Monday, Mar. 18, 2013 | 09:56 PM
Fresno State has been waiting for this, a chance to return to the Women's NCAA Tournament.
Even if making basketball's Big Dance has become a routine.
"We have some unfinished business there," Bulldogs star Ki-Ki Moore said.
For six straight seasons, Fresno State has reached the Tournament. And for the five previous seasons, it was eliminated after one game.
But maybe a first-year coach and the change of systems will do the trick.
Fresno State (24-8), in its first year under coach Raegan Pebley, was given the No. 15 seed in the Spokane Regional and will face No. 2 Cal (28-3) in the first round at 1:20 p.m. Saturday as part of a pod of games in Lubbock, Texas.
A relaxed room of players and coaches got excited when Fresno State was mentioned early during Monday's NCAA selection show. The Spokane Regional was the first to be unveiled.
But the Bulldogs seemed to tone it down a bit compared to past selection days. And perhaps that's because they want to focus on taking the next step as a program and win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time.
"We've been trying to do that all year," Pebley said. "You just can't think of or start planning for that now. It had to have been part of the plans all season. So we're ready. We're ready for this next stage."
Last year, Fresno State made its best run at an NCAA Tourney win to date before losing 61-56 to Georgetown. In 2011, Fresno State fell to North Carolina 82-68, and before that to Baylor 69-55 and Cal 70-47. Baylor also ended the Bulldogs' first trip, 88-67, in 2008.
"It's been exciting to get this far, but it's also been frustrating at the same time to not get over that hump," senior Rosie Moult said. "We've gotten closer. It'd be the best if we could win at least one this final year of mine, feel like we were able to take the program to the next level."
Fresno State and Cal haven't met since that 2009 Tournament game. Cal, which leads the series 21-5, will be the fifth Pac-12 team that Fresno State has faced this season.
The Bulldogs lost 72-61 in the opener at Stanford, beat Washington State 82-59 and USC 65-50 at home, and lost at Oregon 65-64.
Cal, in its second season under Lindsay Gottlieb, finished No. 6 in Monday's final Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Bears are averaging 71.6 points per game (21st in the nation) while allowing 56.8. Cal isn't a great 3-point shooting team at 30.3%. But the Bears are one of the best at rebounding, owning a margin of plus-11.6, which is third in the country.
Senior guard Layshia Clarendon is averaging 15.6 points and 6-foot-2 junior Gennifer Brandon 11.2 rebounds.
Cal's only losses this season came at Duke (77-63), versus Stanford (62-53) and in the Pac-12 tournament against UCLA (70-58). Cal is the only non-No. 1 in the country to defeat one of the top four seeds. Cal beat Stanford -- Spokane's No. 1 seed -- 67-55 to end the Cardinal's 81-game conference winning streak in Pac-12 play.
The Fresno State-Cal winner will advance to face No. 7 Texas Tech (21-10) or No. 10 South Florida (21-10) on Monday.
The Bulldogs were the only Mountain West Conference team to advance to the NCAA Tournament -- a feat accomplished in their first season in the league.
Fresno State upset San Diego State 76-70 in the conference tournament championship Saturday to secure an automatic NCAA bid. The Bulldogs have won seven straight and 14 of their past 16 games.
"I like the way we've been clicking lately," Moore said. "We've played a lot of other Pac-12 teams this season -- beat some of them and played some of them close -- and I think that'll help us against Cal.
"We really want to get to that next step, get that program to another level by winning an NCAA Tournament (game). It'll be exciting not only for us, but for past student-athletes who've played in this program who've helped paved our path here."
Despite the team's run of success that's included another NCAA Tournament bid, Moore said she's sticking to her decision to skip her senior season at Fresno State.
Moore cited injuries in announcing her plans just before the end of the regular season. She had ankle surgery before this season and said she has played in pain throughout the year.
Moore still has averaged a team-best 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.1 steals. She was an All-Mountain West first-team selection, the conference Defensive Player of the Year and the conference tournament MVP.
"Ever since I made the decision, I haven't thought (any more) about it," Moore said. "I've just been focused on us and what we're trying to do.
"Right now, my decision is made. I'm just sticking with what I made."
Moore had a noticeable limp when she came off the bus Sunday afternoon as the team returned from the MWC tournament in Las Vegas. She was expected to sit out most of the practices this week to help her body recover.
Pebley said she would welcome Moore's return next season, but didn't sound convinced that there was much of a chance that would happen.
"You know, my door is always open," Pebley said. "We'd love to have a player of Ki-Ki's talent back. We just want her to be happy with her decision."
Moore, who went to Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep in San Francisco, said she knows many of the Cal players and was recruited by the Bears coming out of high school.
She instead chose Washington State, later transferring to Fresno State.
"It's just exciting to play California again, against a lot of players who I know, and get them on a neutral court all the way in Texas," Moore said.
Fresno State point guard Taylor Thompson was excited specifically about the destination. She expects a big group of family and friends to make the 41/2-hour road trip from her hometown of Cache, Okla., to attend Saturday's game.
Thompson took a big shot during the Mountain West tournament final when she ran into a screen set by a San Diego State player, but said she is fully recovered from the hit and is expecting a close game against Cal.
"Any time you see the No. 2 seed against a No. 15 seed, you're automatically like 'Oh, the No. 2 seed is going to dominate that game,' " Thompson said. "But I think we're a good matchup for Cal. I haven't seen them play this year, but from what I know and what people have told me, I think that's going to be a good matchup for us.
"I hope I have a lot of family and friends there to see it."
No. 15 Fresno State vs. No. 2 Cal
Vitals: 1:20 p.m. Saturday at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas (ESPN2)
Records: Bulldogs 24-8; Golden Bears 28-3 Radio: KFPT (AM 790)
Last meeting: Cal won 70-47 in first round of 2009 NCAA Tournament
