FRESNO STATE (7-5) VS ARIZONA STATE (7-4, 0-1 Pac-12)
Wed. Dec. 20, 2023 | 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT | ESPN+ | Footprint Center | Phoenix, Arizona
MEDIA COVERAGE
Watch: ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Cindy Brunson
Analyst: Joan Bovicini
Watch: Arizona's Family Sports
Stats: Statbroadcast
Radio: Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play-by-play: Matt Norville
Twitter (X):@FresnoStateWBB
Tournament Host:Hall of Fame Series
FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State women's basketball is on the road for their final game of the non-conference portion at the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix, Arizona. Tip-off is slated for Wednesday, Dec. 20th at 11 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. MT streaming live on ESPN+.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State is closing non-conference play at home with a win and a 6-2 record this season
Head Coach Jamie White is 2-0 against first year coaches this season (Pepperdine, Sacramento State)
Mia Jacobs recorded her second double-double of the season (15 points, 11 rebounds) reaching the mark before the half at 16 minutes of play against Sacramento State
This is the final match up before conference play opens against Air Force on Dec. 30, 2023 at the Save Mart Center
Bulldogs are trying to break a three-game road losing streak when they visit the Sun Devils this Wednesday
Head coach Jamie White's is 1-6 against Pac-12 teams, earning a win against Oregon (68-59) in her first season as Fresno State head coach (2014)
This will be Fresno State's first time participating in the Hall of Fame Series
Bulldogs are 5-0, when shooting its average from beyond the arc this season
JERRY COLANGELO HALL OF FAME SERIES
The Hall of Fame Series, which is owned and operated by Position Sports, is a collection of multi-game, singular events that will showcase several of the top collegiate basketball teams in exciting non-conference matchups played both domestically and abroad. In March, the Phoenix-based company and the Hall of Fame reached an exclusive 10-year agreement.
The 2023 Hall of Fame Series will take place in Las Vegas (November 6), Charlotte (November 10), Toronto (December 9), San Antonio (December 16), and Phoenix (December 20).
'Dogs will play at the Footprint Center in the heart of downtown Phoenix and home to the NBA Phoenix Suns and WNBA Phoenix Mercury.
Teams participating in Wednesday's contest on the women's side are Fresno State vs. Arizona State and Gonzaga vs. Arizona. The men will play following the completion of the women's matches; Northwestern vs. Arizona State and Alabama vs Arizona.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Head coach Natasha Adair is entering her second season leading the Sun Devils
In her first season Adair lead the Sun Devils to a 8-20 overall and 1-17 conference record
Arizona State is coming off back-to-back losses against Grand Canyon (59-66) and opened up conference play to Arizona (59-91)
Bulldogs' and Sun Devils have themselves an even match holding a similar season record going into Wednesday's game, each holding seven wins
ASU goes into Wednesday with a +1.1 scoring margin (66.6 ppg), shooting 41% from the field (262-635),
SERIES HISTORY
Fresno State and Arizona State will meet for the fifth time in program history and the first time since 2005, this will be the first neutral meeting in the series.
Arizona leads the all-time meetings 4-0, earning their last win in December of 2018 (68-52). This will be the third meeting for both teams in Arizona.
ROSTER DIVE
The Sun Devils saw eight newcomers and seven returners to their roster this season
Core starters for the Sun Devils are Jaddan Simmons and Maggie Besselink, each going 11-of-11 on starts
Simmons, who has been a core starter for the Sun Devils since her first season (2021), shoots 42% from both the field (40-of-95) and the three (8-of-19) and 79% from the foul line (59-of-74)
The team is led by Jayln Brown, who has a combined 124 points this season (13.8 avg) through nine games and Simmons with a combined 147 points (13.4 avg) through 11 games
BACK AND BETTER
Redshirt Sophomore Tamia Stricklin saw her return to the court after a year's absence due to a knee injury early last season. Against Sacramento State Stricklin would play 13 minutes and record four points, four rebounds, and would shoot 40% from the field.
In her freshman season Tamia recorded a career-high 17 points, Stricklin played a total of 27 games with 16 starts and recorded a combined season total of 109 points and 68 rebounds. Stricklin was also tabbed as Mountain West Freshman of the Week in 2021 (Dec. 11, 2021), the only Fresno State freshman that season.
JACOBS' HAVING A BLINDER
Mia Jacobs recorded her second double-double as a Bulldog this season against Sacramento State. Jacobs would pull out double-digits (11 points, 11 rebounds) before the half, through only 16 minutes of play. Finishing out the night with four more points (15 points, 11 rebounds.) Jacobs earned her first double-double against Long Beach State with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Jacobs has been an offensive machine this season recording 134 points through 12 games and is ranked No. 12 in the MW. Jacobs also holds a team high for individual points scored in a single game with 27 against Pepperdine, in the second game of the season.
*Jacobs has a combined total of 342 career points
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Mia Jacobs would record her second double-double this season with 15 points, 11 rebounds
Three Bulldogs would record double-digit points; Mia Jacobs (15), Kylee Fox (14) and Keely Brown (12)
'Dogs earn another home win against a non-conference opponent, going 6-2 at home
Fresno State would shoot 76% from the foul line (10-of-13), 39% from the field (25-of-64) and 30% from the three going 8-of-26
Fresno State would take the largest lead of the night with 26 points in fourth quarter (65-39)
Bulldogs largest scoring run of the night (11-0)
Fresno State is 1-1 against Big Sky opponents this season
Fresno State earns a win going into their final match of the non-conference portion of the season
MOUNTAIN WEST RANKINGS
With less than two weeks left until conference play begins, Fresno State is staying at the top of the leader board in the Mountain West. Mia Jacobs, Kylee Fox and Taija Sta. Maria continued to see time in the top ten rankings for individual statistics in the Mountain West.
Mia Jacobs has dropped to No. 8 in FT% at 75% going 28-of-37 through eleven games
Jacobs is also ranked No. 7 in rebounds with 73 (6.64 avg) through eleven games
Fox has dropped down to No. 10 in 3PFGM with 21 (1.75 avg) through twelve games
Taija Sta. Maria has stayed at No. 4 this week in assists with 53 (4.42 avg) and stays at No. 3 in assists/turnover ratio (2.41 ratio) through twelve games.
Fresno State is ranked...
No. 3 in the Mountain West for turnover margin +5.50
No. 3 in MW scoring offense with 814 points (67.83 avg)
No. 4 in 3PFG% at 33% going 76-of-226
No. 4 in conference at 7-5
No. 4 in both scoring (+7.83) and rebounding margin (+2.42)