Feb. 10, 2001
PROVO, Utah - Over the last three games there has not been a hotter women's basketball team in the Mountain West Conference than Brigham Young -- including league-leading Utah.
San Diego State, which came to the Marriott Center looking for its season sweep of the Cougars since 1994-95, found out just how hot, as BYU handed that Aztecs an 76-53 loss in front of 561.
Heather Cheesman finished with 15 points to lead BYU (14-8, 6-3 MWC), which shot 52 percent from the floor, including a scalding 65 percent in the first half when the game was decided.
Santee's Sopia Sledge scored 13 points to lead SDSU (11-11, 3-6 MWC), which has now lost three games in a row for the first time this season. Junior Atim Otii also finished in double figures with 10 points and led the Aztecs on the glass with seven rebounds.
Anita Bundage collected five caroms and now ranks 10th all time at San Diego State in rebounding with 538 career boards.
The Aztecs were able to stay with BYU for the game's first eight minutes before the Cougars turned a three-point advantage into a 20-point lead with a 21-4 run that include four three-pointers.
BYU led 45-26 at intermission and put the game on ice just five minutes into the second half, outscoring SDSU 13-2 to open the period and forging a 30-point lead, its biggest of the game.
"We didn't play a very good first half tonight," said SDSU head coach Barb Smith. "We played much better in the second half but by that time it was too late. We've really struggled putting 40 minutes of basketball on the floor in the same game and that was out problem again tonight."
San Diego State pulled within 19 down the stretch but never got closer.
San Diego State returns to Cox Arena for the its final homestand of the season next week. The Aztecs host New Mexico on Thursday, Feb. 15, before hosting Air Force in their 2000-01 home finale on Saturday, Feb. 17. Both games tip at 7 p.m.