Fresno State Athletics
Maintaining Success: Reviewing the 2015-16 women's basketball season
4/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
By Josh Mitchell
jomitchell@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - With five seniors graduating from the 2014-15 team, including 2015 Co-Mountain West Player of the Year Alex Sheedy, year two of the Jaime White era at Fresno State was much of the same for the storied program. The Bulldogs concluded the 2016 season with a 22-12 record, reached the postseason for the ninth consecutive time, and earned its second postseason win in as many seasons.
For the third time in four seasons, the 'Dogs reached the Mountain West championship game. Leading most of the game, Fresno State eventually fell to the top seed in 22nd-ranked Colorado State in the final seconds, 55-54.
With a 15-3 record in the Mountain West during the 2015-16 season, the program's second-highest win total in a conference season, the 'Dogs locked up the league's automatic bid to Women's National Invitation Tournament with a second-place regular season finish. It marked the third time in four years that Fresno State finished second in the MW regular season standings. Aiding them in reaching that mark was a 'never say die' attitude and tough defense that pushed them to an 8-0 record in conference when trailing at the half.
A game plan predicated on defense, White's team stifled opponents to the tune of holding them to the lowest field goal percentage, 37.1 percent, in program history. This year's Bulldogs were one of three teams in program history to hold opponents to under 38 percent shooting in a season (2005-06 - .387; 1988-89 - .379). The 'Dogs also allowed the third-lowest points per game this season in Bulldog history at 59.4 per game. Only teams 1996-96 (59.0 ppg) and 2005-06 (59.3) allowed fewer points.
In MW play, Fresno State took its defense to another level, ranking in the top three in conference games in scoring defense (second, 55.1 ppg), field goal percentage defense (second, .349) and 3-point percentage defense (third, .274). Those were numbers that certainly dropped after a very challenging nonconference season in which Fresno State allowed teams to score 65.6 points per game, shoot 39.5 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from three.
A huge piece to the Bulldogs defensive puzzle was 2016 MW Defensive Player of the Year, Bego Davalos, and her ability to alter shots. The 6-foot-3 native of San Luis PotisÃ, Mexico led the NCAA with 136 total blocks while averaging 4.0 blocks shots per game. The sophomore was one of just two players nationally to record at least 130 blocks during the 2015-16 season along with Oregon State's 6-foot-6 Ruth Hamblin who posted 130. Fresno State as a team finished 14th in total blocks with 181 and 22nd in blocks per game at 5.3.
Faz Davalos' 136 blocks may have come up two shy Simone Srubek's program record, which was set in 1989-90, but she broke a pair of MW season block records. With her 106th block of the season, which came at Air Force on Feb. 24, she set the conference single-season record for blocked shots, passing New Mexico's Jordan Adams' 105 which was set during the 2000-01 season.
With 70 blocks in conference games, the Bulldog sophomore broke the MW record for most blocks in a single season for conference games only, which was previously set at 52. With two blocks at Colorado State on March 1, Faz Davalos surpassed her conference games-only record, setting a new mark of 72. She would finish the season with 77.
Faz Davalos finished the season ranking third among NCAA active leaders in career blocked shot average at 3.46 and she currently sits third in school history with 230, 107 away from the Fresno State career record, and 114 shy of the MW all-time record.
The sophomore center also set a pair of Fresno State single-season records, earning both during the final game of the season. By grabbing 318 rebounds on the year, she passed Omelogo Udeze's 309 which was set during the 2002-03 season. She also set the record for the the most double-doubles by a player in a season with 14. That mark passed the 13 set by Yvette Roberts (1988-89), Omelogo Udeze (2000-01) and Janee Young (1996-97). In all, the Bulldogs recorded 21 double-doubles as a team, which ranks as the third-most in program history for a single season, and the first time recording 20 or more in a season in over 25 years.
To add to All-MW selection Faz Davalos' stellar season, on Dec. 8, the sophomore recorded the program's first triple-double with 24 points, 17 rebounds and 10 blocks. It was the 11th triple-double in Mountain West history, and the first using blocks.
On offense, Fresno State was led by a diverse attack that saw five players average more than 7.5 points per game, led by Faz Davalos' 12.7. Each of the five players (Faz Davalos, Shaqunna Collins, Moriah Faulk, Alex Furr and Toni Smith) posted at least 10 double-digit performances with Faz Davalos and Smith pacing the group with 25 and 20, respectively.
Three 'Dogs finished the season averaging double figures with Shauqunna Collins at 10.2, Bego Davalos at 12.7 and Toni Smith at 10.9. This was a stark contrast from the 2014-15 season in which Fresno State had just one player average double figures (Alex Sheedy).
Individually, forward Toni Smith teamed up with Faz Davalos to create one of the most dominant frontcourts in the conference. Smith, who earned All-MW honorable mention, posted double-digit scoring games in 15-of-18 conference games as she was the Bulldogs' top scorer in conference play at 12.2 points per game.
On the wing, Breanne Knishka earned a MW All-Freshman Team nod after starting 33 of the team's 34 games while playing the second-most minutes on the team at 30.0 per game. The Dryden, Wash., native averaged 6.2 points per game and finished the season second for the Bulldogs in both made 3-pointers (36) and assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
In the backcourt, senior Alex Furr concluded her career ninth all-time at Fresno State in career made 3-pointers with 141 after knocking down 48 this season. The senior also wrapped up her career with the fourth-highest free-throw percentage at Fresno State at 79.2 percent.
Due to graduation, Fresno State will lose the services starters Brittany Aikens, Furr and Smith and key reserves in Collins and Faulk for the the 2016-17 season. Returning will be starters in Faz Davalos, and Knishka, along with Zaria Branch, Tory Jacobs Raven Johnson, Anais Kirvan, Kendra Martin, Emilie Volk and Candice White.
2015-16 Mountain West Postseason Honors
Bego Faz Davalos; MW Defensive Player of the Year, All-MW, All-Defensive Team, MW All-Tournament Team
Breanne Knishka;All-Freshman Team
Toni Smith; All-MW Honorable Mention, MW All-Tournament Team
2015-16 Mountain West Player of the Week Awards
Bego Faz Davalos; Jan. 11, 2016; Feb. 29, 2016
Toni Smith; Feb. 22, 2016
