Game 6: Fresno State (3-2) vs. Delaware (3-1)
Nov. 25, 2022 • 8 a.m. PT • Daytona Beach, Fla. • Ocean Center
ONLINE: FloHoops ($)
LIVE: BulldogsLive.com
LAST MEETING: First Meeting
Game 7: Fresno State (3-2) vs. Penn State (5-0)
Nov. 26, 2022 • 8 a.m. PT • Daytona Beach, Fla. • Ocean Center
ONLINE: FloHoops ($)
LIVE: BulldogsLive.com
LAST MEETING: Penn State 90, Fresno State 57 (Dec. 20, 1990 • Berkeley, Calif.)
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State leads 1-0
THE BREAKDOWN
Fresno State will play its first games away from home this season when the Bulldogs play Delaware and Penn State in Florida for the Daytona Beach Invitational.
Fresno State has held opponents to a Mountain West-low 44.2 points per game through five games.
The Bulldogs rank No. 3 in the NCAA in scoring defense after holding three straight opponents below 50 points.
LOCKING UP
After allowing the third-most (70.6 - 2020-21) and fifth-most (69.1 - 2021-22) points per game in program history in the last two seasons, an expected change this season was an emphasis on defense. A staple under Jaime White teams when she first arrived, the 'Dogs have returned to tough defensive play, holding four of its first five opponents below 50 points.
The Bulldogs rank No. 3 nationally in scoring defense, holding opponents to 44.2 points per game.
While the 'Dogs have been aggressive defensively, forcing 20.8 turnovers per game, they have done so without fouling, committing the seventh-least fouls per game at 12.2.
HOLDING UNDER 50
In the last three seasons, Fresno State has held just three opponents under 50 points. The Bulldogs have surpassed that total in its first five games this season. It is the first time the 'Dogs have held at least four under the 50-point mark since 2016-17 (4). The difference--it took that team 31 games.
During Jaime White's first three seasons at Fresno State, the Bulldogs held 19 opponents below 50 points, four in 2016-17, seven in 2015-16 and eight in 2014-15.
The 'Dogs have not held three straight opponents under 50 points since White's first season.
The 49 points allowed to Fresno Pacific were the lowest for a Bulldog opponent in a season opener since 2004 (Pepperdine - 38).
For just the second time in the last decade, Fresno State held a Division I opponent to 40 points or less. The last time was on Jan. 11, 2017 against Air Force. (40 points).
GET TO THE STRIPE, SCORE AT THE STRIPE
Following three seasons below 70 percent at the free throw line, Jaime White made it emphasis for her teams to improve that number. The result was re-writing the record book for free throw percentage as four of the five teams rank No. 1-4 in program history. While just five games into this year, the Bulldogs are shooting 75.0 percent.
Not just making their free throws, the 'Dogs are getting more than twice as many attempts as their opponents (92-43), holding a plus-46 advantage at the charity stripe.
Fresno State is averaging 18.4 free throw attempts per game.
HEADING TOWARD 1,000
With 990 points in her career, Amiee Book is inching closer to hitting the 1,000-point mark. The senior will be the eighth player to score her 1,000th career point as a Bulldog under Jaime White, joining Alex Sheedy, Bego Faz Davalos, Candice White, Maddi Utti, Aly Gamez, Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder
Prior to Book's arrival, the New Zealand native scored 761 points in three seasons at Cal State Fullerton.
TAKING ON THE CHALLENGE
With the Bulldogs' top three scorers gone from last season, Yanina Todorova has taken on the scoring load early for the 'Dogs, averaging 14.4 points per game, nearly 10 above the 4.5 points she averaged in her first two seasons at Fresno State.
Todorova scored a career-high 26 points Nov. 11 versus CSU Bakersfield.
The Bulgarian opened the season by scoring in double figures in back-to-back games for the first time since the end of the 2021-22 season against Missouri and Rice.
Todorova has scored in double figures in a team-best four games.
SCOUTING DELAWARE
Delaware is 3-1 this season with victories over Longwood, VCU and Vermont while falling to Columbia.
The Blue Hens had a stellar 2021-22 season finishing with a 24-8 mark and finished runner-up in the CAA going 15-3.
Delaware won the CAA Tournament defeating top-seed Drexel in the championship game going on to play Maryland in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blue Hens were picked sixth in the CAA preseason poll.
Fifth-year senior guard Jewel Smalls leads Delaware averaging 11.0 points per game and has played a team-high 135 minutes.
Head coach Sarah Jenkins is in her first season at the helm of the Blue Hens after time as an assistant coach at Penn State, Delaware and Georgetown.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
Penn State is out to a 5-0 start with wins over Norfolk State, Fairfield, Youngstown State, Bryant and Syracuse with an average margin of victory of 24.8 points.
The Nittany Lions went 11-18 in 2021-22 with a 5-13 mark in Big Ten play, tying with Wisconsin for 11th place.
Senior guard Makenna Marisa was a preseason Big Ten selection by both the coaches and media and is averaging a team-high 19.6 points and 5.0 assists per game while adding 6.0 rebounds per game.
Head coach Carolyn Kieger is in her fourth season at Penn State.