'Dogs host Gauchos in final home nonconference game

Friday, December 16

Fresno, Calif.

7 p.m. PT

Fresno State

UC Santa Barbara

Tickets

'Dogs host Gauchos in final home nonconference game

12/15/2016 4:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Wear your best holiday sweater and/or bring two canned food items and receive free admission to Friday night's contest.

By: Josh Mitchell / Assistant Director of Communications

Game 10: UC Santa Barbara (2-7) vs. Fresno State (6-3)
December 16, 2016 -- 7 p.m. PT -- Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Series History: Fresno State leads 20-9
Last Meeting: UCSB won 64-62 in Queens, N.Y. on Dec. 18, 2011
Next Up: at Weber State (Dec. 19 • 11 a.m. PT), vs. New Mexico (Dec. 29 • 7 p.m. PT)

Opening Tip

• Fresno State returns to the Save Mart Center on Friday to host UC Santa Barbara for its final home game of the nonconference season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT and will air on the Mountain West Network and 790 AM ESPN2.

• Friday's matchup will be the first between the two schools in the state of California since 2009.

Bulldog Bones

• Junior Bego Faz Davalos ranks in the top five in the NCAA in five stat categories, and in the top 20 in seven categories. The 6-foot-3 center leads the country in blocks per game (4.9) and total blocks (44), is third in triple-doubles (1) and double-doubles (7), is fourth in rebounds per game (11.9), is fifth in defensive rebounds per game (9.0), and is 10th in total rebounds (107).

• Faz Davalos is one of five players in the country to average at least 15 points and 11 rebounds.

• Sophomore Candice White leads the team in points per game (15.1) and is second in rebounds per game (5.0).

• Fresno State is 18th nationally in least committed fouls. The 'Dogs commit just 13.9 personal fouls per game.

• The 'Dogs rank fifth in the NCAA in blocked shots per game (6.9) and 11th in total blocks (62).

• The Bulldogs are 5-0 this season when allowing 60 points or less.

• Fresno State is 11-5 during the month of December during Jaime White's tenure, its second-best record for any month.

• Fresno State recorded its two highest scoring outputs of the season during its last two games with 73 against CSU Dominguez Hills (Dec. 7) and 74 at Pacific (Dec. 10).

Series history with UC Santa Barbara

• Fresno State holds a 20-9 lead in the all-time series with UCSB.

• The Bulldogs are 12-2 when playing the Gauchos in Fresno, Calif.

• Prior to 2006, the 'Dogs and Gauchos had not played since 1993. Since the two programs rekindled its rivalry in 2006, Fresno State has holds a 3-1 advantage with its lone loss coming in Queens, N.Y., on Dec. 18, 2011 at the St. John's Chartwells Holiday Classic (64-62). It was the last meeting between the schools during the series.

• The last two games have been decided by eight points or less, but both games were played outside of Fresno. The Bulldogs have its last two games at home in the series by double digits.

A look at UC Santa Barbara

• UC Santa Barbara enters Friday's game with a 2-7 record and have lost its last five games.

• Five of UCSB's losses have come by more than 10 points.

• The Gauchos are averaging 59.7 points per game and have been outscored by an average of 7.1 points per contest.

• Sophomores Sarah Porter and Coco Miller lead the team in scoring at 10.7 and 10.4 points per game, respectively.

• 6-foot-4 center Drew Edelman leads the Gauchos on the glass with 5.6 rebounds per game.

Diverse scoring

• During its last two outings, Fresno State has had at least four players scoring in double figures for the first time this season.

• Against CSU Dominguez Hills, Fresno State had four players reach double figures for the first time this season, including two who recorded new career highs. Freshman Kristina Cavey posted 13 points while senior Anais Kirvan had 10. White also tied her career high of 21.

• Three days later, all five Bulldog starters were in double figures at Pacific. Kendra Martin posted a career-high 11 points and Breanne Knishka notched a season-best 11 points to join Bego Faz Davalos (10), Tory Jacobs (14) and Candice White (15) in double figures.

• The last Fresno State had five players score in double figures was in an 89-79 defeat to Washington on Nov. 20, 2015.

Holding teams down

• The Bulldogs have held its opponents to 60 points or less in five of its six wins.

• Only one team has scored more than 70 points against the 'Dogs this season (Washington, 85). Fresno State allowed four teams to score more than 80 during the 2015-16 season. All four games resulted in losses. Washington scored the most of any Bulldog opponent that season (89).

Same player, new year

• It may be another year but junior Bego Faz Davalos is looking like her old self early in the season. Through nine games, the center's numbers are on par or slightly up from last season as she is averaging 15.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.9 blocks, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals.

• Faz Davalos leads the Bulldogs in rebounds, blocks, assists, and is second points and steals.

• She ranks third nationally in double-doubles with seven and ranks third in program history with 23.

• Faz Davalos has registered double figures scoring in 21 of her last 22 games.

• She has recorded at least seven blocked shots in four games this season.

Time to shine

• After playing in 11 games as a freshman, and logging 6.3 minutes per game, Candice White leads team in minutes (32.4), points (15.1) and is second in rebounds (5.0).

• The sophomore leads the team in steals per game (2.0). White has swiped three more steals in four of the team's eight games, including a career-high five against CSU Dominguez Hills.

• She has reached double figures in all but one game.

• White has recorded three of the team's top four scoring performances this season, a career-high 21-point games versus UC Irvine and CSU Dominguez Hills, and 19-point showing at No. 13 Washington on Dec. 4.

• In conference, White is fourth in scoring (15.1), second in free-throw percentage (88.9), fifth in steals (2.0), fifth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0), and second in minutes played (32.4).

Taking charity

• Prior to missing three free throws versus CSU Dominguez Hills, sophomore Candice White ranked fourth nationally in free-throw percentage. She is currently No. 35 at 88.9 percent (32-of-36).

• White opened the season with 18 consecutive free throws which is the most on record to start a season by a Bulldog dating back to the 1983-84 season. Records are not available prior to the 1983-84 season.

• Fellow sophomore Breanne Knishka has only one miss on the year (14-of-15), but she does not meet the required number of attempts for an NCAA ranking.

Access denied

• Bego Faz Davalos currently leads the NCAA in blocked shots per game (4.9).

• On Nov. 18 versus CSUN, the 6-foot-3 center tied her career high with 10 blocks. Both 10-block games resulted in triple-doubles.

• She has six more blocks this season than she did last year through the first nine games.

• Faz Davalos' 44 blocks ranks first in the NCAA in total blocks.

• Her 3.63 blocked shots per game in her career is second among NCAA active leaders.

• With Faz Davalos' help, the 'Dogs rank No. 5 in the NCAA in blocks per game (6.9) and No. 11 in total blocks (62).

• Fresno State has posted double-digit block totals twice this season, with 13 against CSUN and 12 versus CSU Dominguez Hills.

Quick starts...slow finishes

• Fresno State has shown this season that starting quick has been a part of its DNA. The Bulldogs have reached at least 30 points in the first half in seven of its nine games this season. This has resulted in the 'Dogs oustscoring opponents by 63 points.

• The Bulldogs, though, have struggled to maintain those quick starts in several of their games. The 'Dogs have shot 9.4 percent lower from the field and 7.3 percent lower from 3 during the second half this season. The result has been being outscored 29 points.

Shades of her first season

• With a 4-3 record through its first seven games, Fresno State posted the same record as it did in head coach Jaime White's first season in the Valley. That season, the Bulldogs finished the non-conference season with consecutive wins over Saint Mary's, Cal State Fullerton, Bethesda and Oregon.

Looking for 60

• With the strength of Jaime White's teams being on the defensive side of the ball, a benchmark for its offense has been to score 60 points. Under White, Fresno State has won 72.9 percent of those games (35-13). The Bulldogs' record when scoring between 60-69 points is 22-10.

• This season, the 'Dogs have won each of its games when scoring more than 60 points (6-0).

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogschoarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.

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