Game 32: #9 Fresno State (10-21, 3-15 MW) vs. #8 Nevada (9-20, 6-12 MW)
March 5, 2023 • 2 p.m. PT • Las Vegas, Nev. • Thomas & Mack Center
TV/ONLINE: Mountain West Network (PxP: Nate Kreckman / Analyst: Tami Blackburn)
RADIO: Bulldog Sports Network (PxP: Matt Norville)
LIVE: BulldogsLive.com
LAST MEETING: Fresno State 58-55 in Fresno, Calif. on Feb. 18, 2023
SERIES HISTORY: Fresno State leads 51-16 (4-0 in MW Tournament)
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State enters Sunday's first round contest with Nevada as the No. 9 seed at the Mountain West Championships, a seed that the Bulldogs have never been.
This year marks the third time in 11 years in the league that Fresno State will play a game in the opening round. The 'Dogs have played in the opening round in 2017, 2022 and 2023. In 2017, they became the first seven seed in conference history to reach the championship game.
The Bulldogs hold a combined 17-8 record in their 10 MW tournament appearances. The 68.0 percent winning percentage ranks second to only Boise State's 76.2 percent (16-5) dating back to the 2013 tournament.
Fresno State's 17 tournament wins are the most of any team since the 'Dogs joined the league.
The Bulldogs have reached the championship game six times.
Fresno State enters this year's tournament having won two of its last four games. One of those wins came against its first round opponent, Nevada, in which the 'Dogs overcame a 15-point deficit with 15 minutes to play to win 58-55.
The win over the Wolf Pack was Fresno State's first win of the season when trailing after any quarter.
Fresno State has met Nevada four times in the Mountain West tournament, three of those have come in their opening game. The Bulldogs are 4-0 in those contests and have reached the championship game all in four tournaments (2014, 2017, 2020, 2021).
The 'Dogs own the third-best defense in the Mountain West, allowing 61.1 points per game.
Of the Bulldogs' 18 conference games, 12 have been decided by 10 points or less, tied for the most of any team in the league with Air Force.
Nine players have led the Bulldogs in scoring in a game this season. It is tied for the second-most in the NCAA.
ANYONE CAN STEP UP
While Fresno State has had two dominant scoring leaders this season in Amaya West (11) and Yanina Todorova (10), seven other players have led the Bulldogs in scoring this year. That total of nine ranks Fresno State second in the NCAA in most players to lead a team in scoring in a game in 2022-23.
Amiee Book (3x), Sydney Dethman (2x), Imani Lacy (2x) and Franka Wittenberg (3x) are the other four 'Dogs to have led the team in scoring in multiple games.
THE COMEBACK
Until Feb. 18 against Nevada, Fresno State had been 0-15 this season when it trailed after the opening quarter. One step further, the 'Dogs hadn't won a game when they trailed at the end of any period. The Wolf Pack led by 9, 8 and 11 at the end of the first three quarters before the 'Dogs outscored 26-12 in the fourth to earn their first come-from-behind win of the season.
Fresno State trailed by as much as 15 midway through the third.
The Bulldogs led for just 90 seconds.
KEEPING 'EM CLOSE
If you like close games, odds are good that you'll see one with the Bulldogs. 17 of Fresno State's 31 games have been nail-biters with the difference being six points or less. Unfortunately, the 'Dogs are 4-12 in such games. In all four wins, the Bulldogs have won by 3-5 points.
Fresno State has missed a go-ahead attempt at the buzzer four times (Cal Poly, Sacramento State, UNLV, Wyoming) 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.
RIGHT THERE
Ten of the Bulldogs' 15 losses in Mountain West play have been by seven points or less with one or two possessions late in games determining the outcome.
Of the Bulldogs' 18 conference games, 12 have been decided by 10 points or less, tied for the most of any team in the league (Air Force).
START FAST
The first quarter this season has been telling for the Bulldogs. In nine of Fresno State's 10 wins, the 'Dogs have led after the first quarter. Four of those have seen the Bulldogs with a double-digit lead after 10 minutes.
Fresno State is 9-5 when leading after the first quarter.
The one win when the 'Dogs didn't lead, but won, they trailed by as much as 13 in the first quarter to Nevada.
GET TO THE STRIPE, SCORE AT THE STRIPE
Following three seasons below 70 percent at the free throw line, Jaime White made it emphasis for her teams to improve that number. The result was re-writing the record book for free throw percentage as four of the five teams rank No. 1-4 in program history.
The Bulldogs are currently shooting 75.2 percent at the line, the third-best percentage in program history.
Not just making their free throws, the 'Dogs have gotten 88 more attempts than their opponents (508-420). The result has been a +75 point advantage at the charity stripe.
Fresno State is averaging 16.4 free throw attempts per game.
Amaya West leads the Mountain West at 86.7 percent while taking a team-high 113 attempts. The percentage currently ranks No.5 for a single season at Fresno State behind Haley Cavinder (1x) and Candice White (3x).
TWO-WAY PLAYER
Fresno State coaches knew that Amaya West would bring defense when they brought her in after four years at Nevada. What the fifth-year senior has also brought to Fresno is an offensive game that wasn't used much in Reno. In her last season in the Mountain West, the Mesa, Ariz. native has shown off her full array, averaging 14.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
West is one of three players in the league to rank in the Top 12 in both scoring (4th) and rebounding (12th) in league play along with Desi-Rae Young (UNLV) and Alyssa Jimenez (Nevada).
In her last two games in Fresno, West recorded her 1,000th point and 500th rebound of her career. The point came on Feb. 18 and the Feb. 28.
GIVE HER 20
In 11 of Imani Lacy's 17 games, the senior has been on the court for at least 20 minutes. Those 11 games have seen eight of her double-digit scoring games, including a season-high 19 points on Senior Night against New Mexico.
In games Lacy has played at least 20 minutes, the senior is averaging 12.3 points and 6..4 rebounds per game.
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 10.9 points per game, 16th in the Mountain West. It is 7.4 points above the 4.5 she averaged in her first two seasons at Fresno State.
Todorova has three 20-point games this season including a career-high 26 points versus CSU Bakersfield and 21 last weekend at Wyoming.
Todorova is second on the team with 16 double figure games.
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.
SCOUTING NEVADA
Nevada enters the tournament with a 9-20 overall record and was 6-12 in the MW.
The Wolf Pack were 3-11 this season away from Lawlor Events Center and 1-2 on a neutral court.
Nevada defeated the Bulldogs, 75-69 earlier this season in Reno but the Bulldogs returned the favor in Fresno 58-55.
The Wolf Pack lead the MW in free throw attempts per game (18.5), are second in made (13.5) and are third in offensive rebounds per game (11.7).
Three Wolf Pack players average double figures with Audrey Roden leading the way at 10.9 points per game. Alyssa Jimenez and Lexie Givens also average double figures sitting at 10.6 & 10.2 points per game, respectively.