Despite being down two starters, the Fresno State women’s basketball team (7-3) came away with a win against the University of California, Merced 83-60 on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Save Mart Center.
Senior guard Saga Ukkonen joined sophomore guard Taija Sta. Maria (lower leg injury) on the injury list. Head Coach Jaime White said she’s managing an injury from the game against the University of Tennessee at Martin last week and her return is imminent.
“We need her rested and she’s day-to-day right now,” White said. “I think she’s doing really well, so we’re hoping to have her back soon.”
Freshman guard Danae Powell took over point guard duties and impressed her coach on both ends of the court in Ukkonen’s place.
“I think [Danae] runs the offense really well, sees the open person; you saw those baseline passes, I thought she did a good job there,” White said. “She’s also tough defensively and is able to defend in a lot of different ways, so we’re really excited to see her get some opportunities.”
Powell recorded a season-high five assists along with seven points in her first start of the season. Junior forward Mia Jacobs also pitched in as she recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 18 points and 11 rebounds to go along with her three steals.
Jacobs logged a new season-high of four 3-pointers against the Bobcats which she thought was important as it allows for herself and others to score in the paint.
“Keep [shooting] and knowing the next one’s going to go in is really important,” Jacobs said. “Then drawing the defense out after you hit a couple [3-pointers], then that’s when you start to drive or get pull ups and find teammates.”
What happened
Jacobs led the team in the first quarter as she scored the team’s first seven points, but the Bobcats kept themselves in the game after a slow start defensively for the Bulldogs. The ‘Dogs closed out the quarter with a 17-11 lead after a well-balanced offensive game plan- driving to the paint and kicking it out for 3-pointers.
To open the second quarter, the Bulldogs went on a 12-5 run fueled by their 3-point shooting as Powell and junior guard drained one 3-pointer each, which opened up opportunities in the paint.
But the Bobcats were still in the game heading into halftime as they were also making their 3-pointers, with the Bulldogs leading 38-27.
At the half, the Bulldogs played strong defense as they forced the Bobcats to eight turnovers while recording three blocks and five steals. They also held the Bobcats to 9-of-32 (28.1%) shooting from the field and did a good job at closing out on 3-point shooters as the Bobcats only attempted eight 3-pointers and made three of them.
In the third quarter, the Bulldogs gave the Bobcats a different look on defense as they pressed up full court, which resulted in four turnovers and three steals for the ‘Dogs. The Bulldogs also carried their hot shooting into the third quarter as they went 4-of-8 from the 3-point line, contributing to their 63-44 lead as the quarter came to a close.
In the final quarter, the Bulldogs kept the Bobcats at a distance as they maintained their lead throughout the quarter in route to winning the game 83-60.
After finding success with a zone defense early in the season, White felt it wasn’t as effective this game, which led to the team pressing up full court in the third quarter. The change helped the team in a rhythm to pull away with the win.
Despite the considerable deficit, the Bobcats had their way from beyond the arc, shooting 9-of-19 from three.
“I don’t think our zone was as good tonight, but I liked our press; our press really got us back into it,” White said. “In the second half, we allowed too many threes, and credit to their team. I told their coach, ‘That’s the best somebody’s played against our zone,’ so we’re going to have to work on some things.”
What’s next
The Bulldogs get a brief break before heading to the Galen Center next Tuesday to take on the No. 6 Trojans of the University of Southern California (USC).
It will be another tough test for Fresno State with USC possessing a pair of first team Associated Press preseason All-Americans in JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen.