FRESNO STATE (9-6, 2-0 MW) VS SAN DIEGO STATE (10-5, 1-1 MW)
Sun Jan. 7, 2024 | 1 p.m. PT | Viejas Arena | CBS Sports Network | San Diego, Calif.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Watch: CBS Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Daniel Waugh
Analyst: Kelly Burke
Stats: Statbroadcast
Listen: BulldogSportsNetwork (BSN)
Play-by-Play: Matt Norville
Twitter (X): @FresnoStateWBB
FRESNO, Calif.- Fresno State women's basketball team is heading down south to sunny San Diego to face the Aztecs in Viejas Arena on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State is now 2-0 in conference play
Fresno State earned their first true road win of the season against San Jose State, 70-67
Fresno State is one of two teams with a 2-0 conference record (Wyoming, as of Jan. 5)
Fresno State has scored 70 points for the first time since Dec. 2 (71, vs UC San Diego)
Fresno State will be back on national television for the first time since March 4, 2021 when they faced Wyoming in the Mountain West Tournament Championship Game
Bulldogs are 6-1 when scoring 70-79 points
San Diego State has won the last three meetings with Fresno State
Fresno State is 1-2 when opponents shoot 50% or better from the field (SJSU, 51%)
Four Bulldogs scored in double-digits against San Jose State (Mia Jacobs, 19), (Bineta Diatta, 14), (Kylee Fox, 13) and (Deajanae Harvey, 11)
*Fresno State is on the cusp of a Top-Ten national ranking, coming in at No.11 in Fouls Per Game, with 13.3 FPG
*Fresno State is also ranked No. 55 in Turnover Margin with 4.00
Fresno State enters the second week of conference play with a +6.87 scoring margin (+6.50 MW), a +2.73 rebounding margin (+0.50 MW)
Three Bulldogs have been tabbed with Mountain West honors so far this season, Taija Sta. Maria (2x, Freshman of the Week), Kylee Fox (Freshman of the Week) and Mia Jacobs (Player of the Week, Dec. 26)
*Rankings via NCAA, ranked out of 348 teams as of Jan. 5
ABOUT THE MATCH UP
Fresno State and San Diego State will meet for the 57th time in program history, since their first meeting in 1972 and the 24th time in San Diego. Head coach Jaime White's first meeting against the Aztecs proved successful in 2014, after riding in on a five game win streak and earning a 12 point win, 56-44. San Diego State has won the last three match up's with Fresno State seeing their last win in February 2021. Two of the last three match ups have been in San Diego.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson in entering her 11th season leading the Aztecs
San Diego will start conference play at 1-1, coming off an overtime loss at Air Force, 63-71
Both of San Diego's conference games have ended in overtime
Aztecs were on a six game win streak prior to meeting the Falcons
San Diego State's toughest opponent came in the non-conference portion as they faced then No.3 Stanford, falling to the Cardinal, 44-85
Last season the Aztecs made a semifinal appearance in the Mountain West Tournament versus No. 1 UNLV, 68-71
San Diego State also saw some postseason action at the WNIT, but fell to UC Irvine. 45-55
ROSTER DIVE
Aztecs will see the return of two starters (Prohaska, Villalobos) after losing four
Core starters for the Aztecs are Quezada, Prohaska, Lewis and Villalobos, each going 15-of-15 on starts, Barcello's trails close behind with 14 starts
Through 15 games…
Quezada has recorded 218 points and shoots 55% from the field
Lewis has shot 29% from the three going 33-of-112
Barcello shoots 83% from the foul line going 20-24 (through 14 games)
LAST TIME OUT FOR THE AZTECS
Last time out the Aztecs secured a 19 point win over the Bulldogs, 75-56. San Diego would shoot 37% from the field and 90% from the foul line. The Aztecs will return two starters that faced the 'Dogs last time (Prohaska and Villalobos). Both players would record double-digits each with 11 points. Current starter Barcellos will also be back, last time recording two 3-pointers.
TOP DOG HARVEY
Harvey would play for keeps in back-to-back games to give the Bulldogs a fighting chance against their opponents. Deajanae Harvey comes in clutch with another fourth quarter save for the Bulldogs. In the final seconds versus San Jose State Harvey would steal the ball to secure the 'Dogs three point lead. Against San Jose State Harvey would total 11 points, three steals, two assists, three 3-pointers and six rebounds.
Harvey's fast pace on the court has earned her high individual rankings within the Mountain West. Staying at the top of the leader board at No. 1, Harvey totals 7 steals (3.50 avg) and No. 13 in rebounds with 13 (6.30 avg).
BENCH SUPPORT
Against San Jose State the bench players would provide strong support to the team, recording 33 points. Deajanae Harvey, Bineta Diatta, Franka Wittenberg and Tamia Stricklinall saw action on the court against the Spartans. Harvey and Diatta would record the most points off the bench with a combined 24 points; both players would make up more than half of the teams total bench points. Fresno State would record more than 20+ points from the bench in six games and more than 30 points in three games (37 UCM/ CSUB 33, 33 vs SJSU)
Fresno State is 6-2 when they score more bench points than their opponents. Since Sacramento State on Dec. 16, Fresno State has seen a strong rotation of bench support from Harvey, Diatta, Wittenberg and Stricklin. Diatta has seen the most action playing in all fifteen games this season. Wittenberg, the only current reserve player with time in the starting line up with five early on in the season.
BULLDOG HIGHLIGHTS
Fresno State earns their first road game win this season
Fresno State sits 2-0 in conference play
Four Bulldogs would earn double-digit points; Mia Jacobs (19), Bineta Diatta (14), Kylee Fox (13) and Deajanae Harvey (11)
Team Highs; Points (19, Mia Jacobs), Rebounds (9, Mia Jacobs) and Assists (7, Kylee Fox)
Fresno State's largest lead of the night was by six points in the first quarter
Bulldogs largest run of the night, 8-0 (over 1:48)
Fresno State shot 42% from both the field (23-of-55) and the three (11-of-26) and 81% from the foul line (13-of-16)
Bulldogs would hold the Spartans to a scoring drought of 2:41
Fresno State is now 1-3 on Wednesday matches
Fresno State bench players (Ja Harvey, Bineta Diatta and Franka Wittenberg) would record 33 points for the team
MW STANDINGS
Conference play has begun along with a fresh set of rankings. Fresno State remained high in the Mountain West rankings all through the non-conference portion of the season and still sees time at the top into the second week of conference play. Mia Jacobs, Kylee Fox and Deajanae Harvey start the Bulldogs off in the individual rankings. Three Bulldogs see top-ten rankings and Mia Jacobs leads the team with two.
In the top-ten…
Deajanae Harvey at No. 1 in steals with 7 (3.50 avg)
Kylee Fox at No. 3 in assists with 8 (4.0 avg)
Mia Jacobs at T5 in 3PFGM with 4 (2.0 avg) and No. 8 in FT% shooting 80% going 8-of-10
Fresno State is...
No. 2 in steals with 19 (9.50 avg)
No. 4 scoring margin +6.50
No. 4 in rebounding margin +0.50