Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
16-9, 12-2MW
Utah State
11-14, 6-8MW
Balance leads `Dogs to 67-61 win at Utah State
2/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
LOGAN, Utah - After jumping out to a double-digit lead in the opening quarter, Fresno State fended off Utah State on Saturday afternoon, picking up a 67-61 at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Senior forward Toni Smith led the Bulldogs for the second game in a row as she posted her third-career double-double with 15 point and 12 rebounds.
Fresno State (16-9, 12-2 MW) also got 13 points apiece from Brittany Aikens and Alex Furr as each knocked down three 3's. With her second 3-pointer of the game, Furr moved into sole possession of ninth place in career made 3's at Fresno State. She finished the day with 127. The sixth-year senior also dished a career-best six assists, tying her total from the Air Force game on Jan. 23. Missing much of the first half with foul trouble, Bego Faz Davalos was the fourth Bulldog in double figures as she posted 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
The Mountain West's leading scorer Funda Nakkasoglu scored a game-high 22 points for the Aggies (11-14, 6-8 MW), while Deja Mason added 10 points off of the bench.
For the second straight game, Fresno State shot 49 percent from the field, including a season-high 46.7 percent from beyond the arc. For the fourth time in conference play, the Bulldogs held a team to 31 percent or lower as the Aggies shot 18-of-58 from the field.
The Bulldogs started the game on fire from deep, hitting their first three 3's of the game as they opened up an 11-4 advantage that forced Utah State to call a timeout just under three minutes in. Out of the timeout, Fresno State rattled off an 8-3 spurt that Moriah Faulk capped off with the team's fifth 3-pointer of the quarter. The 12-point lead forced the Aggies to use their second timeout less than seven minutes into the game.
By the end of the quarter, the 'Dogs had pushed their lead to 28-14 after shooting 61.1 percent from the field (11-of-18) and 71.4 percent from 3 (5-of-7).
A 3-pointer by Furr at the 7:58 mark forced the Aggies to use their third timeout of the half as the Bulldogs' lead ballooned to 19. Utah State would not go away though, using a 13-2 run over a four-minute span to pull within eight at 35-27.
After taking an early 19-point lead, Fresno State held a 39-31 lead at halftime. The Aggies used the free throw line to cut into their deficit, knocking down 13-of-15 as the 'Dogs were whistled for 13 fouls, with five players being saddled with at least two.
With 5:38 on the clock and Fresno State holding a 49-38 lead, Utah State continued to hang around, eventually pulling with four with 1:12 remaining. Twenty seconds later though, Faz Davalos dropped in a layup to give the 'Dogs a six-point edge going into the final quarter.
Aikens knocked down her third 3-pointer of game to open the fourth, but Utah State responded with five straight to pull within four at 58-54 as Nakkasoglu dropped in a trey. With 1:57 on the clock, a layup from Tijana Djukic cut Fresno State's lead to just two, the closest that the Aggies had been since the opening minutes.
Smith quickly followed with a layup at the other end to push the Bulldogs' lead back to four, and Shauqunna Collins and Furr put the game away by going 4-of-6 free throw game in the final minute.
Fresno State will continue its two-game road swing on Feb. 24 at Air Force. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PT.
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