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The Collegian’s trip to the big dance

1 photographer.
1 sports reporter.
19 hours traveling.
25 hours in New Mexico.
44 hours total.
1 NCAA tournament appearance for the Fresno State women’s basketball team.

Friday
9:38 a.m.
Juan and I hop on a flight out of Fresno, headed to Phoenix. On the plane a baby starts crying. It doesn’t stop. I’m wearing a red sweatshirt. Gotta represent, even though I am a reporter. As we get off the plane the woman with the baby silently apologizes to everyone as they walk past her. Read more

uNCAAptable

By now you know that the Fresno State women’s team lost against Baylor.

And you see that the headline’s misspelled.

You also probably know that Fresno State wasn’t on television — even though they were supposed to be.

In many ways, it’s more ridiculous than you might imagine. As would be expected, the NCAA is trying to take zero blame. That’s pathetic. Here’s why.

The NCAA knew that the game was not on television. There was plenty of time to fix the mistake.

In Albuquerque I was sitting next to Matt James, a columnist for the Fresno Bee. He discovered that the game was not on television because of phone calls and probably because of comments on his blog about the game.

“Who’s the SID?” he asked me. SID stands for Sports Information Director.

I told him I didn’t know. So he went to investigate, sometime in the first half. Read more

And the crowd went wild

The Fresno State softball team lost last night 1-0 to the Huston Cougars, but it wasn’t due to lack of enthusiasm from the fans.

With each Fresno State at bat, the crowd rumbled with applause, scattered whistles, and an occasional whoop or whoo hoo. They fell almost silent as each batter stepped up to the plate.

After a foul ball came over the backstop, people ducked and dodged the falling green ball; a high-pitched yelp came from a child near the empty seat it bounced off. A man in the row in front turned around and grabbed the ball with one hand and secured it safely under his armpit in a single swift move. Read more

Baseball splits doubleheader

After a disappointing season opener Friday night, the Fresno State baseball team was finally able to salvage something and split a doubleheader with the UC-Davis Aggies Saturday. Read more

Diamond Dogs drop opener

A wet field and cloudy skies weren’t the only thing that dampened the spirit of the Fresno State baseball team Friday night as the UC Davis edged out the Bulldogs by a final score of 4-2. Read more

Bad photo day for horses

View this blog’s related story.
Remember that embarrassing photograph of you in the high school yearbook that made you want to go steal everyone’s book and burn a hole in the space where it was? Well believe it or not the women on the Fresno State equestrian team feel that same wrath, not when they see humiliating pictures of themselves, but when they see one that makes their horse look unprofessional. Read more

‘Dogs lose 77-72 to Aggies

For the second time this season the Bulldogs lost in a last second effort against an elite Western Athletic Conference (WAC) team, losing 77-72 to the Utah State Aggies.

“They were the better team,” coach Steve Cleveland said. “They are a better team; they are a better team than we are right now.”

In the final six minutes of the game, the ‘Dogs were involved in yet another nail bitter. The ‘Dogs broke down an Aggie lead that reached as high as 17, and were on the verge of pulling an upset against the best team in the WAC.

An adrenaline high Bulldog team traded baskets with the Aggies, hitting one big shot after the other. The Bulldog’s eventually broke the lead 3.

“They just don’t go away,” Cleveland said. “I like the resilience of this team.”

The Aggies kept the ‘Dogs from coming back time after time and continued to execute. The Bulldog charge was not enough to stop a fundamentally sound Aggie team that simply outplayed them.

“It was a difficult guard for all of them, they’re skilled, they can beat you a lot of different ways,” Cleveland said. “Give them credit, they made big baskets.”

Throughout the course of the game the Aggie offense methodically picked apart the Bulldog defense, exploiting weaknesses at every chance they got. If it wasn’t Utah State’s ball movement and tight screens, which eventually opened up perimeter shots, they exploited the Bullogs’ zone defense to scoring easy inside buckets.

Although Jaycee Carroll led all Aggie scorers with 22 points, great team play allowed all players to score for Utah.

“They make you pay when you make a mistake,” Cleveland said.

The first half was full of mistakes for the ‘Dogs, who couldn’t get it together. Eddie Miller went 0-4 from the arc. The ‘Dogs were also unable to look in the post for big man Ned Golubovic, who has been the light in Fresno State’s very dark post game.

“We really couldn’t get into a rhythm in the first half,” Miller said.

The ‘Dogs eventually got it together in the second half, figuring out how to score against the Utah defense that pestered them the entire first half. The ‘Dogs bullied their way back into the game by forcing the ball into the post.

Fresno State may have figured out Utah’s weakness a bit too late, but Cleveland seemed optimistic about the future.

“Like I told our guys just now, we’re just not quite there yet,” Cleveland said

Cleveland made it clear during this week’s practices that mediocre play would not be acceptable. In particular, he singled out senior forward Hector Hernandez.

“Coach got on me during practice, and you know; it wasn’t too pretty,” Hernandez said. “He knew I wasn’t competing.”

Hernandez ended the game with a double-double, 22 points and 13 rebounds. Hernandez, hands down, had his best performance of the season. He opened up his game hitting fade-aways in the key, jump shots on the perimeter and even put down a two-handed dunk move on the baseline.

“I think Hector really responded,” Cleveland said. “I just thought he played the best game he’s played all year.”

Cleveland said he was also optimistic about the return of senior guard-forward combination Dwight Oneil.

“In a week or two [O’Neil] will be back in the form that he needs to be,” Cleveland said. “I sincerely believe that this team is capable of doing some special things, and it may be right at the end who knows… There is enough time for this team to continue to get better.”

Before the ‘Dogs can make any late season moves they have to a week. The ‘Dogs next game is in Idaho at the Cowan Spectrum on Feb. 14.

**KEVIN BELL SCORED HIS 1000th point against the Aggies becoming the No. 27 player in Fresno State History to score 1000.

Bulldogs defeat Wolf Pack 81-49

In a battle for the top spot in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), Fresno State won in a convincing fashion against the Nevada Wolf Pack, 81-49 – a game head coach Adrian Wiggins called the team’s most complete game of the season. Read more

Students don’t witness Bulldogs’ last-minute loss

Monday night’s game against Boise State might have been one of the most exciting moments in recent Fresno State men’s basketball history.

With just three seconds left in the fourth quarter of play, senior Kevin Bell hit one free throw with three seconds on the game clock and had one more to shoot.

The first free throw brought the Bulldogs within one point of tying an emotional game against one of the most talented teams in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The entire Save Mart Center crowd was on its feet in anticipation but there was no roar – just silence.

Bell hit the second shot and tied the game. The ‘Dogs then scrambled in order to keep the ball from being inbounded, but a Boise State player got the ball and sprinted down court.

When the player got within 27 feet of the rim he pulled up – the crowd gasped for air. The shot didn’t fall and the gasp of air turned into a roar that made a face-numbing amount of noise, driving chills my spine.

The arena then turned into a celebration, the crowd was full of people on their feet, some of them giving one another a high-five, and others hugging. This was the type of environment that facilitates a win in any sport.

The ‘Dogs eventually lost the game in overtime after a game-winning attempt by Bell rolled off of the side of the rim — but that’s not the point.

The point here is that a crowd can provide an intangible element that can facilitate a team’s success. It’s called support. The crowd was there to support the ‘Dogs through every lead gained and lost, and at the end of the day it meant more than you may think.

Bell said when a crowd creates an environment, it is the team’s job to not only feed off of the energy, but exceed it.

“We have one of the best crowds in the country,” he said.

Monday’s crowd gave the team plenty of energy to feed off of, and was a great example of why the ‘Dogs are currently No. 33 in the NCAA in average attendance, according to Fresno State Athletic Media Relations. Though all of that was in place, there was still one important missing element – a student section.

It is understandable that the student section may be a little dry because of a Monday night game. Students have school the next morning, and probably tons of homework to do. Academia is a priority.

On the other hand, the student section hasn’t really packed out yet this season. Where are the students at the games this year?

I’m sure you’ve either heard of or seen perennial NCAA teams on TV. Teams like Florida, Duke, Georgetown and Kansas have fans come together to make a ruckus-filled wave of collegiate color.
Those teams have crowds that make enough noise to break the most poised of players. More importantly, they have packed student sections that get the crowd to support their team.

It’s an element that makes good teams great, and is the way college programs break into the top 25.

This isn’t a rag on student participation at men or women’s basketball games; it’s more of a public service announcement.

The message here is that tickets to the game are free, people. It’s always a good time, and much more enriching and entertaining than sitting on your couch and watching “Life of Ryan,” or whatever semi-reality TV show you’re into right now.

‘Dog Bites

The Fresno State women’s basketball team lost 82-62 at Boise State on Monday at the Taco Bell Arena.

The loss dropped the ‘Dogs record to 11-9 and 6-1 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The loss also snapped their nine game winning streak. Boise State improved to 13-6 and 5-2 in the WAC.

LaShaunte Stevens scored the most points for the Bulldogs. She led the team with 17 points and five rebounds.

Jaleesa Ross added 12 points, three of those from a three-pointer she scored late in the game.

Bailey Amundsen grabbed a team-high five rebounds.

Fresno State had to go on a 14-5 run just to close within eight at halftime.

In the second half, the Bulldogs never gained on Boise State’s lead. Fresno State shot 33 percent from the floor and out-rebounded Boise, 38-31.

On Thursday, Fresno State will face off against Nevada at the Save Mart Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 14.

Being part of the “Dream”

Read this blog’s related story.

Exuberant faces filled the stands and cheers rang out at the Run for the Dream meet Monday at the Save Mart Center. The chaotic shouts of family and friends erupted as names were announced and as incredible feats were performed.

It was nice to see so much encouragement coming from the audience.

I had never been to any track and field event prior to this meet. At first, it was a little hard to tell what was going on as the matches unfolded because some of the events were being conducted simultaneously.

From time to time, I found myself thumbing awkwardly through my program to identify which athlete the announcer was referring to, and which event was being called for that matter. Eventually, I was not as concerned with who won as I was with witnessing the unique talents of each athlete.

I was also very impressed with the facility as well. I had never seen a track in which the outer edges were raised, but it does make some sense when you think about it. After all, we see the same thing in NASCAR. It gives the car, or runner, that extra edge they may lose when slowing down on the corners.

I learned that the entire ensemble was laid in less than 12 hours. That may seem like a long time, but considering all that had to be done, my hat’s off to the crew. They could be seen consistently during the meet arranging various sections of track and bales of hay as successive events were set to begin.

I believe that more meets could be scheduled here in the near future without too much time taken in the preparation. I also believe that attendance will grow as people become more familiar with track and field at Fresno State thanks to the new venue

Leaving tennis to the real athletes

Read this blog’s related article.

I’m no sports nut, but I would say one of the most challenging sports I’ve attempted is tennis. I played it for a spell a few years back to fulfill my G.E. requirement, and while I developed a sincere respect for the game, I never seemed to get any better.

Then it occurred to me that most college and professional tennis players have been performing and practicing for a better part of their lives. Junior Melanie Gloria of the Fresno State women’s tennis team started when she was 8 and junior Tinesta Rowe took it up around the same age.

Whether their parents jump started them, or they just had a natural feel for it I couldn’t say, but it took countless hours over many years for them to perfect their skills. I don’t know how many other athletes can say that.

It also occurred to me that the skill is not all in the swing. It takes a carefully planned workout regimen and exercise routine to maintain a healthy physique. Their arms have to be strong to return the fast serves and their legs have to be toned enough to carry them quickly across the court. I would have assumed that a rainy day would give them some time off, but this was not the case.

As I left Thibodeau’s office, he called to Rowe on her way to the weight room asking if she’d worked on her cardiovascular and, of course, she had. I don’t even know what a cardiovascular is other than the fact that it has something to do with the heart. I got the distinct impression that there isn’t a muscle that is not subject to their daily training.

These students work hard to get the respect and ranking they deserve. One semester of P.E. in college for a few days a week is not nearly enough strain to earn me the same capabilities. As lazy as I am, I would just as soon leave that to the real athletes.

Winning streak continues: ‘Dogs 81 – Spartans 63

An off-tempo Fresno State women’s basketball team grabbed their eighth victory in a row at home against San Jose State, 81-63, making them one game away from tying the record for the longest winning streak in school history.

The story of the score shows a dominant Bulldog performance, but the reality of that couldn’t be any further from the truth. The ‘Dogs and Spartans battled back in forth so much so that the leads didn’t get any larger than 10 points.

The ‘Dogs struggled adjusting to the defense for much of the game. Fresno State coach Adrian Wiggins said that the Spartan offense often bated the team in order to get the players to commit to a trap. When the players committed to the trap, it froze rotation in the Bulldog defense, allowing Spartan players to get open for 3-point shots.

“Defensively we really just did a bad job of learning as the game went along,” Wiggins said. “I thought as the game went on we just kinda stayed the same, we had moments when we got worse.”

The Spartans shot 50 percent from outside the arch led by junior Natalie White, who finished with 21 points and played the entire 40 minutes of play.

“They were in the zone, we just needed to find some type of rhythm,” senior guard Tierre Wilson said.

Eventually the ‘Dogs found a rhythm in the last four minutes of the half and turned in some impressive performances. Freshman forward Hayley Munro grabbed 8 boards, along with a career-high matching 16 points for the night. Wilson turned in another strong performance with a game-high 22 points. Freshman Jalessa Ross and Senior Erica Henry also contributed with 5 offensive rebounds a piece.

“We played good enough in the areas that matter for a team,” Wiggins said. He added that the team needed to increase their level of focus in order to improve on their play in team’s away game rematch against the Spartans on Jan 26.

The next game could tie the winning streak record if they win the next game, and give Wiggins his 100th win. Overall Wiggins said he was pretty confident in the team’s ability on the road.

Despite a record tying victory on the horizon, freshman Munro said that the team needed to treat it like any other game. She said that this team is going to come out hard, and that the only thing they needed to do was work hard at practice to prepare.

Lacrosse to go down in flames

The Fresno State Athletic Program has made another questionable decision, but it won’t be settled in a courtroom.

In an effort to seek Title IX compliance, the Fresno State Athletic Department started off 2008 by announcing two new women’s sports.

This marks the return of the women’s swimming and diving team along with the beginning of the women’s lacrosse program. Swimming and diving — smart decision. Lacrosse — not so much.

The women’s lacrosse program is destined for failure. Read more

‘Dogs extend streak

The Fresno state women’s basketball team combined for a season-high 15 steals in their win against the physical Hawaii Rainbows.

Point guard Amy Kotani did not dictate Hawaii’s offense. The full court press of freshman guard Emma Anderson dictated the Rainbows’ play. Anderson closely stalked Kotani’s movements not giving her an inch of space.

“She guarded the point guard really well in the second half and I thought I created a lot of mistakes for Hawaii, it disrupted them,” coach Adrian Wiggins said.

The Rainbows ended the game with 25 turnovers, compared to the ‘Dogs 15. Read more

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