'Dogs open WNIT with Central Valley showdown

Game 32: Fresno State (19-12, 11-7 MW) vs. Pacific (18-12, 10-8 WCC)
March 20, 2019 – 7 p.m. PT – Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Live Stream: Mountain West Network
Live Stats: Sidearmstats
Series History: FS leads 26-21
Last Meeting: FS won 81-70 on Dec. 7, 2017 in Fresno, Calif.

Bulldog Bones
• For the third time in the last five seasons, Fresno State will play in the Women's National Invitational Tournament.
• The Bulldogs will be making their eighth appearance overall in the WNIT and 17th overall postseason appearance.
• The 'Dogs last played in the WNIT in 2016, their second straight appearance in the tournament. They hadn't previously competed in the postseason tournament since 2005.
• Separated by 125 miles, the two Central Valley schools (Fresno State and Pacific) have played 47 times in their history with the Bulldogs holding a 26-21 edge in the all-time series. The 'Dogs have won five of the last six games dating back to 2009.
• On March 10, Candice White earned her second consecutive All-Mountain West selection after being named honorable mention in 2017. Maddi Utti, who earned All-Freshman Team honors in 2018, garnered All-MW honorable mention and was selected to the All-Defensive Team. White was named to the Mountain West's All-Tournament team on March 13.

By The Numbers
2 – Fresno State holds a 2-2 record in its last two appearances in the WNIT, winning both of its games at the Save Mart Center.
17 – Fresno State is one win away from recording its 17th 20-win season in program history.
1 – In her fifth season leading the Bulldogs, Jaime White is one win away from her 100th as Fresno State's head coach.

Scouting Pacific
• Pacific enters Wednesday's matchup with an 18-12 overall record and finished sixth in the West Coast Conference.
• The Tigers rank No. 20 in the NCAA in free throw percentage, connecting at 76.5 percent on the year.
• Pacific thrives on turning teams over, leading the WCC in turnover margin (4.0) and turnovers forced per game (17.57). The Tigers ranked No. 27 in the nation in turnover margin.
• Pacific averages 73.1 points per game but allows 70.3 per outing.
• WCC Defensive Player of the Year, Valerie Higgins, leads Pacific on both ends of the court as she ranks second the WCC in scoring (17.0 ppg), rebounding (9.0 rpg) and steals (3.1 spg). The redshirt sophomore ranks 12th nationally in steals per game and 36th in double-doubles (13).
• Brooklyn McDavid, a WCC second-team selection, the freshman averaged 15.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Ameela Li, who earned WCC honorable mention, is the Tigers third scorer at 13.5 per game.

History with Pacific
• Fresno State holds the all-time series lead 26-21.
• The Bulldogs have won six of the last seven games which includes three straight at home.
• The 'Dogs are 14-8 against the Tigers at home.
• Fresno State and Pacific have met each of the past two seasons, with the Bulldogs winning by an average of 10 points per game.

Living in the postseason
Fresno State returned to postseason basketball in 2018 after a hiatus in 2017, and will make their 17th appearance all-time in 2019. It will be their 13th since 2003.
• The program had a program-long postseason streak of nine from 2008-2016.
• The Bulldogs will be making their eighth appearance in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
• Fresno State has gone 1-1 in each of its previous three postseason tournaments under head coach Jaime White.

Mountain West recognition
For the second straight season, Candice White led the Mountain West in scoring. The accomplishment landed the Bulldog senior on the All-MW team for the second consecutive season after earning honorable mention status in 2016.
• Like White's 2016 nod, Maddi Utti has earned All-MW honorable mention after ranking in the league's top 10 in rebounding, field goal percentage, steals, blocks, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds and minutes while also finishing 12th in scoring.
• Utti also became the Bulldogs' first selection to the All-Defensive Team since Bego Faz Davalos in 2016. The sophomore was the only player in league games to rank in the Top 5 in steals (fourth), blocks (second) and defensive rebounds (fifth).
• White would later add an All-Tournament Team accolade to her resume after averaging 22.5 points per game in two games at last week's Mountain West Championships.

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'Dogs open WNIT with Central Valley showdown

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Players Mentioned

Maddi Utti

Candice White

Fresno State Athletics