Nov. 30, 1999
Game No. 5
San Diego State Aztecs (1-3) at San Francisco Lady Dons (1-3) Wednesday, Dec. 11, 7:00 p.m., War Memorial Gym (5,300)
Game No. 6
Southern California Trojans at San Diego State Aztecs Saturday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m., Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl Radio: Live on KCBQ 1170 AM
This Week
San Diego State heads back on the road this week, traveling to San Francisco on Wednesday to take on the USF Lady Dons, before returning to Cox Arena for Saturday's meeting with the USC Trojans. Both games tip at 7 p.m.
Saturday's match up versus the Women of Troy can be heard live in San Diego on KCBQ (1170 AM). Bill Earley will call the play-by-play with analysis by Dan Lawton and former Aztec Tammy Blackburn.
A Quick Look at the Aztecs
The Aztecs enter the week in search of their second win of the year. SDSU notched victory number one in its regular season home opener, knocking off Indiana State, 53-39, in the first round of the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic last Friday. The Aztecs, however, were defeated in the championship game by Missouri, 85-61.
A pair of freshman led SDSU to victory over Indiana State. Point guard Jamey Cox tied a career high with 16 points and forward Kacee Wheeler added a then-career-best 11 in the 14-point victory.
The Aztecs trailed by two at the half, 22-20, and by as many as four following intermission, before going on a 27-3 run midway through the second stanza to put the game out of reach.
Missouri's tough full-court trap proved too much to overcome in the championship game, as the Aztecs turned the ball over 36 times in a 85-61 loss to the Tigers. SDSU fell behind 25-1 in the game's first six minutes, before cutting the lead to 18, 43-25, at the break. MU's second-half advantage never fell below 17 points.
Cox, who was named to the all-tournament team, led the Aztecs with 14 points. Three other Aztecs, Wheeler (12), senior Mary Apiafi (12) and sophomore Atim Otii (10), finished in double figures, while junior Shannon Lee picked up five steals.
Aztecs At A Glance
1-3 Overall ? 1-1 Home ? 0-1 Road ? 0-1 Neutral ? 0-0 Mountain West
Probable Starters
Pos No Player Ht Yr GP/GS PPG RPG Min F 32 Anita Bundage 5-11 JR 4/4 8.8 6.2 37.5 F 55 Atim Otii 6-0 SO 4/4 8.8 5.8 29.8 C 23 Mary Apiafi 6-2 SR 4/4 14.5 9.5 37.2 G 15 Shannon Lee 5-9 JR 4/4 4.5 5.8 apg 30.2 G 20 Jamey Cox 5-7 FR 4/4 11.5 3.0 apg 37.5
Complete Roster
Pos No Player Ht Yr GP/GS PPG RPG Min F 50 Kacee Wheeler 6-1 FR 0/4 6.5 3.0 21.8 C 30 Robin Hayes 6-4 JR 0/4 0.0 0.5 4.5 F/C 52 Andrea Kiesling 6-3 FR 0/4 1.5 1.2 6.5 G 4 Sophia Sledge* 5-8 SR 26/13 10.7 1.8 20.9* = Tore left ACL in exhibition opener, out for season. 1998-99 Stats.
Team Stats FG% 3PT% FT% Pts. Reb. Asts. Stls. TOSDSU .383 .333 .740 57.8 36.0 48 41 101Opponents .373 .327 .716 61.5 36.5 61 53 78
Head Coach Barb Smith
San Diego State head coach Barb Smith is in her third season on Montezuma Mesa and owns an 18-37 career record. MPrior to taking over as SDSU's fifth head coach in 1997, Smith spent nine years as the top assistant at the University of Colorado. During her tenure at CU, the Buffaloes won an average of 24 games per season, five Big 8 Conference championships and made eight NCAA Tournament appearances. She is a 1986 graduate of the Ohio State University, where she was a four-year starter at point guard and led the Buckeyes to three NCAA berths.
SCOUTING USF
Lady Dons Ledger
San Francisco enters Wednesday night?s game with a 1-3 record, after splitting two games on road last weekend. USF notched its first win of the season at Northern Illinois, 56-49, before falling at Illinios State, 66-52.
Freshman forward Carey Sauer leads the Lady Dons in scoring, averaging 11.8 ppg, including 16 points at Northern Illinois. She also has been USF?s top rebounder (7.2 rpg).
USF returns nine letterwinners, including four starters from last year?s 7-20 team. The Lady Dons led by the coaching tandem of Bill Nepfil and Mary Hile-Nepfil. The duo is in their 13th season at USF and has amassed a 185-155 record. Bill Nepfil was 53-35 in four years at Hawai`i prior to taking the helm at USF.
SDSU-USF Series History
Wednesday?s game between San Diego State and San Francisco will be the seventh between the Aztecs and Lady Dons.
SDSU and USF last met a year ago in Cox Arena with the Lady Dons coming away with a 54-43 win.
USF has won two of the last three meetings, however SDSU owns the largest margin of victory ? a 78-56 triumph on Jan. 7, 1993 in San Francisco. The win was also SDSU's last over USF.
All time, SDSU is 46-11 against teams from the Pacific Coast Conference, including 0-1 this season.
San Francisco's Probable Starters
Pos No Player Ht Yr PPG RPG F 42 Carey Sauer 6-0 FR 11.8 7.2 F 11 Molly Shanley 6-1 SO 3.8 2.5 C 12 Sarah Wanless 6-2 SR 7.8 5.8 G 22 Lindsey Huff 5-6 SO 7.2 3.3 apg G 31 Melanie Turner 5-10 SO 7.0 2.5
SCOUTING USC
Trojan Titdbits
USC enters the week with a 2-0 record and faces Texas Tech on Monday at home before traveling to SDSU on Saturday. The Trojans? wins came at Portland, 59-47, and versus Creighton, 61-56, at home.
Ayeshia Smith is USC?s leading scorer, averaging 11.5 ppg.
The Trojans are led by head coach Chris Gobrecht. She owns a career record of 353-238, including a 21-35 mark at USC.
SDSU-USC Series History After knocking off the Trojans, 62-59, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1977, USC reeled off 21 straight victories over SDSU and leads the all-time series, 25-4.
Recent history, however, has seen the Aztecs fare much better against the Women of Troy. SDSU is 3-5 versus USC in the ?90s.
The two teams last met a year ago in Los Angeles, with USC claiming a 62-51 victory. San Diego State's last win over the Trojans was a 67-66 victory at USC during 1995-96 season.
The Aztecs are 45-66 all time against teams from the Pacific-10 Conference.
Southern California's Probable Starters
Pos No Player Ht Yr PPG RPG F 22 Tashara Carter 6-0 JR 10.5 7.5 F 43 Danielle Golay 6-2 SR 10.0 8.5 C 40 Tiffany Washington 6-2 SR 3.5 6.0 G 3 Tiffany Elmore 5-10 SO 5.5 3.5 G 12 Ayeshia Smith 5-5 JR 12.5 4.0 apg
Is Eight Enough?
Coach Barb Smith and the Aztecs will try to do something no coach or team looks forward to in 1999-00, compete the entire season with a roster composed of just eight players, three of which are true freshmen. SDSU?s roster was depleted from a preseason total 12 to eight thanks to the loss of senior Sophia Sledge (torn left ACL 11/5) and the departure of three players who left the team for a variety of personal reasons.
Oh, So Close
Despite a 1-3 start and an 85-61 loss to Missouri, the Aztecs' average margin of victory/loss is a minuscule -3.8.
Prior to their 53-39 win over Indiana State, the Aztecs dropped their first two games of the season by a combined five points, falling to Idaho State, 72-68, and Portland, 50-49.
Last year SDSU lost only one game by a single point and just two by less than five. In fact, the Aztecs lost by fewer than 10 points in just 6-of-19 defeats.
Department of Defense
San Diego State's effort on the defensive end of the floor continues to be rock solid. Through four games, opponents are shooting just .374 from the floor with Missouri's 36-for-80 performance (18 of which were lay-ups off of turnovers) the only one over 40 percent.
The Aztecs held Indiana State to just 28.6 percent shooting (14-for-49) and its lowest point total (39) in 83 games.
Idaho State and Portland combined to shoot just .360 (41-114) from the floor in SDSU's first two games.
SDSU has collected 41 steals thus far and forced 78 turnovers. Opponents are averaging 61.5 ppg. Last season Aztec opponents scored 68.8 ppg.
Crashing the Boards
The Aztecs? outlook when it comes to rebounding is certainly looking up, as the Aztecs are nearly even (-0.5) in rebounding margin through four games. SDSU was outboarded by Idaho State (-1) and Missouri (-6), but finished even with Indiana State and were +5 versus Portland.
You Gotta Hit Your Free Throws
San Diego State has shown dramatic improvement from the charity stripe this season. Through four games, SDSU has connected on 71-of-96 (.740) attempts, including a season-best 24-of-32 (.758) against Missouri.
SDSU's 24 made free throws were the most by the Aztecs since Dec. 30, 1998, the team combined for 31 against Duquesne. A span of 19 games.
Junior Anita Bundage and freshmen Kacee Wheeler and Jamey Cox have been virtually flawless from the stripe so far, missing just two between them. Bundage leads the team with a perfect 1.000 conversion rate (10-for-10), Wheeler is next at .944(17-of-18), with Cox not far behind .875 (7-of-8).
The Aztecs have also been strong under pressure, hitting on 6-of-8 (.750) attempts through four games in the final two minutes
Last season, SDSU shot just .651 from the free throw line.
Doubling-Up
Through the season?s first two games, two Aztecs, Mary Apiafi (14.5) and Jamey Cox (13.2)are averaging double figures in scoring. Two others, Anita Bundage (8.8) and Atim Otii (8.8) are just over a point shy. Last year, only Sophia Sledge (10.7) managed to average double figures in scoring for the entire season.
Whisper to a Scream
So far this season, the Aztecs have shown a propensity for slow starts only to come roaring to life in the second half. Three times this season (Portland, Indiana State and Missouri), SDSU has failed to top the 25-point plateau in the opening period. However, the Aztecs are averaging 34.5 points or 60 percent of their scoring after intermission.
Making Her Point
Freshman point guard Jamey Cox just may be emerging as one of the top newcomers in the Mountain West Conference. Selected to the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic all-tournament team, Cox was SDSU's leading score in both games with 16 versus Indiana State and 14 against Missouri.
Cox ranks second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), second in assists (3.0 apg), and is tied for the team lead in minutes played (37.5 mpg).
From Way Down Town
Cox is also the Aztecs top threat from beyond the arc. In four games, she has hit on 10-of-20 (.500) three pointers. In fact 30 of her 53 points (60 percent) have come from three point land.
The More the Merrier
As freshman forward/guard Kacee Wheeler is also having a sudden impact for the Aztecs. She recorded her first double-digit scoring against Indiana State with 11 points, then came right back the following afternoon to score 12 versus Missouri.
Though she hasn't yet found her stoke from the floor (4-for-25, 16 percent), Wheeler has been almost perfect from the free-thrown line, connecting on 17-of-18 attempts (.944).
As a high school senior, Wheeler averaged 26.0 points and 13.0 rebounds, was an all-state selection, and set a school record for points in a game with 45.
Apiafi Simply Amazing
Senior center/forward Mary Apiafi finished the finished in double figures for the third time in four games with 12 points against Missouri. The Mountain West Conference?s inaugural women?s basketball Player of the Week, Apiafi leads the Aztecs in scoring (14.5 ppg) and rebounds (9.5 rpg).
Apiafi averaged just 4.8 points and 6.1 rebounds a game as a junior last year, but put up back-to-back double-doubles at the American Dream Classic. She opened the two-day tournament with a career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds against Idaho State, before scoring 18 points and collecting 12 caroms against Portland. Selected to the ADC all-tournament team, Apiafi finished with the tournament record for single-game rebounds (13), combined rebounds (25) and single-game blocks (6 vs. UP).
Give It Up
MThough it wasn?t an SDSU top-10 performance, junior guard Shannon Lee did have a great weekend dishing out the rock at the American Dream Classic, posting seven assists against both Idaho State and Portland. Lee added six assists versus Indiana State and three against Missouri for a team best 23 (5.8 apg) on the season.
No Rest for the Weary
With the Aztecs' roster depleted to just eight player, junior Anita Bundage is seeing more than her fair share of court time. In fact, Bundage has not taken a seat on the bench since the second half of the Idaho State game, playing a full 40 minutes of basketball against Portland, Indiana State and Missouri.
More on Bundage
Bundage just missed tying a career high against Portland with 15 points (record is 16 vs. Detroit). She also pulled down eight rebounds against the Pilots, including five on the offensive end. She also had a career best four assists against Missouri and pulled down a season-high nine rebound versus the Tigers.
Two for ?99
San Diego State added two new assistant coaches in the offseason in Steve Huber and Yvonne Sanchez. Huber comes to SDSU from Benedictine College in Kansas where he served as head coach from 1994-99. Sanchez, a former standout at USIU (1985-89) joins the Aztec staff from New Mexico State, where she was an assistant from 1993-99.
On the Horizon
San Diego State has just one game next week, a Dec. 9 date at UCLA in Pauley Pavilion. Tip time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
UPDATED PLAYER PROFILES
Mary Apiafi
6-2, Senior, Pasadena, Calif.
A starter in all four games thus far...The first-ever women's basketball Player of the Week in the Mountain West Conference, Nov. 22...Leads the Aztecs in both scoring (14.5 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg)...posted her third double-digit scoring effort of the season vs. Missouri with 12 points...Notched double-doubles in both games at the American Dream Classic with 23 points and 13 boards against Idaho State and 18 points and 12 rebounds against Portland...Performance versus Idaho State was first career double-double.
Anita Bundage
5-11, Junior, Conroe, Texas
Started all four games so far this season and has played a full 40 minutes in each of the last three...Finished the Portland game with 15 points and eight rebounds...Her 15 points vs. the Pilots were just one shy of tying a career high...Scored eight points and had three boards in the season opener against Idaho State...Scored six points against both Indiana State and Missouri...Dished out a career-best four assists versus MU.
Jamey Cox
5-7, Freshman, Waterloo, Iowa
SDSU's starting point guard in all four games this season... Selected to the all-tournament team at the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic...The only Aztec to be so honored...Was SDSU's leading scorer in both games with 16 points versus Indiana State and 14 against Missouri...Finished 4-of-6 from the field against Missouri, including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc...Also knocked down three treys versus Indiana State...Scored 16 points and dished out four assists in her first-ever collegiate start against Idaho State......Scored seven points, including a big trey during SDSU's 10-3 run late in the game vs. Portland...Also recorded five steals against the Pilots... Ranks second on the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), second in assists (3.0 apg), leads in three-point goals (10), and is tied for the team lead in minutes played (37.5 mpg).
Robin Hays
6-4, Junior, Los Angeles, Calif.
After playing in just four games over the last two seasons, has seen action in all four games so far...Played eight minutes, recording two rebounds and an assist against Idaho State.
Andrea Kiesling
6-3, Freshman, Helena, Mont.
Saw action in all four games this season...Played 11 minutes and scored her first points in the opener at Idaho State...Also had a rebound against the Bengals...Had two points and three rebounds in 10 minutes of work against Indiana State.
Shannon Lee
5-9, Junior, Pasadena, Calif.
Has Started all four games at the No. 2 guard position...Dished out seven assists against both Idaho St. and Portland...Also had four points in opener against ISU...Tallied another six assists and had a season-best seven points against Indiana State...Registered five steal vs. Missouri.
Atim Otii
6-0. Sophomore, Denver, Colo.
Has started every game so far this season for the Aztecs...Had 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting against Idaho State in season opener...Came back with seven points and eight boards vs. Portland in 35 minutes of work...Had 10 points and six boards against Missouri.
Sophia Sledge
5-8, Senior, Santee, Calif.
Tore anterior cruciate ligament in left knee after taking a charge just minutes into the second half during SDSU's exhibition opener against the NWBL's USA Elite team...Is scheduled to have surgery to repair the injury shortly after Christmas...Will use a redshirt year this season and return as a fifth-year senior in 2000-2001.
Kacee Wheeler
6-1, Freshman, Bakersfield, Calif.
Forced to swing between the forward and guard positions due to SDSU's lack of depth...Played 24 minutes and had three points in season opener vs. Idaho State...Also gathered three rebounds against the Bengals...Grabbed two rebounds vs. Portland in 18 minutes of work...Finished in double figures in both games of Pacific Bell Classic...Scored 11 points against Indiana State...Came back to tally a season-high 12 points against Missouri... Shot a perfect 16-for-16 from the free throw line in the two games.