Nov. 22, 2000
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Illinois State Redbirds (1-1) at San Diego State Aztecs (0-2)
DAY/DATE: Friday, Nov. 24, 2000
PLACE: Cox Arena (12,414), San Diego, Calif
TIME: 7:30 p.m. PST
WEBCAST: Friday night's game versus Illinois State can be heard live over the Internet at www.goaztecs.com. Bill Earley will call the play-by-play with Tammy Blackburn providing analysis. Dan Lawton will handle the halftime update.
Chattanooga Lady Mocs or Gonzaga Bulldogs at San Diego State Aztecs
DAY/DATE: Saturday, Nov. 25, 2000
PLACE: Cox Arena (12,414), San Diego, Calif
TIME: 10:00 p.m. PST or 12:30 p.m. PST
WEBCAST: Saturday's game can be heard live over the Internet at www.goaztecs.com. Bill Earley will call the play-by-play with Tammy Blackburn providing analysis. Dan Lawton will handle the halftime update.
Aztecs Return Home for 2000 Pacific Bell Classic
After opening the season on the road at Montana and Loyola Marymount, San Diego State returns to campus for its regular-season home opener this weekend when the Aztecs host the 2000 Pacific Bell Classic at Cox Arena, Nov. 24-25. Chattanooga and Gonzaga tip-off the two-day tournament on Friday at 5 p.m., followed by SDSU and Illinois State in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. Friday's losers will meet in the consolation game at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning followed at approximately 12:30 p.m. by the championship game.
Tickets, Please
A four-game tournament pass may be purchased for $12 for adults and $6 for youths, seniors and high school students with ID. Daily passes are $7 for adults and $4 for youths, seniors and high school students with ID.
Last Year's Pacific Bell Classic
Missouri defeated San Diego State 85-61 in the championship game to capture the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic. The Aztecs knocked off Indiana State, 53-39, while Missouri defeated Portland State, 67-48, in the tournament's opening round games. Indiana State bounced back to win the consolation game, 70-65, over Indiana State. Jamey Cox was the lone Aztec named to the all-tournament team. Missouri's Amanda Lassiter was the Classic's MVP.
A Quick Look At The Aztecs
For the second straight season, San Diego State enters the Pacific Bell Classic in search of its first win after dropping road contests at Montana, 68-58, and Loyola Marymount, 69-59...After struggling on the glass at Montana (-12), SDSU bounced back to win the battle of the boards at LMU (+7)...As expected, sophomore Jamey Cox has led the Aztecs in scoring early on with 13 points versus the Lady Griz and 12 against the Lions. She has now finished in double figures in 23-of-28 career games...Newcomers Tanisha Knight and Nicolette McCartny have scored in double figures in both games thus far. Knight is also the Aztecs' leading rebounder (6.0 rpg) early on.
Aztecs in Home openers
San Diego State is 20-4 all time in home openers, including victories in 11 of the last 12 years. Last season, SDSU made its home debut versus Indiana State in the opening round of the Pacific Bell Classic, defeating the Sycamores, 53-39. The Aztecs are 2-1 in home openers under head coach Barb Smith.
Recapping the LMU Game
For the second straight game San Diego State had four players finish in double figures, but for the second time it wasn't enough as the Aztecs dropped a 69-59 decision at Loyola Marymount Tuesday night. SDSU, which trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half, used a 14-6 run early in the second to cut the Lion lead to two with 14:40 to play. The Aztecs, however could draw no closer. Trailing by just four points with under two minutes to play, LMU got a bucket from Shannon Wosman and then back-to-back break away lay-ups off steals by Taryn Reynolds to put the game out of reach. Sophomore Jamey Cox led San Diego State with 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Junior Atim Otii pitched in with 11 points and junior Tanisha Knight and freshman Nicolette McCartny each added 10 in the losing effort. Reynolds paced all scorers with 21 points.
About Illinois State
Illinois State returns four starters from last years 6-20 campaign, the first under new coach Jenny Yopp...ISU is off to a 1-1 start thus far in 2000-01...The Redbirds fell in their season opener, 83-60 at Northern Illinois, before bouncing back with a 67-64 home win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee...Freshman Sharon Blade, one of seven newcomers, has been a welcome addition to the team and through two games is the Redbirds leading scorer (18.5 ppg), including a 22-point outburst in her collegiate debut at Northern Illinois.
About Chattanooga
Coming off a 26-5 campaign and a Southern Conference championship, the Lady Mocs return all five starters for 2000-01, including junior guard Damita Bullock, the SoCon preseason player of the year...The Lady Mocs received five votes in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Preseason Coaches Poll...Chattanooga enters the Pacific Bell Classic with a 1-1 record on the year, including a 69-52 loss at No. 9 Louisiana Tech and a 92-82 victory over Tennessee State...Bullock is the Lady Mocs leading score, averaging 21.0 ppg.
About Gonzaga
Gonzaga enters the week with a 1-0 mark on the season after a 72-60 victory over Boise State on Nov. 18...The Bulldogs travel to Cal Poly for a Wednesday night tilt in San Luis Obispo prior to arriving in San Diego for the Classic...GU finished 1999-00 with a 9-19 record, but will be under new leadership as former Saint Mary's head coach, Kelly Graves, takes the helm of the Zags women's basketball program...Gonzaga has already been hit hard by injuries and could enter the Classic with just seven healthy players. The Bulldogs played with just eight versus Boise State, however Amanda Fahsholtz was injured against the Broncos and is questionable for this weekend...Sophomore forward Jessica Malone led the Zags in the opener with 18 points and six boards.
Series Shorts
Friday's game between Illinois State and San Diego State will be the first ever between the two schools in the sport of women's basketball...San Diego State is 1-9 all time against current members of the Missouri Valley Conference, including a 53-39 victory over Indiana State in the 1999 Pacific Bell Classic...Likewise, a meeting between SDSU and Chattanooga would also be a first. SDSU has never faced a current member of the Southern Conference...The only 2000 Pacific Bell Classic team the Aztecs have previously done battle with is Gonzaga. SDSU owns a 3-0 edge in the all-time series with the Bulldogs, however, the two teams have not met since a 78-59 Aztec victory in Spokane during the 1994-95 season. SDSU is 46-14 all time against current West Coast Conference foes but has struggled of late, losing four in a row, including last Tuesday at LMU.
Lineup Changes
Despite returning four starters from a year ago, head coach Barb Smith has juggled SDSU's starting lineup this far. Thanks in part to an improved level of depth, the Aztecs have used three different lineups in four games (including two exhibitions). Only two players, Atim Otii and Claire Swinbank, have started all four games. Last year, San Diego State employed only four different starting lineups for the entire season.
You Gotta Win The Close Ones
The clich? "close but no cigar" never more aptly described a team than the 1990-00 Aztecs as San Diego State was just 5-10 in games decided by 10 points or less. SDSU hopes it isn't falling into the same trap in 2000-01 of playing close but coming up short in the end. Unfortunately for SDSU, the trend has continued as the Aztecs have dropped a pair of 10-point decisions to open the season.
Turnover Tale
After struggling in the turnover department much of last season, San Diego State has been a bit of a Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde team in its two games so far. The Aztecs did a good job of limiting its miscues in the season opener, turning the ball over just 16 times. Last season, SDSU averaged over 22 miscues per game and turned the ball over fewer than 16 times just once. However, the turnover bug reared its ugly head in game two, as the Aztecs committed 23 miscues at LMU.
Stop, Thief
San Diego State collected 16 steals against Montana, more than any game last season. Last year's high for steals was 14 at home versus Colorado State. Four different Aztecs -- Nicolette McCartny, Jamey Cox, Missy Schomaker, and Tanisha Knight -- were credited with three steals apiece vesus the Lady Griz.
Slow Start, Fast Finish
The Aztec have dug themselves early holes in both games thus far only to come roaring back in the second half. Through two games, SDSU has yet to top 21 points in the first half and have trailed at intermission of both contests. However, in both contests, the Aztecs have nearly doubled their production in the second half, scoring 37 points at Montana and 38 at LMU. San Diego State has scored over 64 percent of its points after intermission, shooting a combined 53 percent from the floor in the second halves of its first two games.
Four Times Two
Last season, only Jamey Cox and Mary Apiafi finished the season with double-figure scoring averages. Through two games, the Aztecs appear to have much more scoring at their disposal as four players -- Cox, Tanisha Knight, Nicolette McCartny and Missy Schomaker -- are averaging double figures. A fifth, Atim Otii, is not far off the pace at 8.5 ppg.
Back To Her Old Tricks
Sophomore Jamey Cox has picked up right where she left off as a true freshman, leading the Aztecs in scoring at both Montana and Loyola Marymount. Cox opened the 2000-01 campaign with 13 points versus the Lady Griz before scoring 12 against the Lions for an average of 12.5 ppg. She has now scored in double figures in 23-of-28 career games. Last season, Cox finished fifth in the MWC scoring race with a 13.7 ppg average.
Better from Three
Maybe Jamey Cox should just shoot threes. In SDSU's first two games, Cox is a combined 6-for-10 (60 percent) from beyond the arc. A 57-percent shooter overall, she is shooting a full 10 percent lower on twos, where she has connected on 2-of-4.
Good Knight!
Junior College transfer Tanisha Knight has had an immediate impact on the San Diego State lineup since arrive on Montezuma Mesa. Knight, who made he first career start at LMU, is second on the team in scoring (11.0 ppg) and the team's leading rebounder (6.0) through two games. She has also dished out a co-team-high seven assists on the season and is shooting 83 percent from the free-throw line (10-for-12).
Scho-Time
Junior forward/guard Missy Schomaker made a splash at both ends of the floor in San Diego State's season opener at Montana. On offense, the Lincoln, Neb. native scored 12 points, nine in the second half, including a pair of treys that kept the Aztecs within striking distance of the Lady Griz. She also dished out three assists and was credited with a steal. However, Schomaker's biggest impact may have come on the defensive end. At halftime she was assigned to shut down Lady Griz scoring machine Lauren Cooper by head coach Barb Smith and held the senior to a pair of free throws during the second half (0-5 from the field). Cooper scored 15 points in the first half on 6-for-7 shooting, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Schomaker made her first career start at LMU, finishing with eight points and five rebounds in 34 minutes of work versus the Lions.
Frosh Looks Fantastic
Freshman Nicolette McCartny answered a lot of questions as to her readiness for Division I basketball during the preseason and appears to have kept it rolling into the regular season. McCartny averaged 8.0 ppg and 9.3 rpg in SDSU's two exhibitions, including SDSU's only double-double of the preseason, a 13-point and 13-rebounds effort versus the NWBL All-Stars. The Aztecs' leader in field-goal percentage at just under 70 percent, McCartny scored 11 points and gathered three rebounds in her collegiate debut at Montana before finishing with 10 points (4-for-5 from the floor) and six boards at Loyola Marymount.
Ouch, That's Gotta Hurt
It may be early, but San Diego State has already suffered its share of injuries. After missing all of the 1999-00 campaign with a torn left ACL, Sophia Sledge received another setback in practice Nov. 8 when she suffered a broken right thumb. The injury is expected to sideline the senior guard until late December. Junior Missy Schomaker also missed SDSU's second exhibition after suffering a broken nose in practice Nov. 7. Not to be left out, the Aztec coaching staff got into the act when assistant Dana McGraw broke a thumb in drills the same week.