Dec. 29, 1999
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - There's a first time for everything and Tuesday night at Northern Arizona, the Lumberjacks got their first win in seven tries over San Diego State with a 65-57 at the Walkup Skydome on the NAU campus.
NAU (4-7), which has now won three in a row after a 1-7 start to the season, began taking control late in the first half. Lumberjack sophomore Kara Kleinhenz, who scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the first half, tallied eight of them late in the period when the Lumberjacks outscored the Aztecs 16-5 over the final 6:08 take a 33-20 lead at intermission.
The Aztecs (2-8), who have prided them selves on second-half comebacks this season, were unable to begin chipping away at the Lumberjack lead until it was too late as NAU built a 20-point advantage at the 11:03 mark with a 10-4 spurt.
SDSU, which got a career-high 17 points from freshman guard Jamey Cox, sliced the NAU lead to as few as eight points twice in the final minute of play, but the Aztecs could draw no closer. Junior Anita Bundage scored 11 points and pulled down four rebounds and senior Atim Otii added 11 points and nine boards, but once again it was turnovers that did the Aztecs in as SDSU, which won the turnover battle in both of its wins this season, coughed up the ball 21 times compared to only 13 by NAU.
SDSU returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 30 when the Aztecs travel to Cal State Fullerton to take on the Titans at 5 p.m.
Northern Arizona 65, San Diego State 57
Northern Arizona (4-7)
Yoshimine 1-3 1-2 3, Wickham 1-7 0-0 2, Sturing 2-6 0-0 4, Forman 3-8 0-0 6, Klienhenz 7-10 4-6 20, Foster 6-10 0-1 15, Provongviengkham 4-7 1-1 9, Whitman 0-1 0-0 0, Anderson 0-0 2-2 2, Baker 0-0 0-0 0, Nelson 2-2 0-0 4. Totals 26-54 8-12 65.
San Diego State (2-8)
Bundage 3-6 3-4 11, Otii 1-5 5-6 7, Apiafi 4-8 3-4 11, Lee 1-4 0-2 2, Cox 5-13 5-5 17, Wheeler 2-3 0-1 4, Kiesling 2-4 1-4 5, Hayes 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 18-45 17-26 57.
Halftime--NAU 33, SDSU 20. 3-Point Goals--NAU 5-14 (Yoshimine 0-1, Foreman 0-2, Klienhenz 2-5, Foster 0-1, Provongviengkham 1-1, Anderson 2-2), SDSU 4-8 (Bundage 2-3, Cox 2-5). Fouled out--None. Rebounds--NAU 25 (Klienhenz 4), SDSU 35 (Apiafi 9). Assists--NAU 16 (Foster 6), SDSU 6 (Apiafi, Cox 2). Total fouls--NAU 20, SDSU 17. Att.--1,117.