The Fresno State women’s basketball team shows off its trophy
and net after its WAC Tournament win. The Bulldogs will next
head to the NCAA tournament for the fifth year in a row.
Dalton Runberg / The Collegian

Fresno State routs rival La. Tech, 89-55, in WAC Tournament championship to clinch automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

The Fresno State women’s basketball team accomplished its season-long goal of leaving the Western Athletic Conference as both regular season and tournament champions in its 89-61 victory over rival Louisiana Tech, Saturday.

The win earned the ‘Dogs their fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Adrian Wiggins.

“It feels good,” head coach Adrian Wiggins said. “I’m excited for them. The fact that they get to cut down the net and put on the hats, because they’re champions. They’ve been champions all year long.”

Sophomore Ki-Ki Moore gave the ‘Dogs their first push, scoring the team’s first seven points to stay with the Lady Techsters, who got on the scoreboard first.

“I just feel that we needed a quick start. That’s when we play our best — when our pace is fast,” Moore said. “I just started fast and I’d figure that my teammates would follow.”

And Moore triggered the ‘Dogs fast pace offense, as freshman Madison Parrish drilled a 3-pointer to give the ‘Dogs a 19-18 lead over La. Tech, that they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game. Parrish finished with 13 points, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range in her performance off the bench.

“I just think that when we come off the bench we have to be a spark plug,” Parrish said. “I feel like that’s what kept us going and that’s what my role is and it helped.”

Parrish’s 3 gave junior Rosie Moult the confidence to continue the scoring run. Moult scored the next 11 points for the ‘Dogs including 3 straight 3-pointers to put the ‘Dogs up by 11 and silenced the Lady Techster defense.

“Everyone was hitting shots,” said Moult, who tied the WAC Tournament record for 3s made in a single game with six. “It felt good,” she added. “It was just nice to know they were going in. It gives me the confidence to keep going and I think once that flows, everyone else flows.”

And the ‘Dogs flowed, making 50 percent of their 3-point attempts in the first half and going into the locker room with an 18-point lead over La. Tech, 52-34.

“I just think the way the game started and the way we kept going really made the difference,” Moult added. “Everyone was hitting shoots, so you know everyone had the confidence to hit everything so that’s what helped.”

Fresno State received another tremendous effort from the bench with Parrish and senior Veronica Wilson combining for 23 of the team’s 28 points off the bench.

“We come off the bench with players who are good enough to start,” said Wiggins of the contribution from his nonstarters. “That’s the luxury we have right now when we substitute — we don’t’ have much of a down slide.”

Fresno State’s defense also stepped up, forcing La. Tech’s leading scorer — Shantale Bramble-Donaldson — to just nine points. The Bulldog defense also forced Louisiana Tech off target, as the Lady Techsters only made 39.3 percent of their shots.

Moore and Parrish led the ‘Dogs with three steals apiece, while the team forced 18 Lady Techster turnovers.

Moore’s tournament performance earned her the 2012 WAC All-Tournament MVP award. She’s the only Bulldog aside from Jalessa Ross to be named tournament MVP. Moult was the only other player from Fresno State to be named to the All-Tournament team.

Fresno State advances to the NCAA Tournament, earning the WAC’s automatic bid and will find out its seeding Monday.

Wiggins hopes the NCAA Selection Committee will give the ‘Dogs a reasonable ranking — anywhere around 11 he said would be appropriate. The ‘Dogs were a No.12 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament.

“We’re good enough to win two games in that,” he added. “It’s not unreachable — the problem is you have to play well. We just don’t need to get ahead of ourselves in the case that if we play well we won’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Overall, the ‘Dogs are taking it one goal at a time, accomplishing their first two — to win the WAC uncontested, in both the regular season conference Tournament.

Now the team moves on to its next goal of advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

Moult said the team can make it to the Sweet 16 round of the tournament if it keeps up its style of play.

“If we played like we did today,” she said. “We can go pretty deep in it.”