-0 spurt to put the game away.
In the third matchup between Fresno State and Wyoming, the Bulldogs used a 14-0 run late in the second after a 3 by Kaitlyn Mileto gave the Cowgirls a 3-point lead with seven minutes to go. Alex Sheedy recorded her 10th double-double of the year with 19 points and 11 rebounds as Wyoming had a difficult time stopping her in the paint. Moriah Faulk also came to life, registering only her second double-digit output of the season with 16 points in in just 16 minutes during the second half.
After dropping a tough overtime game to Boise State on the road on Feb. 14, the Bulldogs got a bit of revenge on March 6 as Alex Sheedy knocked down a 3-pointer with four seconds to go to send the game to overtime where the `Dogs would win 55-52.
Fresno State remained unbeaten all-time against Air Force, defeating the Falcons 61-41 at the USAF Academy. The `Dogs held a slim six-point lead at the half, but a 19-4 run to open the half put the game out of the reach.
The Bulldogs were unable to hold a five-point lead with six minutes remaining at The Pit as an 8-0 run from New Mexico in less than a minute turned the tide in a 63-60 game.
Fresno State swept Wyoming for the first time ever as the team defeated the Cowgirls 76-50 on Feb. 24 at the Save Mart Center as Alex Sheedy led the team after matching her career high with 25 points.
The Bulldogs ended their longest losing streak in more than a decade on Feb. 21 with a 64-55 win over Utah State as Alex Sheedy posted her second-straight double-double with 22 point and 12 rebounds.
Bulldogs in the Postseason
This season's berth in the WNIT marks the eighth-straight postseason tournament appearancefor the `Dogs, with the seven being to the NCAA tournament.
Fresno State is 6-7 in its previous six trips to the WNIT, going 2-1 in both 2003 and 2006 which were the first seasons for Stacy Johnson-Klein and Adrian Wiggins.
White in the Postseason
Jaime White is no stranger to the postseason during her final seasons at Northern Colorado. With the Bears, she went to the postseason in three of her final four seasons. After guiding Northern Colorado to its first-ever NCAA Division I postseason appearance in 2011, the Bears broke through with its first-ever postseason win in 2012, defeating Wyoming, 71-63 in Laramie, Wyo.
Series History with San Francisco
Fresno State is 13-17 all-time against San Francisco.
Prior to last season's 76-47 defeat at the Save Mart Center, the `Dogs had won four consecutive matchups dating back to 2002.
The Bulldogs are 8-6 all-time in the series when playing at home.
The series between the two teams dates back to the 1976-77 season.
A Look at San Francisco
San Francisco is 19-13 overall and finished sixth in the West Coast Conference at 8-10.
The Dons upset three-seeded Pacific and two-seeded San Diego to reach the WCC Championship game before falling 76-65 to fifth-seeded BYU.
They are led in both scoring and rebounding by Taylor Proctor who averages 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Taj Winston is right behind her in both categories 12.7 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Two other players are just shy of double digits as Zhane Dikes is averaging 9.8 points per game and Rachel Howard is at 9.3.
USF holds a plus-5.5 advantage in scoring margin.
In the second half of their games, the Dons are only plus-33 in points compared to being plus-152 in the first half.
San Francisco is 0-2 in overtime games this season, with its toughest extra time defeat coming at Gonzaga when the team was outscored 13-6 in the fourth overtime.
Sheedy's Final Hurrah
By way of being named Co-Player of the Year with Colorado State's Gritt Ryder, Sheedy was placed on the All-MW Team.
Sheedy ranked fifth in scoring and 10th in rebounding and steals in Mountain West action with 15.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. The senior forward from Moe, Australia shot 40.7 percent from the field, ranking eighth and was fourth from the charity stripe at 81.9 percent. The versatile senior was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in all five of those categories.
Sheedy tied for third in Conference play with five double-doubles. She finished the conference leading the `Dogs in scoring in 12 of their 18 games.
Sheedy became the fourth Bulldog to be named conference Player of the Year since Fresno State since 2006.
Fox Nabs Sixth Player of the Year
Aside from being named Sixth Player of the Year, Fox was also tabbed to the conference's All-Defensive Team. She came off the bench in 13 of 18 MW games for the Bulldogs, while averaging 24.7 minutes per game.
The senior guard from Antioch, California averaged 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.6 assists in the supporting role.
She shot 43.5 percent from the floor and had a MW season-high 19 points at Nevada on January 24.
She swiped a league-best 43 steals, playing a key role defensively for the top defensive team in the conference.
With Fox's selection to the Mountain West's All-Defensive team, it marked the third consecutive year that the `Dogs have had a player named to that squad. She also became the school's first player to be named a conference's Sixth Player of the Year.
Faz Davalos Selected to All-Freshman Team
With three single-season conference block records, redshirt freshman Bego Faz Davalos was named to the MW's All-Freshman Team.
On Feb. 14, On Feb. 14 at Boise State, Davalos posted her 53rd block of the season, breaking the single-season record for blocks in MW games.
She posted 70 blocks (28 more than second in the league) in conference play with an average of 3.9 per game Faz Davalos also owns Mountain West records for most blocks in a season by a freshman (currently 33 more than previous record) and league record for most blocks in conference play by a freshman posted 38 more than the previous record of 32).
Flipping the Calendar
With the win at Air Force on March 3, Fresno State could not have been happier to see the month change just days earlier. After going 2-5 in February, March has been the Bulldogs best time of the year during the past five years, winning more than 20 games during the month of March during that span.
Winning Formula
For the Bulldogs this season, getting production from its starting five matters. When the `Dogs starters outscore their opponents starters, they are 13-0. When they don't the team is just 8-9.
It's Over With the Lead
Fresno State has taken a lead into the half 17 times this year. In all but one game, the Bulldogs have left the court at the end of the game with a win.
Perimeter Defense
Defense has been an emphasis for the Fresno State under first-year head coach Jamie White. With a mix of short and quick, long arms, smarts and a Bulldog mentality, opponents have found it difficult around the arc against the `Dogs. Fresno State ranks 12th in the NCAA in 3-point percentage defense at 27.0 percent.
The Bulldogs have allowed its opponents to connect on a third or more of their 3-point attempts in only six games this season.
Shooting for 37
It has been a strong indicator this season that when Fresno State records a shooting percentage of 37 or above, odds are is that the team will win. The Bulldogs are 18-2 this season when shooting above 37 percent from the field.
When the team's percentage dips below 37 percent, they are just 2-7.
Fresno State has only lost two games this season when out-shooting its opponent, but the team is just 4-6 when its opponent shoots better from the field.
Finishing Strong
After recording two of her three single-digit performances of the season, within a two-week span beginning on Jan. 31, which included a season-low four points at Boise State in 13 minutes, Alex Sheedy came alive during the final five games of the season. The senior recorded back-to-back double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds at Colorado State (Feb. 18) and 22 points and 12 rebounds against Utah State (Feb. 21).
On Feb. 24 in a 17-point rout of Wyoming, Sheedy matched a her career high with 25 points. It was her third 25-point performance of the season.
In her final game at the Save Mart Center, the Aussie provided fans with a signature moment, knocking down a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining versus Boise State to tie the game and send it to overtime. She led the `Dogs to a 55-52 win with 22 points and eight rebounds.
In the last six games of the regular season, Sheedy is averaging 20.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She is shooting 43.3 percent from field, 31.0 percent from 3 and 80.0 percent from the free throw line.
Defensive Mindset
Under first-year head coach Jaime White, defense has been a staple as Fresno State is currently the only team in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, 3-point percentage defense, blocks and steals.
Pickin' Pockets
Through 31 games, Bulldog guards Shauqunna Collins and Raven Fox have been a nuisance for opposing players. Fox is first in the Mountain West in steals at 2.2 per game, and Collins is fourth at 2.0.
Collins and Fox ended the conference season tied for first in the league in steals with 2.4 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.
On March 6 against Boise State, Fresno State swiped 21 steals for the second time this season.
As a unit, the Bulldogs rank 20th in the NCAA in steals with 11.0 per game.
Taking Advantage of Minutes
Since Jan. 28, junior center Toni Smith has been a force inside as she is second on the team with 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
During the 12-game span, she has recorded nine double-digit performance including a career-best 19 at Boise State (Feb. 14).
Heading into this season, Smith only had two double-digit performances, but is currently is up to 12.
Smith has played more than 20 minutes in each of the last nine games, but only played 20-plus minutes in four of the previous 18 games.
Dog From Down Under
Senior forward Alex Sheedy of Moe, Australia, earned a spot on the preseason All-Mountain West Team prior to the opening of the season.
She has recorded 10 double-doubles this season, four more than she had in her career entering her final season.
Sheedy has posted double figures in 28 of 31 games this season and has seven 20-point games.
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). She also matched the high of 25 on Feb. 24 in a 17-point win over Wyoming.
Moving On Up
With 19 points vs. Wyoming in the Mountain West quarterfinals (March 11), Alex Sheedy passed Omelogo Udeze and then Tierre Wilson for 8th all-time in scoring at Fresno State.
With 1,372 points, she is 38 points behind Hayley Munro for seventh, and 54points behind fellow Australia Rosie Moult for sixth.
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 March 11, she leads the MW and ranks 12th nationally in blocks per game at 3.06.
She ranks second in the country among freshmen in blocks per game.
Her 95 blocks is the fifth best single-season season total in Bulldog history.
Faz Davalos is fourth in school history in career blocks.
She has recorded seven-blocks in a game three times (Cal State Stanislaus, Nov. 19; Utah State, Jan. 7; San Jose State, Jan. 14), and has three six-block games (Nevada, Jan. 10; Wyoming, Jan. 17; Nevada, Jan. 24).
In conference play, Faz Davalos averaged 3.9 blocks per game, 1.4 ahead of Boise State's Camille Redmon.
Her 70 blocks in conference games broke the MW record for most blocks in a single season for conference games only. The previous mark was 52.
She is currently 10 blocks shy of tying the MW record for most blocks in a season of 105 which was set by New Mexico's Jordan Adams during the 2000-01 season.
Broken Record(s)
Against Nevada (Jan. 24), Bego Faz Davalos recorded her 62nd block in all games which broke Adams' single-season freshman MW record of 61 that she set during the 1999-2000 season.
In that game, she also recorded her 38th block in conference which broke Adams' single-season freshman record of 32 for MW games only. She has since more than doubled the previous record.
On Feb. 14 at Boise State, Faz Davalos posted her 53rd block of the season, breaking the single-season record for blocks in MW games.
Extra Time No More
Overtime has not been kind to the Bulldogs this season as they have trailed 8-0 and 7-0 to start overtime this year as they lost both games.
With overtime games against UNLV and Boise State, the `Dogs played back-to-back overtime games for only the second time in program history, with the first coming during the 1990-91 season.
The Bulldogs did get a sense of reprieve on March 6 as the team fought back to force overtime against Boise State and finished the extra five minutes with a 7-0 run.
Dating back to the 2004-05 season, Fresno State is now 4-7 in overtime games.
Don't Trail, Don't Lose
Prior to the playing UNLV on Feb. 11, the Bulldogs were 13-0 when holding the lead at the half. The `Dogs led 31-27 at the break, but after forcing overtime, the Lady Rebels dealt the team its first loss of season when leading at the half.
Fresno State is currently 16-1 when leading at the half.
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 13-1 when scoring more points off turnovers than their opponents.
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 19-3 when outscoring opponents in the paint.
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 13-2 this year when outscoring their opponents in fast break points.
In the 13 wins, the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents by more than five points per game on the fast break.
Only Takes Three
In an odd looking box score, only four Bulldogs scored in their 62-44 win at Nevada (Jan. 24), but three of those `Dogs outscored the Wolf Pack by themselves. Alex Sheedy (22), Raven Fox (19) and Shauqunna Collins (17) combined to score 58 points, 14 more than the entire Nevada team which saw all nine of its players score. Only one, 6-foot-8 center Mimi Mungedi reached double figures with 12 points.
White Out
Since taking over at Fresno State, first-year head coach Jaime White has erased any notions of a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs. With a 21-8 record, she is already enjoying one of the best seasons in school history.
Only three coaches in Fresno State's history have finished their first full season with a winning percentage above .700, with Adrian Wiggins having the highest at .750 in 2005-06.
Making History
With the Bulldogs' win versus Colorado State on Jan. 31, this year's team set the school record for the best 20-game start to season at 17-3.
The 1984-85 team had opened its season 16-3 before suffering its fourth loss in its 20th game.
13 in a Row
The Bulldogs' 13-game winning streak, this season surpassed the `11-12 team for the second-longest in school history. The `11-12 team put together a run of 12-straight wins.
The program's longest win streak came during the `09-10 season when the `Dogs had a stretch of 19 wins en-route to a perfect 16-0 season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Producing in the Clutch
With the game tied at the half at Wyoming (Jan. 17), Shauqunna Collins not only produced the game-winning bucket with less than five seconds remaining, she accounted for 16 points in the second half.
The 16 second-half points is the third most by a Bulldog this season. Trailing to Bethesda (Dec. 19) at the half, Alex Sheedy scored 19 points during the final 20 minutes in an 18-point win. Against Utah State (Feb. 21), Toni Smith posted 16 points during their second half after only two in the first.
Raven Fox leads the Bulldogs in most points in a half this season as she posted 20 points in the second half at San Diego (Nov. 28) in a 93-88 win.
Returning to a Familiar Place
On Jan. 17, Fresno State Head Coach Jaime White went back to Laramie, Wyo., and helped the Bulldogs earn the program's first win at Wyoming.
White spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Wyoming before leaving to take the head coaching job at Northern Colorado.
She worked under current Wyoming head coach Joe Legarski, who she followed from Utah when the two were assistants on the Ute's staff.
Attacking the Glass
Only three players posted three or more rebounds per game during the first 11 games of the season, but in conference play, five Bulldogs grabbed three or more per game in Mountain West play and two others were at 2.7 per contest or more.
Haven't Left Too Often
Of Fresno State's 31 games, the team has only left the state of California on 11 times.
The Bulldogs are 6-5 outside of their home state, winning games at Air Force, Nevada (Nevada, Wyoming), Oregon, Utah State and Wyoming.
Home Sweet Home
Fresno State is 14-1 this season when playing its games at the Save Mart Center.
During the last four-plus seasons, the Bulldogs are have lost only eight games in front of its home crowd.
Dominance in the Post
In a two-game stretch against Nevada and San Jose State (Jan.10-14), the Bulldogs trio in the post of Alex Sheedy, Bego Faz Davalos and Toni Smith have combined to score 68.5 percent of the team's points. They have score 81 points, grabbed 38 rebounds, blocked 16 shots, and have come up with 13 steals.
Double Down
Against San Jose State (Jan. 14), Bego Faz Davalos (11 points and 12 rebounds) and Alex Sheedy (15 points and 12 rebounds) each recorded double doubles.
It was the first time since a 64-50 loss at Seton Hall on Nov. 30, 2013 that a pair of Bulldogs posted double-doubles in the same game. Jacinta Vandenberg posted 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Moriah Faulk had 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Last of the Unbeatens
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 White who was away after a death in the family.
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.
Flashing Back to 2006
Heading into their matchup at Oregon (Dec. 21), it had been just over nine years since the Bulldogs had last won a road game against a Pac-10/12 opponent, but they ended a string of eight consecutive road losses to the conference as they left Matthew Knight Arena with a 68-59 win.
Heading into their matchup at Oregon (Dec. 21), it had been just over nine years since the Bulldogs had last won a road game against a Pac-10/12 opponent, but they ended a string of eight consecutive road losses to the conference as they left Matthew Knight Arena with a 68-59 win.
Fresno State's last road win against a Pac-10/12 opponent came on Dec. 18, 2006 at Arizona, defeating the Wildcats 69-60.
Joining the 1,000-Point Club
On Dec. 14, senior forward Alex Sheedy became the 22nd Bulldog in program history to score over 1,000 career points. The native of Moe, Australia entered the game versus Cal State Fullerton needing 14 points to hit the milestone, and passed it in the second half as she ended the game with 19 points.
On Dec. 14, senior forward Alex Sheedy became the 22nd Bulldog in program history to score over 1,000 career points. The native of Moe, Australia entered the game versus Cal State Fullerton needing 14 points to hit the milestone, and passed it in the second half as she ended the game with 19 points.
Despite missing half of the 2013-14 conference season with a foot injury, Sheedy averaged 16.3 points in the eight Mountain West games and averaged 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game overall for the entire season in helping lead the Bulldogs to a 22-11 record.
Handing Out Losses
The Bulldogs are 2-0 this season when facing undefeated opponents, topping San Diego on the road and UC Riverside at home.
Both wins came within the same week.
On Dec. 12, Saint Mary's entered the Save Mart Center riding a six-game winning streak with wins over the likes of USC and Iowa State after dropping only its first game of the season, the Bulldogs handed the Gaels their second loss of the season.
Three-Point Barrage
Against UC Riverside (Dec. 5), the Bulldogs torched the nets from deep, recording their highest percentage from 3-point land on the season at 52.6 percent (10-of-19).
All 10 of the 3's came from seniors Alex Furr, who had a career-high five on seven attempts, Alex Sheedy (3-of-6) and Robin Draper (2-of-2).
The senior trio was 7-of-10 in the opening 20 minutes.
The "Q" Show
Junior college transfer Shauqunna "Q" Collins had been a mainstay coming off of the bench early in the season to bring energy and impact games. At George Washington (Dec. 7), Collins nearly single-handedly willed the Bulldogs back into the game after facing a double-digit second half deficit. She totaled 11 of her 14 points in the second half as Fresno State took a one-point lead with four minutes to go.
She earned her first start of the season against Saint Mary's (Dec. 12).
In Collins' first game in the Mountain West against New Mexico (Dec. 31), she managed to fill up the stat sheet in a six-point win by totaling 12 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals in 27 minutes.
Rovetti's Final Stand
Senior Stephanie Rovetti has increased her role as the season has gone on, playing a pivotal role in several game with her defensive efforts. Against UC Riverside (Dec. 4), she made her first start of the season and locked down on the then-nation's leading scorer and holding her to lowest point total of the season with 10. Versus Saint Mary's (Dec. 12) she came off of the bench to score 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, including going 2-of-3 from three-point range, in the four-point win.
After transferring from BYU, and now in graduate school, Rovetti only has one season to play at Fresno State.
Immediate Impact Inside
In her first game as a Bulldog after redshirting the 2013-14 season, center Bego Faz Davalos made an immediate impact against Cal Poly (Nov. 16). Despite sitting much of the first half due to foul trouble, the native of Monterrey, Mexico made her presence inside felt as she totaled seven points, six rebounds and five blocks in only 16 minutes.
Against Cal State Stanislaus, the freshman recorded her first double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks.
At Bakersfield, Faz Davalos was one-point shy of her second career double-double as she finished the game with nine points, 11 rebounds to go along with three blocks.
Sly Like a Fox
After only averaging five points through the first three games of the season, senior Raven Fox exploded for a career-high 31 points at San Diego on Nov. 28. The guard primarily used the dribble-drive throughout the game as she shot 10-of-11 from the field, while also going 10-of-12 from the charity stripe after only hitting 4-of-10 to start the year.
The 31 points is the second-most scored by a Mountain West player this season and is one of only five 30-point performances by an MW player in 2014-15.
Fox's previous career high was 13 points. She had 11 in just 15 minutes in the first half before scoring 20 during 15 minutes in the second half.
California Livin'
The Bulldogs had a stretch of six straight games in the state of California to start the season with a 73-61 win over UC Riverside (Dec. 5).
The Bulldogs had a stretch of six straight games in the state of California to start the season with a 73-61 win over UC Riverside (Dec. 5).
During the 2012-13 season, Fresno State opened up the season with seven games in its home state before leaving.
All six opponents during this season's stretch were from California. The last time the Bulldogs played that many teams from the state in a row was the 1997-98 which saw the squad face seven consecutive California teams.
Opening Up Against the State of California
With its win over Cal Poly (Nov. 16), Fresno State is 8-3 when opening up the season against teams in the state of California since the 1996-97 season.
The only three losses have come against current Pac-12 school (Cal, Stanford, USC), two of which were ranked in the Top 25 at the time.
`Dogs Picked Fourth in MW Preseason Coaches Poll
Fresno State was selected to finish in fourth place in the 2014-15 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason Poll. The Bulldogs received 181 points in the preseason poll, which selected Colorado State as the preseason favorite with 21 first-place votes followed by Boise State (four first-place votes) and Wyoming (three first-place votes). The voting panel consisted of the league's 11 head coaches and select women's basketball media from around the Conference.
Aussie Named to MW Preseason All-Conference Team
Senior forward Alex Sheedy was one of five players from the conference selected to the 2014-15 Mountain West Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team. She was a third-team All-MW selection in 2012-13.
Building on History
Last season, the Bulldogs captured their second Mountain West Conference Tournament championship to lock up a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Fresno State has won the MW Tournament in its first two seasons in the league. The last team to repeat as tournament champions was New Mexico in 2007 and 2008.
Dating back to its days in the Western Athletic Conference, Fresno State has won four consecutive conference tournament championships (MW: 2013 & 2014; WAC: 2011 & 2012).
White Signs Five in Early Signing Period
Fresno State first-year women's basketball head coach Jaime White has announced the signing of five players to her 2015 class. The group includes junior college standout Anais Kirvan, California natives Zaria Branch and Candice White, Raven Johnson from Dallas, Texas, and Breanne Knishka from central Washington.
"We are extremely pleased with our recruiting class this year," White said. "The five players we have signed bring a multitude of talent and diversity. We are pleased to welcome them to the Bulldog family and anticipate much success. All five recruits have high character and will be a positive addition to our Fresno State tradition of excelling in the classroom and on the basketball court."
Anais Kirvan | Forward/Center | 6-2 | Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia | Burwood Girls High (Vincennes University)
Kirvan is rated as the No. 1 junior college center in the 2015 class and the No. 12 overall prospect in the junior college ranks this season according to Dan Olsen's Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. Before joining Vincennes University, Kirvan was a standout center in Australia, leading Burwood to three state championships and earning Sportswoman of the Year in both 2010 and 2012.
Coach White's comments...
"Anais is a junior college standout who will be a presence early at both the four and five spots. She brings with her a balanced attack inside and out."
Zaria Branch | Guard | 5-10 | San Diego, Calif. | Mt. Miguel High School
Branch finished her junior year averaging 13.9 points per game. During the posteason she was named first-team All-EastCountySports.com and first-team All-Grossmont Valley League. She was also selected to the California All-State Division III team as selected by CalHiSports.com, and the California All-State Division III second team as selected by MaxPreps.com.
Coach White's comments...
"Zaria will bring athleticism and an unstoppable scoring mentality. She is also very versatile, having the ability to play anywhere from the one, two or three spot."
Raven Johnson | Guard | 5-11 | Dallas, Texas | Skyline High School
Johnson was Skyline's Sixth Man of the Year and named second-team all-district during the 2013-14 season for Cassandra McGurdy's squad. She was also an all-district second team honoree that season for a program that had captured three straight district championships and reached the regional finals in 2014 with a record of 32-7. She has competed for both DFW Elite and Urban DFW Elite, which has competed at both the Adidas Nationals and Nike Nationals.
Coach White's comments...
"She's tall, quick, and athletic. Raven will be able to defend any perimeter in our league. She has the speed, explosiveness and vision to get to the rim."
Breanne Knishka | Guard | 5-10 | Dryden, Wash. | Cashmere High School
An all-around athlete, Knishka rarely lost a game at Cashmere. She was an all-league performer both as a freshman and junior, and earned first-team all-state honors last season as she led Cashmere to a 26-1 record where they finished third at the state finals. Under the guidance of Steve Klees at the Northwest Orange Blazers, Knishka played for the AAU team for three summers, and averaging 14.5 points, five rebounds this past summer. She has been nominated twice for the Adidas Nationals tournament team.
Coach White's comments...
"Bree has the diversity to play anywhere from the two through the four. She is a smart perimeter player with the ability to shoot the three or get to the rim. Defensively, she is outstanding and has a great head for the game."
Candice White | Point Guard | 5-8 | Modesto, Calif. | Modesto Christian
White is a local product that comes to Fresno State after captaining Modesto Christian and head coach Robb Spencer's Crusaders squad in 2013-14 as they captured the first CIF Division III championship in the program's storied history.
Coach White's comments...
"Candice comes to us from a great program in California state champion Modesto Christian. With good size and strength, she can play both the one and the two. She has great vision and exceptional shooting range."
Players Mentioned
WBB 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















