Matt Weir / Collegian File Photo

Fresno State women̢۪s hoops team advances to second round and is closer to NCAA tourney, men̢۪s team falls to Utah State Aggies

Both Fresno State men̢۪s and women̢۪s basketball teams hit a jackpot this week while in Reno, Nev., and it wasn̢۪t from winning big at any casino.

It was from taking the gamble of putting their season on the line like the rest of their competition. And with so much at stake, both teams ended up striking gold by keeping their conference title hopes and season alive on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Both the men and women basketball teams won their first round matchups in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) tournament. The teams had to defeat Hawaii to move on to the next round.

Men pull surprising win

The men̢۪s team was certainly the surprise of the tournament on Tuesday in Reno. Carrying a conference worst 3-13 record and having no victories on the road in WAC play, the Bulldogs rallied past the Hawaii Warriors 62-58.

Head coach Steve Cleveland expressed his gratitude towards his team̢۪s stunning road win through a news release.

“I am really proud of this group of young men,â€Â Cleveland said. “It is so nice to see them rewarded for working so hard and finding a way to win this game.â€Â

Fresno State trailed most of the game until senior Dwight O̢۪Neil hit a crucial jumper with 21.7 seconds left to give Fresno State a 59-58 lead. Free throws and a stifling pressure defense sealed the victory.

O̢۪Neil finished the game scoring 14 points and spoke of continuing his Fresno State basketball career for the time being.

Bryan Cole / Collegian File Photo

“I didn’t want my Bulldog career to end,â€Â O’Neil said in a news release. “Everyone knew that if the second half was going to be my last 20 minutes that I was going to leave everything on the floor. We wanted to win and we did as a team.â€Â

Hopes cut short

Fresno State̢۪s hope of a miracle WAC title run and extending O̢۪Neil̢۪s career, however, ended with an 85-68 loss to the top seeded Utah State Aggies on Thursday.

O̢۪Neil finished his Fresno State basketball career with 14 points. Paul George led the way with 16 points.

The Bulldogs never led in the contest and three-point shooting by the Aggies was what buried the Bulldogs. Utah State made eight of their first ten attempts and finished 13-21 from long distance. Fresno State finishes their season with a 13-21 record.

Women win despite small team, anticipate Aggies

For the women̢۪s team, their pursuit of back-to-back conference tournament titles began with their 65-50 victory against the Rainbow Wahine on Wednesday.

Coach Adrian Wiggins however, believed that the game was not an easy one for the defending WAC champions – who blew out Hawaii twice during the regular season.

“I thought Hawaii played really hard,â€Â Wiggins said. “We were short of players, so that was a factor. Plus Hawaii had been playing well as of late. But we had a good sense of effort.â€Â

Fresno State won 78-50 back on Jan. 8 at the Save Mart Center then 71-45 on the island on Jan. 23.

Their main struggles in this game, however, were shooting 33.3 percent from the three-point line and having 15 turnovers. But free throw shooting was 92.3 percent and Fresno State had three players in double figures for points.

Senior Bailey Amundsen led the way with 18 points. Junior Joh-Teena Filipe scored 14 and sophomore Jaleesa Ross added 13.

LaShay Fears contributed with nine points and two rebounds and also noticed a much different Hawaii squad.

“We know every team will bring their best, and they brought it,â€Â Fears said. “They played like it was their last game.â€Â

The defending conference champs will now get ready for the Utah State Aggies, who defeated the Idaho Vandals to reach the next round. The game will be played on Friday.

Wiggins can already sense what the Utah State Aggies will bring as both look to extend their stay in Reno.

“They’re going to come out hard,â€Â Wiggins said. “They’re very physical, big, and they play fast.â€Â

WAC tournament continues…

Even though the men̢۪s team is out of the tournament, the women are still in the thick of things with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.

̢ۢ Semi finals: Friday at noon

̢ۢ Finals: Saturday at 1 p.m.

̢ۢ NCAA Tournament selections: Monday at 4 p.m.