Bulldogs close regular season with two-game series versus UNLV

Thursday, February 25

Fresno, CA

6 P.M. PT

Fresno State

UNLV

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

Bulldogs close regular season with two-game series versus UNLV

2/24/2021 7:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes: Fresno State vs. UNLV

By: Josh Mitchell / Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

Game 22: Fresno State (14-7, 12-4 MW) vs. UNLV (13-8, 11-5 MW)
Feb.25, 2021 • 6 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video/Local TV: Mountain West Network (PxP: Eric Bentley, Analyst: Matt Norville); MyTV53 (OTA)
Radio: 790AM ESPN2 (PxP: Jose Gonzalez)
Live Stats: bulldogslive.com

Game 23: Fresno State (14-7, 12-4 MW) vs. UNLV (13-8, 11-5 MW)
Feb.27, 2021 • 1 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
Video/Local TV: Mountain West Network (PxP: Eric Bentley, Analyst: Matt Norville); MyTV53 (OTA)
Radio: 790AM ESPN2 (PxP: Jose Gonzalez)
Live Stats: bulldogslive.com

Series History: Fresno State leads 22-18
In Fresno: Fresno State leads 9-7
Last Meeting: Fresno State won 72-58 in Fresno, Calif. on Feb. 8, 2020

Bulldog Bones

At 12-4 in Mountain West play, Fresno State is mathematically still alive for the conference's regular season title. By the end of March 5, the Bulldogs will need to be level on losses with Colorado State (10-2) and New Mexico (7-3) which each have four games to play.
Averaging 80.1 points per game, Fresno State's high-powered offense is 1.7 ppg ahead of the program's single-season record.
Fresno State's offense is one of three in the MW to rank in the top 20 nationally. The Bulldogs check in at No. 17. The 'Dogs have also moved up to No. 20 in field goal percentage, connecting at a 46.3 percent clip.
The 'Dogs will meet UNLV this week which allows the seventh-most points in the league at 67.6 ppg and scores 70.7 per contest.
The Bulldogs' offense runs through the top two scorers in the Mountain West in scoring twins Haley Cavinder (19.6 ppg) and Hanna Cavinder (17.3 ppg). Averaging a combined 36.9 points per game, the two rank among the nation's top 20 scoring duos and are one of 12 sets of teammates to average at least 17.0 ppg.
With one of the two leading the Bulldogs in scoring in all 21 games, Fresno State is 8-2 this season when the duo scores at least 38 points.
The 2020 MW Freshman of the Year, Haley Cavinder, has taken her game to another level in Year 2, pacing the conference in scoring (19.6 ppg), ranks second in rebounding (7.8 rpg), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.6), sixth in steals (1.9 spg) and seventh in assists (3.9).
Coming off her most points in a month with 19 last time out at San Diego State, Maddi Utti ranks 10^th in scoring (13.2) and seventh rebounding (7.3)
The Bulldogs lead the NCAA in least fouls committed per game (12.6). They have committed 65 less fouls than their opponents leading to a 5.7 more free throw attempts per game.

Scouting UNLV

UNLV enters this week sitting a game behind Fresno State in the standings at 11-5.
As one of the top rebounding teams in the Mountain West, UNLV ranks 26th in the NCAA, grabbing 42.6 per game.
A change from previous years that the Lady Rebels pound the ball inside, they rank fourth in the MW and 72nd nationally with 7.3 made per game.
The Lady Rebels rank third nationally in total free throw attempts (489and made free throws (349).
Junior guard Nia Johnson currently leads the team in scoring 12.4 points per game but she is closely followed by Delanynie Byrne (12.1) and Desi-Rae Young (12.0). The Thomas sisters round at the starting five's scoring with Bailey Thomas at 10.1 ppg and Jade Thomas at 8.6.
UNLV's post players, Byrne (7.3) and Young (6.5) combine to average 13.8 rebounds with. The three guards all average 4-plus per game.

Series History with UNLV

Fresno State heads into this week's series with UNLV holding a 22-18 lead all-time.
The Bulldogs have won the last four matchups in the series, and 8 of the last 10.
Fresno State won the last meeting against the Lady Rebels 72-58 on Feb. 8, 2020.
Since Jaime White took over at Fresno State during the 2014-15 season, UNLV has been a thorn in her side at the Save Mart Center with the teams splitting games in Fresno during her tenure at 2-2.

Senior Week
With the conclusion of Fresno State's regular season this week, the Bulldogs will honor their five seniors prior to Saturday's game versus UNLV. The ceremony will stream live on the Mountain West Network.

Bree Delaney has played in 99 games throughout her Bulldog career, averaging 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. The 5-foot-10 guard from Sydney, Australia has made 101 career 3-pointers. As a reserve this season, Delaney is shooting a career-best 52.1 percent from the field and 48.6 percent from 3.

Aly Gamez opened the 2020-21 season by becoming the 26th player in program history to join the 1,000 point club. She currently ranks 18th with 1,176 points. Playing in 113 career games with 106 starts, the 5-foot-6 guard from Irving, Texas also ranks 8th in program history in assists with 326.

Wytalla Motta has played in 51 games with 36 starts since joining the Bulldogs for the 2019-20 season from Odessa College. The 6-foot forward from Sao Paulo, Brazil is averaging 4.9 points and 4.0 rebounds during her two seasons in Fresno.

Genna Ogier has played in 98 career games with 61 starts. The 6-foot-1 forward from Melbourne, Australia is averaging 3.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game during her career.

Maddi Utti will leave Fresno State as one of the top players in program history. The 2020 Mountain West Player of the Year and a two-time All-Defensive team selection, Utti has played in 114 games with 111 starts which included a streak of 94 in a row. The 5-foot-11 forward from Seaside, Ore., ranks fourth in program history in career field goals made (605), rebounds (836) and double-doubles (26), and seventh in points (1,437) and steals (207).

Still alive
Following last weekend's split in San Diego, Fresno State sits in third place behind Colorado State and New Mexico in its pursuit for a second straight regular season title. The Bulldogs have two more losses than both teams they are chasing.

- Fresno State must sweep UNLV in its final series of the season.
- The 'Dogs would also need both the Rams to lose two and the Lobos to lose one of their final four games. The conference office announced Tuesday that CSU and UNM have rescheduled their postponed series for March 3-5.

Clicking at the right time
With just over a week left in the regular season Fresno State is hitting its stride, winning eight of its last 10 games. Each of the Bulldogs' losses came in the final seconds of those games. They responded to both 20-plus point dismatlings of the same opponent 24-48 hours later.

- During their last six series, Fresno State has won at least one of the two games by double digits. The Bulldogs have defeated four of those teams by at least 20 points (Boise State, New Mexico, Utah State, San Diego State).
- Colorado State and Wyoming are the only conference opponents to have not lost a game to the 'Dogs by double digits. They were Fresno State's first two conference opponents of the season.

Revenge games
Given the oddity of this season's scheduling format, Fresno State has had the opportunity to quickly learn from mistakes against opponents, fix them and adjust during a quick turnaround. The Bulldogs have dropped Game 1 four times this year but have turned around on short rest to pick up wins in Game 2.

- Fresno State picked up a four-point win over Colorado State after a six-point defeat a day later. It was each teams' third and fourth games of the season.
- The Bulldogs defeated Wyoming on the road by three in overtime after a two-point loss at the buzzer two days earlier. Fresno State played the series with only nine available players.
- At the end of January, the 'Dogs followed a two-point loss in the final seconds to New Mexico with 22-point win two days later.
- Last week, Fresno State followed up a two-point defeat at San Diego State with a 21-point win.
- Fresno State has not lost a series when winning the first game, sweeping Nevada, Boise State, Utah State and Air Force.

6 seconds
The final six seconds of games have not been kind to the Bulldogs this season. Against Wyoming, New Mexico and San Diego State, Fresno State has allowed a layup in the final seconds to hand them a loss. The Bulldogs have lost its last three games in conference by a combined six points, the total of its first conference loss this season.

Socially distant defense
The Bulldogs have done well in the past about not fouling but this season, they have taken it to another level while playing through a pandemic. Fresno State leads the NCAA in fewest personal fouls per game, committing 12.6 per contest.

- The 'Dogs have committed 65 less fouls than its opponents. That has resulted in Fresno State attempting 120 more free throws than its opponents, or 5.7 more free throws per game.
- The Bulldogs have had committed single-digit foul totals three times with season low seven coming against Saint Mary's.

Record-high scoring
Averaging 80.1 points per game thus far, the Bulldogs' offense is scoring 4.0 points per game better than a year ago when they posted the second-highest season average in program history (76.1 ppg). The 'Dogs are currently on pace to break the program record of 78.4 points per game which was set during the 1986-87 season.

- Fresno State ranks 15th nationally in scoring offense (80.1 ppg) and is shooting at a 46.3 percent clip which ranks 20th in the NCAA.

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