In its final non-conference matchup, the Fresno State women’s basketball team (9-4) defeated Northern Arizona University (NAU) 66-55 on Thursday, Dec. 19, at the Save Mart Center, behind junior forward Mia Jacobs’ ninth double-double of the season with 21 points and 14 rebounds to go along with her three steals.
With her ninth double-double, Jacobs is one step closer to tying Louisiana State University’s Aneesah Morrow for most double-doubles (10) in Division I.
Jacobs also got help from sophomore forward Maria Konstantinidou, who recorded a career-high 11 points and seven rebounds, and senior guard Saga Ukkonen, who had 12 points and a strong showing in the fourth quarter.
With the game getting competitive in the fourth quarter, Ukkonen’s two-way ability was on display as she drained timely shots and played solid defense, which Head Coach Jaime White thought was key to the win.
“[She has] competitive, gritty leadership,” White said. “I thought she showed a lot of leadership and hustle, not only on offense but also our defense.”
What happened
Konstantinidou opened up the game putting the ‘Dogs on the boards first as she jab stepped to the right and drained the midrange shot over her defender. This would spark a 9-5 run to take an early 11-5 lead before a timeout.
The first quarter closed with a battle for rebounds as both teams looked to crash the offensive boards. Both teams ended up with five second chance points, contributing to the 13-8 lead for the Bulldogs.
In the second quarter, the Lumberjacks were aggressive going to the basket, earning six free throws and six paint points. However, with five different players contributing, the ‘Dogs balanced scoring kept them at bay as they went into halftime up 29-21.
At halftime, despite the strong defense from the Lumberjacks, the Bulldogs took care of the ball, committing only one turnover and five assists. With the 3-point shot not falling, the Bulldogs adjusted and looked to score down low, notching 14 of their 29 first half points in the paint.
To open the third quarter, both teams were trading buckets inside the 3-point line as both teams couldn’t find a groove beyond the arc. As a result, the ‘Dogs would gain the edge as their lead grew to 13 halfway through the quarter. However, the Lumberjacks closed the quarter on a 12-4 run as they continued to stick to their gameplan of driving to the paint and drawing fouls.
Despite the run to close out the third quarter to bring the score to 46-40, White thought the team did a good job keeping up with the Lumberjacks’ aggressiveness.
“I thought we blocked out really well and had an urgency for that,” White said. “Then I thought we did a good job pressuring the ball, and Saga really had a great game in that way.”
In the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs got off to a hot start as Jacobs and Konstantinidou capitalized on their opportunities at the free-throw line. After Jacobs drained all three free throws following a foul on a 3-point attempt, the ‘Dogs extended their lead to 54-42.
But, the Lumberjacks defensive intensity paid off as they forced the ‘Dogs into turnovers, converting them into points and trimming the lead down to four in the closing minutes.
However, Ukkonen and Jacobs continued to show their two-way abilities, each scoring seven points in the fourth quarter, helping the Bulldogs pull away with the 66-55 win.
After a rocky ending to the fourth quarter, White thought the team could have done a better job being disciplined on the defensive end.
“We fouled a little too much. We got confused on who they had and who was open on the other team,” White said. “Then Mia running out and fouling a 3-point shooter was a bummer, but then she got the foul down here, so that evened out.”
What’s next
The Bulldogs get a 10-day break before facing the University of Las Vegas, Nevada at the Thomas and Mack Center for their first conference game of the season on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m.
In anticipation of their first conference game, White shared what the Bulldogs have to do and described the mindset heading into the matchup.
“We got to be competitive, we got to be a little edgy,” White said. “I just watched UNLV beat NAU at home, and they did some of the things we did. They are very talented so we’ve got to be ready, focused and excited about coming back.”