‘Dogs drop season opener, 86-73, at Northern Arizona

Tuesday, November 6

Flagstaff, Ariz.

11:30 a.m. PT

Fresno State

0-1

Northern Arizona

1-0

Fresno State

Northern Arizona

Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno St

‘Dogs drop season opener, 86-73, at Northern Arizona

11/6/2018 3:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Utti scores career-high 25 points.

By: Josh Mitchell / Assistant Director of Communications

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In a midday season opener on the road, Fresno State fell 86-73 to Northern Arizona on Tuesday afternoon at the Rolle Activity Center. The Lumberjacks won the game behind the 3-point line, hitting a program-record 15 3-pointers.

Despite the defeat, sophomore Maddi Utti scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting and added seven rebounds and three assists. Senior Candice White chipped in 18 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. NAU saw all five of its starters land in doubles figures in the scoring column, led by Kaleigh Paplow's 21-point, 10-rebound and seven-assist effort.

How It Happened
Fresno State led though the majority of the opening quarter as White dropped in the first seven points of the game for the Bulldogs. Despite leading by as much as seven with under four to play, the 'Jacks chipped away at the deficit, knocking down three of their six first-quarter 3's during a 13-6 run to close the period and level the score at 24-24 after one.

Trailing 29-28 early in the second, NAU proceeded to go on a 9-0 stretch before Aly Gamez temporarily halted the run with a 3 with 4:37 on the clock. The Lumberjacks increased their lead to 14 just over two minutes later though through an 8-2 spurt. Northern Arizona took a 13-point advantage into the half at 49-36.

Shooting 8-of-9 in the first half from 3, NAU's hot shooting from beyond the arc continued into the second, knocking down four more triples. As the Bulldogs pulled to within 10 with under five minutes remaining in the quarter, the 'Jacks answered with a 9-2 run by way of three 3-pointers to extend their lead to the highest of the game at 64-57.

Fresno State pulled the deficit back to 12 by the end of the quarter with a 3 from Jordanna Porter. That kick-started a fourth-quarter surge as White scored the first five points of the fourth and Utti added a pair of layups during a 12-3 run to cut the Bulldogs' deficit to six, the closest they had been since midway through second quarter. NAU time and time again had an answer though. This time it was Lauren Orndoff's fourth 3-pointer of the game that stopped the momentum and started a 12-2 spurt for the 'Jacks to put the game out of reach at 81-65 with under for to play.

Team Notes

Fresno State shot just 39.4 percent from the field and 25.0 percent from 3 compared to Northern Arizona's 57.1 percent and 75.0 percent.
NAU's 15 3-pointers was the most allowed by a Jaime White team at Fresno State. It was only the fifth game that the 'Dogs have allowed double-digit made 3's in a game during the last four-plus seasons.
The Bulldogs held a 16-point advantage in the paint (40-24).

Player Notes
Maddi Utti – 25 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists

Finished with a career-high 25 points.
Shot 11-of-16 from the floor, including the second made 3-pointer of her career after going 1-of-3 during her freshman season.

Candice White – 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists

Scored 16 of her points in the first and fourth quarters.
Moved into 19^th on the Fresno State all-time scoring list with 1,125 points, passing Geri Gainey.

Up Next
Fresno State returns home for its home opener on Nov. 14. The Bulldogs host Cal Poly at 7 p.m. PT at the Save Mart Center.

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