Fresno State returns home to host Aztecs on Wednesday night

Wednesday, January 17

Fresno, Calif.

7 p.m. PT

Fresno State

San Diego State

Photo by: Keith Kountz

Fresno State returns home to host Aztecs on Wednesday night

1/16/2018 4:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

The Bulldogs have won their last three home games against San Diego State.

By: Josh Mitchell / Assistant Director of Communications

Game 18: Fresno State (8-9, 3-3) vs. San Diego State (8-8, 2-3)
Jan. 17, 2018 – 7 p.m. PT – Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: S idearmstats
Series History: San Diego State leads 27-19
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 59-50 on Feb. 22, 2017 in Fresno, Calif.

Opening Tip
• Fresno State returns home this week to host San Diego State on Wednesday at Save Mart Center where the Bulldogs are 6-2 this season.
• The 'Dogs are coming off of consecutive losses for the first time since late November.
• Fresno State has won its last three home games versus the Aztecs by an average of 8.7 points and have not scored more than 59 points in any game.
• Wednesday's contest will stream live on the Mountain West Network and broadcast on 790 AM ESPN2 with Randy Rosenbloom on the call.
• Bulldog Food Drive! Bring 2 canned goods for the Bulldog Cupboard, receive free admission.
• Break the Barriers will perform at halftime.

Bulldog Bones
• Candice White has scored in double figures in 16 of 17 games this season. One of the best guards in the conference, she leads the league in scoring at 18.6 points per game and has posted six games with 20 or more, and two with at least 30. In league play she is averaging 22.5 per game.
• On Jan. 3, White broke the Mountain West record for consecutive free throws with 61, passing TCU's Emily Carter (2010-11). She missed her first free throw of the season on Jan. 6, ending her streak at 68, two shy of the NCAA Division I record. It ranks No. 2 all-time in Division I history and is the fifth-longest streak in all divisions.
• The Bulldogs are 5-2 this season in games decided by 10 points or less, and 3-0 in games decided by one possession.
• Fresno State's quartet of freshmen have accounted for 45 starts this season and rank second, third, fifth and sixth on the team in total points.
• Four Bulldogs are averaging over 30 minutes per game in conference play. White leads the team at 33.5 minutes per appearance.
• Fresno State is third in the conference in 3-point percentage, shooting 35.1 percent on the year, with 33.5 percent of its points coming from the 3-point line.

Fresno State vs. San Diego State
• San Diego State leads the all-time series 27-19.
• Fresno State won both matchups against the Aztecs last season.
• The Bulldogs are 8-3 against Aztecs since joining the Mountain West.
• After losing its first two home contests to SDSU as a member of the Mountain West, Fresno State is 3-0 since those losses at the Save Mart Center.

A look at San Diego State
• San Diego State stands at 8-8 on the season with a 2-3 mark in conference play.
• The Aztecs have gone 4-6 in their last 10 games and have lost three out of their last four.
• SDSU ranks fifth in the Mountain West in scoring at 66.3 points per game.
• San Diego State ranks fourth in the conference in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 66.9 points per contest.
• The Aztecs are led on the offensive end by MW preseason all-conference selection McKynzie Fort, who ranks second in the MW in scoring at 16.7 points per game. The slashing guard is shooting 49.5 percent from the floor, which is good for third-best in the conference.

Controlling the arc
Fresno State is the only team in the Mountain West to rank in the top three in the league in 3-point percentage (.355/.344) and 3-point percentage defense (.281/.260).
• Since moving into conference play, the Bulldogs' defense has gotten stronger
• Despite facing the top two teams in the conference in 3-point field goals per game in MW play, Fresno State has allowed just 32 3-pointers through six games (32-of-123).

The closer
When games have been on the line for Fresno State this season, Candice White has been the Bulldogs' go-to player in crunch time. The lone junior selected to MW preseason all-conference team, is averaging 5.6 points per fourth quarter this season (3.5 above the next player) and 6.0 in the fourth quarter in wins (3.6 above the next player).
• During the Bulldogs' eight wins, Candice White has led the team in points in the fourth quarter during the five.
• During the last two games in which the 'Dogs have been tied or trailed in the final minute, White scored five points against Weber State and four against Utah State, including the go-ahead points.

Winning close
Despite being one of the youngest teams in the country entering the season, Fresno State has gone against the grain when in tight games. The Bulldogs are 5-2 in games decided by 10 points or less, and are 3-0 in games decided by three or less as its youthful core has not wavered in crunch time.
• In each of their three wins that have been by three points or less (Montana, Weber State, Utah State), the Bulldogs have trailed midway through the fourth quarter and games have been tied with under four minutes to play.
• The latest that the 'Dogs have taken a lead in a win was versus Utah State on Jan. 3 when they took a one-point lead on a free throw by Candice White with nine seconds to play.

Unquestioned leader
In her third season at Fresno State, and second as a starter, Candice White has become the unquestioned leader for the Bulldogs through her work ethic and production on the court. Whether it's been calmly sinking one free throw after another or exploding for double-digit points in a quarter, White has been the engine that has helped Fresno State run this season. As of Jan. 10, the junior leads the Mountain West in scoring at 18.6 points per game and has tallied double figures in 16 of 17 games.
• In 2016-17, White's 489 points scored was the 10th-most in a single season at Fresno State. She is currently on pace to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career this season. This year, she is currently on pace to finish in the top five all-time at Fresno State for points in a single season.
• In the Bulldogs' game at CSUN on Dec. 2, White poured in a career-high 34 points, the first 30-point game for a 'Dog since Raven Fox scored 31 at San Diego on Nov. 28, 2014. The total was two shy of the program record for points in a game.
• On Dec. 20, White twice scored the go-ahead points versus Weber State, including knocking down the game-winning 3-pointer in a tie game with 2.1 seconds on the clock.
• On three occasions this season, White has scored 20-plus points in a half.
• White has posted two games with at least 30 points (CSUN, Boise State).
• White sits second in the NCAA in free-throw percentage at 97.2 (70-of-72).

Got Game-z
Standing just 5-foot-6, freshman point guard Aly Gamez is proved to that she can provide the spark offensively that the Bulldogs need alongside junior Candice White in the backcourt. Since taking over as the starting point guard on Nov. 30, Gamez has been a catalyst for the team picking up seven wins as she has averaged 9.8 points per game and is shooting 42.9 percent from the field (39-of-91) and 39.5 from 3 (17-of-43).
• Since Dec. 10, Gamez has posted six double-digit performances in eight games.
• In the Bulldogs' 3-point win over Weber State to end the nonconference season, Gamez exploded for 11 of her season-high 18 points in the opening quarter.
• In Fresno State's first two home games in league play, Gamez came up clutch, providing five unanswered points with under three minutes to go versus Utah State to pull the 'Dogs with one, and followed that up with 3-pointers at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter after Fresno State's lead was cut to two with 24 seconds remaining in the third.
• She again put up 11 points in a quarter, dropping three 3's in two-minute span during the first quarter at Boise State.

Playing in paint
Thrust into a larger role after three games into the season, freshman Maddi Utti has thrived as a starter in her first season in Fresno. Receiving increased minutes in game four, the Seaside, Oregon native has started every game since, posting double-figure scoring performances in nine games. Undersized as a post, Utti has used her athletic ability and work rate to rank second on the team in scoring (9.3) and rebounding (5.9).
• Utti ranks fourth in scoring among freshmen in the conference and first in rebounding. Her 56.7 percent shooting percent is second overall in the league.
• During the nonconference season, Utti posted double-doubles versus Texas State and Pacific. Prior to this season, there were 17 double-doubles by freshman in Bulldog history.
• Utti is the first freshman to score double figures in six straight games (Nov. 24-Dec. 10) since Jaleesa Ross in 2008. The program's all-time leading scorer posted a stretch of 13 straight games in double digits during the 2007-08 season.

Follow us on:
Twitter: @FresnoStateWBB
Instagram: fresnostwbb
Facebook: FresnoStateAthletics
Snap Chat: FSAthletics