Game 14: Fresno State (7-6) at Colorado State (7-4)
Dec. 29, 2022 • 5:30 p.m. PT • Fort Collins, Colo. • Moby Arena
TV/ONLINE: Mountain West Network
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (PxP: Matt Norville)
LIVE: SidearmStats
LAST MEETING: Colorado State 78, Fresno State 67 (Dec. 24, 2022 • Fresno, Calif.)
SERIES HISTORY: Colorado State leads 17-14
Game 15: Fresno State (7-5) at Wyoming (7-4)
Dec. 31, 2022 • 5 p.m. PT • Laramie, Wyo. • Arena-Auditorium
TV/ONLINE: Mountain West Network
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (PxP: Matt Norville)
LIVE: BulldogsLive.com
LAST MEETING: Wyoming 61, Fresno State 58 (Feb. 12, 2022 • Fresno, Calif.)
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 22-17
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State will open its 11th Mountain West conference season on Thursday night at Colorado State.
Head Coach Jaime White's ninth MW season will begin just over 30 miles from where her Division I head coaching career started (Northern Colorado - Greeley, Colo.).
Thursday will mark just the third time Fresno State will open MW play on the road under White (1-1).
LOCKED UP
After allowing the third-most (70.6 - 2020-21) and fifth-most (69.1 - 2021-22) points per game in program history in the last two seasons, an expected change this season was an emphasis on defense. A staple under Jaime White teams when she first arrived, the 'Dogs have returned to tough defensive play, holding six of its first 12 opponents below 50 points.
The Bulldogs rank No. 18 nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.8 points per game.
While the 'Dogs have been aggressive defensively, they have done so without fouling, committing the 10th-fewest fouls per game in the NCAA at 13.2.
SHADING TEAMS UNDER 50
In the last three seasons, Fresno State has held just three opponents under 50 points. Seven Bulldog opponents have left games a bit gray this season after being held under 50 points. It is the first time the 'Dogs have held at least seven under the 50-point mark since 2015-16 (7). The difference--that team did it in 34 games.
During Jaime White's first three seasons at Fresno State, the Bulldogs held 19 opponents below 50 points, four in 2016-17, seven in 2015-16 and eight in 2014-15.
From Nov. 15-22, the 'Dogs held three straight opponents under 50 points, a feat that hadn't occurred since White's first season.
The 49 points allowed to Fresno Pacific were the lowest for a Bulldog opponent in a season opener since 2004 (Pepperdine - 38).
For just the second time in the last decade, Fresno State held a Division I opponent to 40 points or less. The last time was on Jan. 11, 2017 against Air Force (40 points).
HISTORICALLY STRONG DEFENSE
By holding seven opponents below 50 points, it ranks tied for the seventh-most in program history. While it may seem impressive having done that in just 13 games, even more impressive that it has been done during an age of offense.
Since 2010, it is tied for the third-most in a season. Since 1980, is tied for the fourth-most.
Of the 13 seasons that have seen at least five opponents held below 50 points, five of them came in the 1970s.
IN A DIFFERENT DEFENSIVE CLASS
Through 13 games, Fresno State is holding teams to 53.8 points per game. While more than a third of the season has been played the Bulldogs are holding teams to more than five points less per game than the program record of 59.0 ppg.
The Top 5 scoring defenses in program history have allowed between 59.0-60.1 points.
Three of those were coached by Jaime White (2015-16: 59.5ppg; 2016-17: 59.9 ppg; 2014-15: 60.1 ppg).
KEEPING 'EM CLOSE
If you like close games, odds are good that you'll see one with the Bulldogs. Seven of Fresno State's 13 games have been nail-biters with the difference being five points or less. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs are 0-4 in games separated by three points or less, but are 3-0 in games separated by 4-5 points.
Fresno State has twice missed a go-ahead attempt at the buzzer (Cal Poly, Sacramento State) and missed a third that would have tied a game (CSU Bakersfield).
The Bulldogs held off late rallies from Delaware, Northern Arizona and Utah Valley, not allowing a fourth-quarter lead change.
ALWAYS WAITING FOR MW PLAY
For most coaches, conference play is a second season. Heach Coach Jaime White takes that to heart and it shows in results as she heads into the 2022-23 season with the seventh-best winning percentage in conference play in Mountain West history at 65.0 percent (93-50). It is the second-best mark among active coaches in the league.
Among coaches who have been in the conference for at least five seasons, White's percentage ranks third all-time.
In eight seasons, White's teams have had a winning record in six, earning a first round bye in the conference tournament in all six.
In one of Fresno State's two losing seasons in conference under White, the Bulldogs still reached the conference championship game (2017), one of four appearances in the title game under White.
SHE'S BACK
Out for the first six weeks of the season, fifth-year senior
Imani Lacy returned to the court on Dec. 20 at then-No. 11 UCLA. A familiar face in the Mountain West after playing her first two years at Nevada and last season with Fresno State, Lacy was a difference for the 'Dogs late last year after returning from nagging injuries, averaging 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game during the final six games.
In her return against the Bruins, Lacy had 12 points, two rebounds and a block and an assist.
Making just three 3-pointers last season, Lacy was 2-of-2 from 3 at UCLA.
SETTLED IN
For four years, Fresno State had been familiar with Amaya West during her days playing for Nevada. Now with the Bulldogs, West's role has changed, looking to be more of a scorer in her final collegiate season. Struggling to find her shot through the first seven games, shooting 18-of-63 (28.6%), those appear to be a part of the past as West has begun to settle in, scoring in double figures the following five games. That run has included the three highest scoring games of her career.
She is currently 13th in the Mountain West, averaging 11.5 points per game.
TOGETHER AGAIN
When Imani Lacy and Amaya West stepped on the court together at UCLA, things will have come full circle for the two. Starting their careers together at Nevada in the fall of 2018, the two played two seasons together for the Wolf Pack before Lacy's departure for Long Beach State. The last time they were on the court together in a collegiate game, ironically, was against the team who's jerseys they currently don. That game was March 2, 2020, a 75-71 defeat to the Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.
The former/now current teammates will get one final season together before both complete their eligibility.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
With the Bulldogs' top three scorers gone from last season,
Yanina Todorova has taken a big step forward in her final year. The fifth-year senior from Bulgaria is averaging 12.6 points per game, eighth in the Mountain West. It is 8.1 points above the 4.5 she averaged in her first two seasons at Fresno State.
Todorova scored a career-high 26 points Nov. 11 versus CSU Bakersfield.
The Bulgarian opened the season by scoring in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since the end of the 2021-22 season.
Todorova leads the team in double figures scoring games with eight.
The senior earned the first MW Player of the Week honor of her career on Dec. 19 after recording her second career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds against Utah Valley.
GETTING PAST THE MILESTONE
When Amiee Book surpassed the 1,000 point mark, the rim has appeared to expand for the shooter. Scoring 88 points in the last six games, the fifth-year senior is shooting more than 50 percent from the field.
A near 40 percent 3-point shooter in a career, Book struggled early from deep this season but is shooting 46.5 percent in the last six.
Book's six-game scoring stretch began with a career-high 31 points at Portland State, going 8-of-14 from 3. The eight 3-pointers were the second-most in program history.
SCOUTING COLORADO STATE
Colorado State is off to a 7-4 start with a 6-1 record at home.
The Rams have victories over BYU, Montana, Western Colorado, Mercer, Western Michigan, Denver & Regis this season.
CSU was picked third in the Mountain West preseason poll and went 21-12 last season with a 9-9 mark in the MW to finish sixth in the conference.
The Rams lead the MW and the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.03) & turnovers per game (8.7) while also topping the conference in assists per game (17.7), field goal percentage (47.1), free throw percentage (79.1), scoring offense (79.5) and three point percentage (41.7).
Senior guard McKenna Hofschild leads the MW and nation in assist-to-turnover ratio (4.84) and also tops the MW in assists (92), points per game (19.5) and minutes per game (35.8).
SCOUTING WYOMING
Wyoming is 7-4 this season and will open MW play on Thursday at UNLV before hosting the Bulldogs on Saturday.
The Cowgirls are 5-1 at home with wins over Denver, Regis, Montana State, New Mexico Highlands and Kansas City.
Wyoming was selected fourth in the MW preseason poll and went 17-13 last season with an 11-6 record in the MW tying for third in the league.
The Cowgirls rank second in the MW in field goal percentage defense (36.0), scoring defense (53.2) and turnovers per game (12.0).
Sophomore center Allyson Fertig checks in second in the MW in rebounds per game (9.6) and is third in blocks (19) and blocks per game (1.73).