Feb. 2, 2001
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Game 20
Colorado State Rams (15-4, 4-2 MWC) at
San Diego State Aztecs (11-8, 3-3 MWC)
DAY/DATE: Saturday, Feb. 3, 2001
PLACE: Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl (12,414), San Diego, Calif.
TIME: 2 p.m. PST
SERIES: Aztecs lead, 15-3
WEBCAST: Saturday's game versus Colorado State can be heard live over the Internet at www.goaztecs.com. Dan Lawton handles the play-by-play for all road contests with Bill Earley (p-b-p) and Tammy Blackburn (analysis) calling the home webcasts.
San Diego State Storyline
San Diego State (11-8, 3-3 MWC) looks to close out the first half of Mountain West Conference play on a winning note Saturday afternoon, when the Aztecs host Colorado State at 2 p.m. SDSU snapped a two-game losing streak Thursday night at Cox Arena, overcoming a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat Wyoming, 58-50. The victory was the 11th this season for the Aztecs, their most in a single season under current head coach Barb Smith.
A Quick Look At The Aztecs
Winners of eight of its last 11, San Diego State (11-8, 3-3 MWC) is in the midst of one of the nation's biggest turnarounds in the women's game this season. In addition to their six-game improvement during the pre-conference season, the Aztecs are also off to an improved start in league play at 3-3. Last year, SDSU opened its conference season 0-4 before getting its first MWC win versus UNLV in game No. 5. The Aztecs' second win did not come until league game No. 7, a 68-58 upset of Colorado State in Cox Arena.
Put This Weekend In The "Gotta-Have-It" Category For SDSU
How crucial is this weekend's game for the Aztecs? San Diego State's hopes of an upper division league finish just may hinge on coming away with a sweep over Wyoming and CSU. The Aztecs tooka step in the right direction with Thursday's win over Wyoming. Following their game with Colorado State Saturday, the Aztecs return to Cox Arena just twice more this season, playing five of their final seven regular-season games of the year on the road.
Get Out The Brooms?
A win over Colorado State Saturday would not only put the Aztecs over .500 in the first half of league play for the first time since the 1996-97 season, it would mark San Diego State's first sweep of travel partners since notching wins over San Jose State and Fresno State Jan. 28-30, 1999.
About Colorado State
Colorado State improved to 15-4 (4-2 MWC), Thursday night with a 69-62 victory at UNLV. The win also improved the Rams to 7-3 away from Moby Arena this season. The Mountain West's top offensive team, Colorado State entered the week averaging over 16 points per game more at home (82.8) than they have on the road (66.7). CSU's scoring punch has been a team effort thus far with 4-of-5 starters average double figures, including sophomore Ashley Augspurger, who averages a team-best 12.3 ppg.
About The Game
In order for the Aztecs to come away with a victory Saturday they will have to do the same thing they did against the Rams during last year's sweep -- control the tempo of the game a keep the score down. San Diego State held Colorado State to two of its lowest scoring games of the 1999-00 campaign, including a season-low 51 points in Ft. Collins. This year, the Rams are 0-4 when scoring less than 65 points. The Aztecs have held 13 of their 19 opponents below that figure and are 11-2 in those games.
Rams Have Revenge Factor
San Diego State may have held the revenge card Thursday versus Wyoming, but it will be Colorado State that will be out for vengeance Saturday afternoon at Cox Arena. The Aztecs have won four in a row over the Rams, including a season sweep last year that just may have cost CSU its second consecutive NCAAberth.
Series Shorts
San Diego State has owned the series with Colorado State through the years, winning 15 of the 18 previous contest between the two teams. In fact, the Aztecs are a perfect 8-0 versus the Rams in San Diego.
We've Got This In Common
San Diego State and Colorado State are two of the Mountain West Conference's better shooting teams, ranking third (.437) and second (.438), respectively. The two squads have also struggled in the rebounding department this season, posting the seventh (-3.7 rpg) and sixth (+0.2), respectively, rebounding margins in the league.
Common Enemies
San Diego State and Colorado State have faced one common non-conference opponent -- Northern Arizona. The Aztecs knocked off the Lumberjacks, 58-50, in Cox Arena, while the Rams handed NAU a 77-54 loss in Ft. Collins. In league play, both teams defeated Wyoming and Air Force but lost to Utah. The Aztecs also defeated BYU before falling to New Mexico and UNLV. The Rams defeated both squads but fell to the Cougars in Provo.
Last Meeting with the Rams
Jamey Cox poured in 27 points, including four three pointers, and grabbed a career-high five rebounds as Aztecs shocked Colorado State, 58-51, in Ft. Collins. San Diego State trailed, 38-29 with 10:43 to play in the game before going on an 18-4 run over the next 5:22 to take a 47-42 lead with 5:21 remaining. The Rams, who fell from first to fourth in the MWC with the loss, never got closer than three points the rest of the way.
Last Meeting in San Diego
Mary Apiafi led all scorers with 21 points and Anita Bundage added 16, all in the second half, as San Diego State defeated Colorado State, 68-58, in the first meeting between the two teams in Cox Arena. SDSU, which fell behind by as many as five points in the second half, trailed 53-49 at the 7:11 mark before going on a 10-1 run over the next 3:22 to take a 59-57 lead with 3:33 to play. The Aztecs iced the game by hitting 5-of-7 foul shots in the final minute.
Noting SDSU's Game vs. Wyoming
* San Diego State snapped a two game losing streak and avenged a season sweep by the Cowgirls from last year with a 58-50 win over Wyoming Thursday night.
* SDSU's win also snapped a two-game home losing streak for the Aztecs.
* San Diego State's win over Wyoming included its biggest comeback of the year. The Aztecs trailed the Cowgirls by 10 points with just under 15 minutes to play. Previously, SDSU came back from a nine-point halftime deficit at Air Force.
* The eight-point victory was the Aztecs' first over the Cowgirls since 1997.
* San Diego State shot 50 percent from the floor during their second-half comeback and 46.8 percent for the game.
* The Aztecs lost the battle of the boards, 36-26, but held the advantage in both assists, 15-9, and turnovers, 19-25.
* SDSU shot 75 percent from the free throw line (12-for-16), its third best performance of the season and its best since shooting 89 percent (8-for-9) at Missouri.
* Junior Claire Swinbank led all scorers with 17 points, tying her season-best point total and coming within just one point of equaling her career high.
* Senior Anita Bundage finished with a team-high eight rebounds and 10 points. It is the fourth time this season that she has scored in double figures.
* Junior Morgan Vargas made her first career start.
Win Total Best Under Smith
With 11 wins so far this season, San Diego State has already exceeded its win total for all of 1999-00 when the Aztecs finished the year 9-19 (4-10 MWC). At 11-8 (3-3 MWC) San Diego State has also topped its highest single-season win total of the Barb Smith era. SDSU finished Smith's inaugural season 1997-98 season at 10-15.
In Case You Hadn't Heard
San Diego State's 8-5 non-conference record is a dramatic improvement from a year ago when the Aztecs were just 5-8 in their first 13 games. The Aztecs' victory at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi completed a six-game turnaround over last year's non-conference finish, despite playing eight on the road. Last year, SDSU played eight of its 13 pre-conference games in Cox Arena.
Road Warrior Tradition Returning To Montezuma Mesa
San Diego State won its fifth game away from campus last week at Air Force. The victory moved SDSU to 5-4 on the road this year, including a 60-47 win over Alcorn State at the Unilever Lady Tiger Classic, before SDSU's loss at New Mexico evened the Aztecs' road record at 5-5.
* In 10 road games, the Aztecs have already posted more wins away from Cox Arena this season (five) than they did in each of the last two years combined. It is also the first time San Diego State has won four pre-conference games away from campus since the 1995-96 season when the Aztecs went 4-2.
* San Diego State has not won five or more games away from campus since winning 12 during the 1996-97 season.
Home Cookin' Not So Bad Though
In addition to its improvement on the road, San Diego State has also performed better at home this season, posting a 6-3 mark in Cox Arena, including a split in its first four Mountain West Conference home games. Last year, the Aztecs were 7-7 at home, including a 3-4 mark in league games.
Learning To Win The Close Ones
Barb Smith pointed to it at the beginning of the season as a key to the 2000-01 campaign. After wining just 5-of-15 games decided by 10 points or less last season, SDSUappears to be learning how to win the close ones this year. The Aztecs won another close one Thursday versus Wyoming and are now 7-4 in games decided by 10 or fewer points on the year, including victories in seven of the last nine closes ones.
Defense Gets Back On Track
After holding nine straight opponents under 65 points, San Diego State's defense hit a bump in the road at New Mexico and versus UNLV as each poured in over 80 points. In SDSU's first 16 games of the season, only Missouri eclipsed the 80-point plateau, defeating the Aztecs 89-69 in Columbia. The Aztecs returned to the smothering style of defense Thursday against Wyoming holding the Cowgirls to just 50 points, including just 21 points in the second half. Wyoming's 50 points was its lowest scoring output of the season.
Defense Has Been Aztecs' Winning Edge All Season
San Diego State opened the 2000-01 season 10-6 and much of that had to do with its defense. Prior to giving up 86 points and allowing the Lobos to connect on 49 percent from the floor, the Aztecs had held nine of their previous 12 opponents below 60 points. During that span, SDSU opponents shot just 36.0 percent (131-of-364) from the floor, including a 27.4 percent (29-of-106) from three-point distance. The Aztecs' record in those 12 games: 9-3. SDSU was back to its old self against Wyoming, holding the Cowgirls to just 38 percent shooting, including 30 percent from beyond the arc.
More on SDSU's Defense
San Diego State has allowed just one opponent to shoot better than 50 percent this season -- UNLV -- though both Missouri (.492) and New Mexico (.491) came close. In fact, the Aztecs have held 11 of their last 14 opponents to 39-percent shooting or less. Cal Poly became the third SDSU foe this season to shoot less than 30 percent from the field on Jan. 2. Earlier this year, the Aztecs held both Alcorn State and Cal State Fullerton below 30 percent shooting from the floor.
Still Hard To Get The Three...
Through 19 games, San Diego State remains the toughest team in the Mountain West Conference to sink a three-pointer against. Heading into Saturday's game versus Colorado State, Aztec opponents are shooting just 30.1 percent from beyond the arc and, in the last 11 games, have connected on only 41 of their last 161 attempts (25.5 percent). SDSU has held three opponents -- San Jose State, Cal State Fullerton and California -- without a three-point basket.
...But Not For Air Force In Clune Arena
After watching Air Force connect on 9-of-22 (.409) threes last year in Colorado Springs, the Falcons were back at it in this year's first meeting, hitting on 9-of-17 (.529) attempts from beyond the arc, including a blistering 7-of-9 (.778) in the first half. It is the best three-point performance of the season by an Aztec opponent. Things returned to normal in "The Pit" and at home versus UNLV as New Mexico sank just 6-of-20 attempts (30 percent) and the Lady Rebels connected on only 2-of-11 tries (18 percent). Wyoming splashed just 4-of-13 tries from three-point distance Thursday night.
Five-Finger Discounts
One of San Diego State's most amazing turnarounds this season has been in the steals category. Through 19 games, the Aztecs rank third in the Mountain West Conference in steals per game at 9.32. SDSU picked off 10 against UNLV and a season-high 18 versus Cal State Fullerton -- its most since snatching 22 against Fresno State on Feb. 24, 1999 -- and now has notched double-digit steals in seven games on the year. Last season, SDSU averaged just 8.5 spg, good for seventh in the eight-team league, and finished with double-figures in steals in only 10-of-28 games. A trio of Aztecs entered the week ranked among the Mountain West's leaders in steals per game: Tanisha Knight (8th), Shannon Lee (9th) and Jamey Cox (12th).
Turnovers Still The Key
Despite struggling in the turnover department against UNLV (season-high 34), San Diego State has still had fewer miscues than its opponent in 11-of-19 contests. The Aztecs are 9-2 in those games and just 2-5 with more miscues.
Bundage Crashing The Boards
Senior Anita Bundage has been going strong to the glass in the Aztecs' last nine games. Since Christmas, Bundage has led San Diego State in rebounding in 7-of-9 games, including four in a row. During that nine-game stretch, the senior is averaging nearly seven rebounds per game, and has cleared eight or more rebounds four times.
Bundage Climbing Rebound Chart
Senior Anita Bundage eclipsed a significant plateau recently, becoming just the 11th Aztec to gather 500 or more rebounds in a career with five at New Mexico. Bundage had eight more versus both UNLV and Wyoming and enters the Colorado State game with 518 career boards, just 16 shy of SDSU's top 10 in career rebounding.
Bundage Also On A Roll From The Floor
Bundage, who has started for SDSU in the last four games, also leads the Aztecs in field goal percentage this season, connecting on over 56 percent of her shots this season, including 75 percent from beyond the arc in the last five games.
Cox Eclipses 500
Sophomore Jamey Cox surpassed the 500-point plateau last week with her 11-point effort versus Brigham Young. It was the 41st game of her Aztec career. She is on pace to become SDSU's first 1,000-point scorer since Jodi Nowlin-Tres in 1997 and could reach the mark as early as the end of next season.
Getting That Scoring Touch Back
Jamey Cox appears to have regained her scoring touch. After averaging just 3.5 ppg during a four-game stretch from Nov. 25 through Dec. 6, Cox has finished in double figures in seven of her last 10 games, leading SDSU in scoring four times and averaging 11.2 ppg. Last season, Cox averaged 13.7 ppg en route to all-newcomer team honors.
Scho-Time Returns To Cox
After missing the last three games with a lower back strain, junior Missy Schomaker was back in the San Diego State lineup Thursday against Wyoming. Though she scored only seven points, they were some of the most significant of the game as they came in succession during a 14-0 SDSU second-half run that put the Aztecs in front for good.
Three-Dot Data...
With 17 points Thursday vs. Wyoming, junior Claire Swinbank has now scored in double figures in 5-of-8 games...The Aztecs are just 2-5 when Jamey Cox finishes at the team's leading scorer but 7-3 when the sophomore point guard is the squads leader in assists...SDSU is 7-2 when Anita Bundage is the team's leading rebounder.