Fresno State vs. Fresno Pacific
Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 | 5 p.m. PT | Save Mart Center | Fresno, Calif.
Live: Mountain West Network | Radio - Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Stats: Bulldogslive.com
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateWBB
Play-by-Play: Matt Norville
Sidelines: Taylor Martinez
FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State women's basketball team will open the 2023-24 season against Fresno Pacific in a double header on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at 5 p.m. PT
BULLDOG BONES
• Fresno State enters the 2023-24 season with a revamped roster that includes seven newcomers who will join eight returners
• The Bulldogs' seven newcomers include's three transfers and four freshmen, two of which are international players.
• Fresno State is led by Head Coach Jaime White who is entering her tenth season at the helm.
• The 'Dogs earned a 96-43 win on Oct. 27, defeating La Verne in the lone exhibition of the season
• 'Dogs open the season with two games, against Fresno Pacific (Nov.6) and UC Merced (Nov. 10)
SERIES HISTORY
Fresno State and Fresno Pacific will meet for the eighth time on Monday, since 2003. The 'Dogs lead the all-time series 7-0, and are 7-0 when playing at the Save Mart Center. The last meeting between the two was for last seasons home opener, where the 'Dogs secured the win 66-49 on Nov. 7, 2022.
A LOOK AT THE TRANSFERS
This year's roster features seven new additions to the team. With three transfers and four freshmen, the 'Dogs have their pick. The three transfers this season are Mia Jacobs (LaSalle), Deajanae Harvey (Palomar College) and Bineta Diatta (McLennan CC).
At LaSalle, Jacobs was a 2023 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection. Where she averaged 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, starting 13 of the 30 games. Jacobs also registered 14 double-digit scoring games and had three games with double-digit rebounding games.
At Palomar, Harvey was named 2023 WBCA Two-Year College Coaches' All-American selection, two-time CCCAA Southern California Player of the Year. In 58 career games at Palomar, Harvey scored 1,269 points, recorded double figures 55 times, had 32 games with at least 20 points and 12 with at least 30 points. On Nov. 11, 2022, recorded her first-career collegiate triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against Mt. San Jacinto College.
At McLennan, Diatta posted nine double-doubles for the Highlassies and reached double figures in scoring 15 times and had 10 or more rebounds on 11 occasions. Diatta had 26 starts and helped McLennan to a 28-5 record and the 14th seed in the NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship.
THE FRESHMAN CLASS
This season fans will see an additional four new faces, the freshman class features Kylee Fox, Malaya LeSueur, Taija Sta. Maria and Maria Konstantinidou. Two of the four are international editions. Konstantinidou (Germany) and Sta. Maria (Canada). Both add to the list of international players on the roster, to a total of nine. Fox is from Richland, Wash. and LeSueur is from Portland, Ore.
THE RETURNERS
With eight returners this season, the 'Dogs have a strong set of veterans. Of the returners, three of them saw more than ten starts last season. Junior Sydney Dethman tops the list of returns with 23 starts under her belt for the 2022-23 campaign. Dethman also led the team in offensive rebounds with 53 and field goal percentage of .496 (58 FG) in 31 games. Junior Thea Mikkelsen is the next returner to with big moves to make, after starting in 19 games, the second most of the returners. Redshirt sophomore Tamia Stricklin
will see her time back on the court after missing the 2022-23 season due to injury.
WHAT'S TO COME THIS WEEK
The Bulldogs are swinging straight into the season, opening the season against Fresno Pacific, a double-header on Monday, Nov 6, 2023. Then the 'Dogs will face UC Merced at home on Friday at 6 p.m.
A LOOK AHEAD AT THE SEASON
'Dogs will host a series of opponents for the non-conference part of the season. Fresno State will host eight non-conference games this season and will travel to take on the Roadrunners (Nov. 18) and the Mustangs (Dec. 9).
Fresno State is slated to participate in two tournaments for the non-conference part of the season, at the GCU Women's Basketball Classic (Nov. 24-25) and the ASU Hall of Fame Series (Dec.20).