'Dogs close regular season in Utah

Game 28: Fresno State (11-16, 7-9 MW) vs. Utah State (9-18, 4-13 MW)
March, 2022 • 5 p.m. PT • Fresno, Calif. (Save Mart Center)
TV/WEB: Mountain West Network (Matt Norville)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network/KRDU 1130AM (Matt Norville)\
LIVE STATS: B ulldogsLive.com
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 28-4
LAST MEETING: Fresno State 71, Utah State 57 [12/29/22 – Fresno, Calif.]

THE BREAKDOWN

Fresno State will head to Utah State for its final game of the regular season, ending the regular season in the state where the season had begun.
The Bulldogs have won the seven games in the series and last four meetings at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
Fresno State's 14-point win (71-57) against Utah State earlier this season was their second-largest win in conference play.
The 'Dogs have won their last two games to give them their first two-game wins streak in a month.
Last week's wins were the Bulldogs' first two this season against opponents who are sitting in the top-five of the conference standings. Both wins saw the 'Dogs eclipse 70 points, a bench mark as 10 of their wins have come when scoring more than 70.
The Bulldogs have held a lead at some point during the fourth quarter of 12 of 16 conference games.
Fresno State ranks No. 5 nationally in turnovers per game, committing just 11.5 per game.
The 'Dogs rank No. 16 in the NCAA in 3-point percentage (36.3%) following shooting 19-of-42 (45.2%) from deep in the past two games.
Haley Cavinder is the only player in the only player in the country to rank in the Top 50 in points (19.4), rebounds (9.6) and assists (5.7) per game.
Cavinder also leads the nation in free throw shooting, converting 104-of-106 (98.1%) on the year.
Coming off four straight games below 20 points, her longest stretch of the season, Cavinder has scored 77 points in the last three games (30, 25, 22).
The point guard is currently 6th on Fresno State's all-time scoring list with 1,591 points, four behind Wendy Martell.

LIMITING MISCUES
Following a season-low seven turnovers versus a D-I opponent, Fresno State sits comfortably in the nation's Top 10 in turnovers per game at No. 5, committing 11.4 per contest. The 'Dogs finished each of the last two seasons ranked inside the Top 20 with a high of 16th.

Prior to the 2019-20 season, Fresno State had not finished the season inside the Top 60 and had finished outside the Top 100 three times since the start of the 2014-15 season.

SEARCHING FOR A STEADY LINEUP
Through a number of unforeseen circumstances, Fresno State has been forced to shuffle its lineup more often than most coaches would like. The Bulldogs began the year with the same starting five for seven games. On Dec. 4 (Game 8), the lineup saw its first change of the year when Wytalla Motta moved into the lineup. A game later, Tamia Stricklin was inserted to the five.

Fresno State used three different lineups during its 11-game nonconference schedule. In 13 conference games, the Bulldogs used four different starting lineups during the first month but then went six games with the same lineup. The 'Dogs have gone with a new lineup, the seventh and eighth different one of the season, in each of their last two outings. The 'Dogs then used their 10th different lineup of the year on Senior Day against Air Force.

TURNING THE HEAT BACK ON
Following a string of poor shooting games from 3 to end the month of November, the Bulldogs began to heat up in December, and that has continued into the New Year. During a nine-game stretch Fresno State shot north of 38 percent seven times. Then a stretch that saw more of a simmer as the 3-point shooting dropped. While the Bulldogs saw themselves drop out of the top 30 in the NCAA, they have quickly returned during the last week with red-hot shooting from deep.

Nationally, Fresno State ranks 16th in 3-point percentage, shooting 36.2 percent, tops in the Mountain West.
Fresno State has shot 45.2 percent during its last two games. Coinciding with that has been the play of Amiee Book who shot a combined 10-of-16 during that time.

DOING IT ALL
Haley Cavinder has had her hand in everything that the Bulldogs have done. The 5-foot-6 point guard is averaging 19.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and in 5.8 assists per game. The Bulldog sits first in scoring, rebounding, double-doubles (12) and free throw percentage (.979) in the MW and second in assists.

Nationally, Cavinder is 13th in assists per game, 28th in points per game and 46th in rebounds per game.
Cavinder is the only player to rank in the Top 50 in all three categories.
In conference play, Cavinder leads the league in both scoring (20.4 ppg) and (10.1 rpg) and ranks second in assists (5.8 apg).

SCOUTING UTAH STATE

Utah State enters Wednesday having won its last game, a two-point win over Nevada in double overtime.
The Aggies are 9-18 on the year, 4-13 in Mountain West play.
Three of Utah State's four conference wins have come in Logan.
The Aggies have won their last two home games (Boise State, Nevada).
Utah State ranks 10th in the league in scoring margin with a -8.6 average.
Adryana Quezada ranks ninth in the league in scoring (14.4 ppg) while also sitting sixth in rebounding (8.1 rpg). Quezada's scoring has ticked up in conference play where she sits third in scoring at 17.3 points per game.
Kaylin Randhawa is also in the league's top 20 in scoring, siting 16th at 12.1 points per game.

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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'Dogs close regular season in Utah

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Amiee Book

Haley Cavinder

Wytalla Motta

Tamia Stricklin

Fresno State Athletics

'Dogs close regular season in Utah

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Amiee Book

Haley Cavinder

Wytalla Motta

Tamia Stricklin

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