The Fresno State women’s basketball team took the court today for the first round of the Mountain West tournament.
The No. 9 seeded Bulldogs defeated the No. 8 seed Air Force Falcons, 62-44, advancing to the quarterfinals. They will face the University of Nevada, Las Vegas tomorrow.
The ‘Dogs ended the season with a record of 14-17 overall and 7-11 in conference play. The team earned some valuable wins throughout the season while also suffering some tough losses.
Earlier in the season, the ‘Dogs faced off against the Falcons on Dec. 30 and Feb. 14, coming out on top in both games.
“Really proud of our kids,” said Head Coach Jaime White. “It is always hard to play against Air Force and to beat them three times in one year. I’m not sure if there’s anybody that’s done that. That might be a record of some kind. I don’t know. That’s so tough.”
The Bulldogs were able to do the same, but in a win-or-go-home game this time.
The ‘Dogs started unsteady but found its stride midway through the first half.
Fresno State shot 4-for-16 on field goal, with a 25% success rate in the first quarter. They bounced back in a strong second quarter, going 9-15 from the field with a 60% success rate. The ‘Dogs finished the quarter leading the scoreboard, 17-12.
The Bulldogs found success when attempting shots in the paint, compiling a total of 38 points compared to the Falcon’s 16 points.
The ‘Dogs closed out the second quarter on top, 37-26.
The Bulldogs took command of the game in the last two quarters, securing the win. The Falcons struggled to keep up with the Bulldogs’ offense, allowing several shots in the paint.
Forward Mia Jacobs put forth a solid performance as she led the Bulldogs in scoring. Jacobs tallied 25 points, going 7-for-17 from the field, 1-for-4 behind the 3-point line and 10-for-11 on free throw shots.
Jacobs was asked after the game about Air Force’s defensive play style changing in the second half and how it might’ve helped Fresno State seal the win as it benefited from Air Force getting into foul trouble.
“Yeah, I think I would drive a lot easier with the little hard fouls they were calling and then the fouls as we shot, so being able to get to the basket and trying to finish through contact. So obviously noticing who has foul trouble and trying to expose that. That was what we were trying to do,” Jacobs said.
The Falcons couldn’t come back from the deficit, falling to the ‘Dogs 62-44 in the first round of the Mountain West tournament.
The ‘Dogs will prepare for the No.1 seed UNLV Rebels on a quick turnaround, as the two teams will play tomorrow at the Thomas And Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tip-off is scheduled for noon.
