Paul Watson picked for Slam Dunk Contest
Fresno State senior forward Paul Watson will compete in the 29th annual College Slam Dunk Contest March 30 at Grand Canyon University Arena in Phoenix.
Watson will compete against seven of the best collegiate dunkers in the country, and this will be the last time he represents Fresno State on the court.
Watson’s inclusion in the event comes after the men’s basketball team fell short in the first round of the NIT to TCU, losing 66-59. Watson led the team with 38 minutes played, but was third with eight points.
The Slam Dunk Contest will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. PT, and the event will include the men and women’s 3-Point contests.
Lacrosse breaks record with sixth win
The Fresno State women’s lacrosse team earned its record-breaking sixth win last week, beating Quinnipiac 9-8 and improving its record to 6-2, the best start in program history.
Since head coach Jessica Giglio took over in 2012, the team had its best season last year at 5-10, and now is in position for its first winning season.
Freshman Tiffiny Wallace scored two goals, increasing her season total to a team-high 24. Sophomore Sarah Bloise led the team with three goals and is second on the season with 19.
The Bulldogs have eight games remaining, with half of them at home, where they are 4-2.
Softball wins two of three in San Diego
The Fresno State softball team won two of three games against San Diego State over the weekend in its Mountain West Conference series opener.
The Bulldogs hit four home runs Friday to win 10-7. Sophomore Vanessa Hernandez hit two of them, her third and fourth of the year.
The softball team won its fourth straight game on Saturday, beating the Aztecs 7-6. The teams combined for 29 hits, and the lead changed three times. Sophomore pitcher Kamalani Dung entered the game in the fifth and picked up her 13th win of the season.
The winning streak stopped Sunday, with a 6-3 loss. Although the ‘Dogs did not sweep, sophomore Morgan Howe went 6-for-10 in the series, which raised her season batting average to .470.
The softball team sits at 19-10 and 2-1 in conference. The Bulldogs return home for an eight-game homestand, starting Tuesday against CSU Bakersfield.
Baseball takes series at Air Force
The Fresno State baseball team won its series against Air Force over the weekend, taking two games out of three to improve its record to 11-7.
The Bulldogs lost Friday in an unusual outing for ace pitcher Ricky Tyler Thomas. He gave up seven runs in only five innings, bumping his ERA up to 3.06. In his previous four starts this season, he gave up a combined four earned runs.
The Bulldogs bounced back from the series opening 14-5 loss and won 10-8 on Saturday. Freshman catcher Carter Bins hit his first home run in the ninth inning to give the Bulldogs the lead.
In Sunday’s 15-7 win, the Bulldogs hit five home runs, with senior Jesse Medrano contributing two, the first of his Fresno State career.
The baseball team now has a 4-2 Mountain West record and returns home Wednesday to resume a suspended game against Pepperdine from March 7.