Tournament seedings clearer after basketball matchups against Utah State over the weekend
Mike Howells/The Collegian
One Fresno State basketball team took a step forward in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament seedings ”” the other took a step back.
Both the men’s and women’s squads took on WAC rival Utah State, but only head coach Adrian Wiggins’ team made the most of the opportunity.
Playing at home Saturday, the women overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to both take out the Aggies and clinch a firm hold on the second seed in the recent conference standings. Coming into the contest, Fresno State was in danger of dropping to a tie with Utah State. The Bulldogs held a 7-2 record in conference play, while the Aggies were 7-3.
Since taking over as head coach in 2006, Wiggins’ teams have been lower than a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament just once in 2007.
The Bulldogs outscored Utah State 50-25 over the final 20 minutes, anchored by Taja Edwards and Rosie Moult’s 19 points apiece. Fresno State now has five conference games left on the schedule. The five remaining WAC teams have a combined record of 18-36 in conference play and 51-68 overall.
WAC Tournament play begins in a little more than three weeks and a Louisiana Tech-Fresno Statate finale is likely in the works. The Bulldogs have had little trouble with WAC foes outside the Lady Techsters, outscoring other conference opponents by an average of nearly 21 points, all double-digit victories.
Mike Howells/The Collegian
The men, however, are riding a very different path down the final stretch of the regular season.
Head coach Steve Cleveland’s team hung early with the 17th-ranked Aggies, knotting up the score at 13 about midway through the first half.
The Aggies then proved why they are easily the most dominant team in the WAC.
Utah State closed out the first half on a 27-6 run en route to a 40-19-halftime lead.
Fresno State eventually lost 71-55, dropping to 5-8 in conference play and 11-14 overall. Eight of the nine teams qualify for March’s WAC Tournament bracket, and the Bulldogs currently sit as the No. 6 seed.
The Bulldogs have three WAC contenders remaining on the schedule in Boise State, Idaho and Hawaii. Cleveland and company are 0-3 against the Broncos, Vandals and Warriors and have been outscored by an average of 17 points per game in those matchups.
Fresno State has fell in the quarterfinals each of the last four WAC Tournaments. In those four years, Fresno State has never been higher than the No. 3 seed.
The next two contests could serve as a way for the Bulldogs to right the ship with a pair of out-of-conference games. On Wednesday Fresno State travels to Cal State Bakersfield. The Bulldogs beat the Roadrunners 79-49 on Feb. 7. On Saturday the ‘Dogs participate in the ESPN BracketBusters with a home matchup against 9-14 UC Riverside.