Pregame

The Bulldogs came out of the tunnel looking a little more confident and a lot less wide-eyed than in last year̢۪s NCAA Tournament.

And being in Los Angeles this time around will surely help, too.

In pregame shoot arounds, Fresno State has an easy-going and relaxed session. Coach Adrian Wiggins̢۪ squad was all smiles about an hour before the game.

Fans began to file in the Galen Center around shortly after and shoot around, as did both the California and Fresno State spirit squads.

Fresno State̢۪s basketball team, fans and even the band have more energy than their counterparts. The energy and crowd have seemed to focus the Bulldogs in their second warm-up session.

With less than twenty minutes until opening tip, the fans continue to fill in as both teams make last-minute preparations.

Halftime update

The first half of play was frustrating for the Fresno State Bulldogs. At the break, the Cal Golden Bears lead the ̢۪Dogs 30-21.

Bryan Cole / The Collegian

After the smiles and laughs of the pregame shoot around, the Bears asserted their will on the Bulldogs, but Fresno State found a way to stay in the contest.

The game started with Cal taking an early 8-2 lead and extending it to a 14-5 lead with 14:15 reaming. The Bears keep the Bulldogs chasing by pushing the tempo of the game for the first 10 minutes.

Bryan Cole / The Collegian

The Bulldogs had some unforced turnovers in the first half, but the California defense gave Fresno State all it could handle. The ̢۪Dogs had 11 turnovers at the break.

At the 2:50 mark, the Bulldogs pulled within four at 24-20. The crowd in red got back into the game at that point and continued to keep the intensity up until halftime.

The game̢۪s leading scorer is Cal̢۪s Ashley Walker. The center has 15 points, half of the team̢۪s total points. The Bulldogs do not have an answer for her in the paint.

The Bulldogs have yet to see a basket from Jaleesa Ross, the WAC Tournament MVP. Marnique Arnold has seven points and LaShay Fears has six.

The Bulldogs have only one 3-point basket.

Postgame update

In Fresno State’s second-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament, the women’s basketball team found the same outcome to last year’s game – defeat.

It was still a game after the first half, but Cal beat the Bulldogs 70-47 and will advance in, Fresno State will travel home.

Bryan Cole / The Collegian

Adrian Wiggins̢۪ team found some added fire following his halftime speech, but couldn̢۪t keep the concentration up.

Coming out for the second half, the Bulldogs found an intensity level that wasn̢۪t present in the first half, but it quickly faded as the Bears̢۪ lead extended to 38-23 with 16:08 remaining.

The Bulldogs shot only 32 percent in the game and never found the right touch from beyond the 3-point arc, making 4-of-18.

Turnovers were problematic for the ̢۪Dogs in both the first and second half. The Bulldogs had 11 in the first 20 minutes and 10 in the last.

Bryan Cole / The Collegian

Cal started the second half with a 16-2 run in the first nine minutes before Marnique Arnold was able to find some room inside for a layup with 11 minutes left in the game, The Bulldogs found themselves down 48-25.

The Bulldogs cut the led down to 14 with 5:55 left, but never got closer.

Jaleesa Ross found her first point of the game on a 3-point basket off the elbow with just over nine minutes left in the game.

A highlight of the half was point guard LaShay Fears̢۪ 3-point play with a little more than four minutes reaming. Fears drove the lane hard and finished even with contact.

Fears finished with 18 points, a team high for the Bulldogs. Cal̢۪s Ashley Walker led all scorers with 21 points, even without playing in the final five minutes.