Matt Weir / The Collegian
With only two games remaining, the ̢۪Dogs need both for conference title
Conference tournaments don̢۪t start for another week, but don̢۪t tell that to the Fresno State women̢۪s basketball team. For them, March Madness has already started.
Louisiana Tech humbled the ̢۪Dogs Monday night at the Save Mart Center. The Lady Techsters looked like a completely different team than the one that lost to Fresno State at home in January and took over the top spot in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
After the disappointing loss, the Bulldogs must win their last two games to guarantee a share of the regular-season championship and a top seed at the WAC tournament next week in Reno, Nev.
After Monday’s game, Bulldog head coach Adrian Wiggins said, “We had a lot of mistakes and missed opportunities and a lot of defensive breakdowns. I thought we rushed a lot of things.â€Â
It couldn̢۪t help that he was up against the WAC̢۪s hottest team. The Lady Techsters are 6-0 since former Techster All-American Teresa Weatherspoon became interim head coach on Feb 9.
Seniors on a mission
With only Tuesday to recover, the team plays New Mexico State tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Save Mart Center. Comcast Channel 14 is broadcasting the game.
Matt Weir / The Collegian
A win keeps the team on track, a loss likely ends its hopes of a regular-season championship.
“We’ve got to approach these games with some maturity. I want to see a team that handles whatever is thrown at it,â€Â Wiggins said.
While the Aggies are only 5-9 in conference play, they beat the Bulldogs 80-74 when the teams met in January.
A pair of sophomore guards lead New Mexico State on offense. Madison Spence averages 14.4 points a game, while Danisha Corbett averages 12.
Fresno State has no lack of motivation in the game. Besides the title race and the revenge factor, seniors Bailey Amundsen, LaToya Brown and LaShaunte Stephens play their final home game tonight.
Amundsen has made 109 three-pointers in her career, good for No. 10 on the all-time list.
Two more puts her at No. 9.
Matt Weir / The Collegian
LaToya Brown has been a back-up point guard the last two seasons. Stephens averaged 7.3 points and four rebounds a game last year, but missed this season with a knee injury.
Chance at the title
The Bulldogs own the best non-conference record in the WAC, with eight overall losses compared to Louisiana Tech̢۪s 11. With a win tonight the team passed the 20-win mark, an unofficial indicator of a successful season.
Fresno State plays its last game of the regular season Saturday, against Utah State.
Tonight̢۪s opponent, New Mexico State, becomes a crucial ally of the ̢۪Dogs Saturday. Their last game of the season is at home against Louisiana Tech. A victory there might give Fresno State the opportunity for an outright championship.
Cheering on Saturday for the team you played on Wednesday can only mean one thing: it̢۪s March, and the madness is building fast.