Fresno City College headed to state for first time since 2018 after win over Santa Rosa
March 9, 2026
Things didn't look good for the Fresno City College women's basketball team against Santa Rosa Junior College in a CCCAA Northern Regional game on Saturday.
The Rams trailed 10-0 and were sluggish throughout the first half despite taking a 28-24 lead at halftime.
Then suddenly, the Rams turned it up in the second half, knocking down shot after shot, and pulled away in the third quarter with a 66-48 lead to advance to the state tournament, which will be held at College of the Sequoias' Porter Fieldhouse.
It is the Rams' first state tournament appearance since 2018 under former head coach Brian Tessler.
Rams head coach Alex Fletcher soaked it all in at the conclusion of Saturday's game and reflected on what it means to advance.
"Means everything to me," Fletcher said. "I played here at Fresno City, and I have a lot of pride in Fresno City. I feel very honored to be here and go (to the state tournament)."
The Rams had some close calls in years past, but fell short of reaching the state tournament.
It took some patience, but Fresno City finally broke through for Fletcher after his team finished with nine 3-pointers, five of which were in the second half.
"The defense and effort were unbelievable," Fletcher said. "Nobody got rattled. They just stayed together, kept fighting, and they played hard."
Fresno City will be NorCal's fourth seed and will open state tournament play against SoCal top seed Mt. San Antonio at 7 p.m. Thursday.