GAME 19: FRESNO STATE (12-6, 3-2 MW) vs AIR FORCE (10-7, 0-5 MW)
Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025 | 12 p.m. PT / 1p.m. MT | Mountain West Network | Clune Arena | Air Force Academy, Colorado
MEDIA COVERAGE
Watch: Mountain West Network
Play-by-play: Brian Jerman
Analyst: Jean Parker
Listen: XtraSports AM 1300
Play-by-play: Ryan Kaufman
Stats: Statbroadcast
Live Updates via Twitter (X): @fresnostatewbb
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State women's basketball hits the road for the first time in seven days to visit the Air Force Falcons on Saturday, Jan. 18 at Clune Arena streaming live on the Mountain West Network.
BULLDOG BONES
Fresno State improves to 12-6, 3-2 MW
Fresno State won their ninth home game of the season
Bulldogs matched their season-high 49% from the field (25-of-57) against Utah State
Fresno State sits tied for 3rd in the MW
Mia Jacobs was named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year watch list on Jan. 12
Jacobs is one of two Mountain West players to be named and is joined by Emma Rosenick (Colorado State)
Head coach Jaime White will face back-to-back first year coaches - Wesley Brooks (USU) and Stacy McIntyre (AF)
The last time Fresno State had three consecutive conference wins was in the 2023-24 campaign, that started with Air Force on Feb. 14
Head Coach Jaime White is shy of 11 wins to mark 200 wins as a head coach at Fresno State
Sophomore Kylee Fox works to break 500 points as a Bulldog needing 45 more points
Fresno State returns to the road on a 2-3 record and hope to earn two consecutive road wins
Fresno State sits at their highest NET ranking this season at 173
Mia Jacobs is one of three DI players that ranks in the top two of their conference in points (18.7), rebounds (9.8) and steals per game (2.41) this season.
If she maintains that throughout the season, she would become one of two MW players to do so, joining UNLV's Linda Frohlich (1999-00).
Mia Jacobs became the second MW player to record a 30-point double-double in consecutive games, joining Colorado State's McKenna Hofschild (2023-24); the last DI player to do this was Iowa's Caitlin Clark.
Fresno State is one of two teams to have an unbeaten streak of more than two games (UNLV, 6)
Bulldogs have not lost more than two games in a row this season
Fresno State is 5-2 with their current starting lineup of Saga Ukkonen, Mariah Elohim, Kylee Fox, Mia Jacobs and Maria Konstantinidou in the last seven games, this is the longest starting 5 streak this season
Head coach Jaime White brought in her 300th career win with a win over UT Martin (75-66) at the Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Dec. 1, 2024
ABOUT THE MATCH UP
Fresno State and Air Force will meet for the 26th time in program history and the 13th time at Air Force Academy. Fresno State leads the all-time series 21-4 and the away meetings, 9-3.
In the 2023-24 campaign, Fresno State went 3-0 against the Falcons with them last meeting in the first round of the Mountain West Tournament. Bulldogs' 18-point first round victory marked the largest win by a No. 9 seed since March 11, 2008.
Fresno State is 2-3 in the last five meetings at Clune Arena.
BECKY HAMMON MID-MAJOR WATCH LIST
Fresno State's Mia Jacobs was selected as one of the 15-players to the midseason watch list for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats on Wednesday morning. The Becky Hammon Award was first given out in 2020, with South Dakota's Ciara Duffy being named the inaugural winner. Gonzaga's Yvonne Ejim won the most recent award in 2024.
This year's mid season list includes representatives from 15 teams and 10 conferences. Five conferences – the A-10, MEAC, Mountain West, Missouri Valley and Summit League – placed two players on the watch list.
To be eligible for this award, players must compete in one of the 26 conferences deemed to be "mid-major." The following conferences are considered high-major for the purposes of this award and thus ineligible: ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC. Additionally, players from Oregon State and Washington State are ineligible this year as membership in the Pac-12 Conference evolves.
The 25-player preseason watch list was announced in October, and 10 semi finalists will be announced in February. The five finalists will be announced in early March, with the winner announced around the Final Four. The list is fluid, and players may play their way on or off it over the course of the season.
Mia Jacobs is the second Fresno State women's basketball player to be named to the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List (Haley Cavinder, 2022)
Jacobs is one of two Mountain West Players to appear on the midseason watch list, Emma Ronsiek (Colorado State)
A LOOK AT THE FALCONS
Head coach Stacy McIntrye enters her first year at the helm
Air Force looks to win their first conference matchup and first win since Dec. 20
Falcons have shot at least 40% from the field in their last two matches
Air Force averages 65.8 ppg, 32 rpg and 15 turnover per game
In the last three of the last five. games Milahnie Perry has scored in double figures 12 (UNLV), 26 (SJSU), 21 (Boise State) and 19 (New Mexico)
Falcons have been short to close in their first MW win this season, falling short by three against Nevada (58-55) and by six against New Mexico (69-63)
Air Force holds a 6-2 record at Clune Arena this season
Big core of underclassmen with 8, five sophomores and three freshman
Against San Jose State (Jan.11), Smith and Perry both eclipsed the 1,000-point mark
WE'RE IN THE PAINT
In the last six games Fresno State has made 20+ points from the paint. Fresno State is 7-0 when scoring more points in the paint this season. Bulldogs scored a season-high 40 points in the paint against UC Merced.
vs CSUB (22), vs NAU (32), at UNLV (24), vs Wyoming (38), at San Jose (26) and vs Boise State (28).