Nov. 17, 2001
Game No. 2San Diego State (1-0)
at California (0-0)
Sunday - November 18, 2001
Walter J. Haas Jr. Pavilion (12,127)
Berkeley, Calif.
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Tip-Off: 2 p.m.
Webcast: For the second consecutive season all San Diego State women's basketball games can be heard live over the Internet at www.goaztecs.com. Bill Earley (p-b-p) and Tammy Blackburn (color) will call all the home webcasts, with Dan Lawton handling the play-by-play from the road.
The Records: San Diego State is 1-0 after Friday night's 63-54 come-from-behind victory over visiting Cal Poly. Sunday's game will be the season opener for California (0-0).
In The RPI: San Diego State ended the 2000-01 campaign as one of the nation's most improved teams according to the RPI rankings. SDSU closed out 2000-01 ranked No. 134 in the RPI, an improvement of 95 spots over its ranking of 229 in 1999-00.
SDSU Coach Barb Smith: Smith (Ohio State '86) is in her fifth season at San Diego State. She owns an overall record of 40-68 (. 370) with the Aztecs.
California Coach Caren Horstmeyer: Horstmeyer (Santa Clara '84) is 12-16 (.429)after one season at Cal and 233-140 (.625) overall in 13 years as a head coach.
Series History: San Diego State leads the all-time series by a 4-1 margin, including a 63-49 win over the Golden Bears last season at home.
San Diego State Looks To Improve To 2-0 Sunday at California
Less than 24 hours after San Diego State's thrilling 63-54 come-from-behind victory over Cal Poly in the season opener Friday night at Cox Arena, the Aztecs head north to the Bay Area to take on California in a Sunday afternoon tilt in Haas Pavilion on the Berkeley campus (2 p.m./www.goaztecs.com).
The game will be the season opener for the Golden Bears, who split their two preseason exhibition games and are coming off a 12-16 (8-10 Pac-10, T6th) season in 2000-01.
The two teams met last season in Cox Arena with the Aztecs coming away with a 63-49 victory. San Diego State leads the all-time series, 4-1, including a 74-69 victory on Dec. 14, 1978 in the only previous meeting between the two sides in Berkeley.
2-0 Starts Good For Aztecs
A win over Cal on Sunday would give San Diego State its first 2-0 start in eight years. The Aztecs, who have opened the season 2-0 just seven times in its previous 25 years of women's basketball, last started a season with back-to-back victories during the 1992-93 campaign.
Starting 2-0 has been a good omen for the Aztecs, who have averaged 21 victories in the seven seasons they have opened with back-to-back wins. SDSU has also made five postseason appearances in those seven seasons, including NCAA Tournament berths in 1984, '85 and '93.
See Ya Later, Monkey
The San Diego State women's basketball team got a huge monkey off its back with Friday night's season-opening victory over Cal Poly as the win snapped a three year runs of first-game losses. Prior to SDSU's win over Cal Poly, the Aztecs had not won a season lid-lifter since Barb Smith's inaugural campaign in 1997-98, when San Diego State defeated Oregon State, 63-56, in Cox Arena.
The Last Time We Met - Dec. 22, 2000
Tanisha Knight led all scorers with 15 points, Jamey Cox added 12 points and five assists and Anita Bandage came off the bench to score a season-high 11 points as San Diego State downed visiting California, 63-49, at Cox Arena, Dec. 22, 2000.
The Aztecs employed a full-court press to force Cal into 24 turnovers and a 36-percent shooting performance, including 0-for-7 from three-point range.
Still, San Diego State dug itself an early hole and trailed California by as many as eight points before catching fire midway through the opening period and going on an 11-0 run to take 17-14 lead with 3:45 to go. The Aztecs, who would never trail again, closed the period with a 6-1 spurt to lead 26-19 at the break.
That lead reached double digits just four minutes into the second half and grew to as many as 13 on two occasions before the Golden Bears got back in the game with an 8-0 run, including a pair of free throws from leading scorer Courtney Johnson, to cut SDSU's lead to 49-44 at the 7:38 mark.
But the Aztecs held Cal to just five points the rest of the way to put the game on ice.
Series Stuff
San Diego State holds a 4-1 edge in the all-time series with California.
The Aztecs have won two in a row over Cal, including a 63-49 decision last season in Cox Arena, and have suffered just one loss versus Golden Bears - 80-68 in 1989.
San Diego State captured the only previous meeting in Berkeley, defeating Cal, 74-69, Dec. 14, 1978.
San Diego State's average margin of victory in its four wins over the Golden Bears is 11 points.
The Aztecs are 47-67 all-time versus members of the Pacific-10 Conference. The Aztec snapped a six-game losing streak versus the league with last year's win over Cal.
Despite their loosing record overall versus the Pac-10 the Aztecs are .500 or better versus six of the nine schools they have faced (SDSU has yet to play Washington). Throw out SDSU's 10-45 combined record against UCLA and USC and the Aztecs are 34-23 against the rest of the Pac.
Noting SDSU's Win Over Cal Poly
San Diego State's 63-54 victory over Cal Poly Friday night snapped a three-year string of season-opening losses and improved Barb Smith to 2-3 in season debuts since arriving at SDSU.
The win ran San Diego State's lead in the all-time series versus Cal Poly to 5-2. It was also the Aztecs' fifth straight victory over the Mustangs and the second in as many seasons.
Senior Atim Otii notched her third career double-double, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior-college transfers Ashonda Williams and Valencia Howard each had successful Division-I debuts. Williams tied Otii for high-points honors recording 16 points, including a game-high four 3-pointers, while Howard matched Otii with a team-best 10 boards.
Junior Jamey Cox finished with 11 points and has now scored in double figures in 36-of-55 (65.4 percent) games during her college career.
Senior Morgan Vargas made just her second Division-I start and finished with a career-best six rebounds.
Sophomore Nicolette McCartny (ankle) and freshmen Maggie Sauls (knee) and Heather Wolf (ankle) did not play due to injuries.
A Quick Look At The Golden Bears
Those who witnessed San Diego State's 63-49 victory over California last season will hardly recognize the 2001-02 Golden Bears. Cal's lone returning starter is senior center Ami Forney (10.0 ppg/7.9 rpg). The Bears also return just five letterwinners from last year's 12-16 (8-10 Pac-10, T6th) campaign, including junior forward Amber White (4.6 ppg/4.7 rpg) and sophomore guard LaTasha O'Keith (3.8 ppg/1.8 rpg)
Cal split its two exhibition games, defeating Bay Area Pro Am, 61-55, before falling to KSC Szekszard (Hungary), 53-49. Forney averaged 11.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg to pace the Bears. The squad's most impressive newcomer was freshman point guard Kristin Iwanaga, who averaged 10.0 ppg while shooting 52.9 percent from the field.
Cal-San Diego State Connections
The California women's basketball roster boasts three players who prepped locally in San Diego - freshman forward Khadijah Coakley (Kearny HS), sophomore guard Morgan Romine (La Jolla HS) and senior guard Janet Franey (Helix HS). A pair of Aztecs, junior forward Ashonda Williams (Crockett, Calif.) and Valencia Howard (Richmond, Calif.), call the Bay Area home and played together at Contra Costa College just 20 miles from the Cal campus.
Inside The Aztecs
San Diego State enters Sunday's game with a 1-0 record after defeating Cal Poly, 63-54, Friday in its season opener. The Aztecs, who split their two preseason exhibition games, are coming off a 13-15 (5-9 MWC, sixth) season in 2000-01. SDSU return eight letterwinners, including four starters from last season. Heading the list is second-team all-Mountain West Conference selection, junior guard Jamey Cox. The Aztecs' leading scorer for the past two seasons, Cox has a real shot at becoming SDSU's first 1,000-point scorer since Jodi Nowlin-Tres in 1997. She enters 2001-02 with 658 points.
Other returning starters include senior guard Claire Swinbank, and senior forwards Atim Otii and Tanisha Knight. Swinbank and Otii were the only Aztecs to start all 28 games a year ago, while Knight, who made 17 starts, scored in double figures 12 times and finished the season second on the team in scoring.
The 60s Were Magic
Over the past two seasons, the number 60 has been key for the Aztecs. When San Diego State has held an opponent below 60 points during the last two years the Aztecs are 20-6 (.769). The formula held once again in the season opener Friday night, as SDSU limited Cal Poly to just 54 points.
Better On The Boards
After being outrebounded by over four boards per game a year ago, San Diego State appears to have gotten a handle on its rebounding woes. In Friday's opener, the Aztecs outrebounded Cal Poly, 45-33 (+12), including 28-12 in the second half. SDSU had two players finish with double-digit rebounds as Atim Otii and Valencia Howard each gathered 10 caroms.
Ashonda As Advertised
Junior-college transfer Ashonda Williams came to San Diego State with a reputation as a big-time scorer after scoring over 1,200 points in just two seasons at Contra Costa College. Through three games, including a pair of exhibitions, Williams has averaged over 12 points per game, including back-to-back 16-point outings versus USA Elite and Cal Poly.
Williams, who led the California state JC ranks in three-point shooting last season, has also been solid from beyond the arc and was 4-for-7 from 3-point land against the Mustangs Friday night.
All-Windex Team Candidate
Though she didn't score in the season opener, junior Valencia Howard lived up to her billing as a strong rebounder, clearing 10 boards versus Cal Poly. It was nothing new for the player coach Barb Smith calls "the little Charles Barkley", as Howard averaged double-figures in rebounds both seasons at Contra Costa College.
Otii Opens On Fire
If senior Atim Otii is out to prove her 2000-01 MWC all-conference accolades were no fluke she's on the right path. Otii, who had just one double-double as a junior and one as a freshman, notched the third of her career against Cal Poly, scoring 16 points, including 14 in the second half, and tied for game-high rebounding honors with 10 boards. Otii, who is the only Aztec to start every game over the past two seasons, made her 57th-consecutive contest Friday versus the Mustangs.
Cox Does It Again
Jamey Cox has made a habit of scoring in double figures during her two-year career on The Mesa. The junior was at it again in Friday's season opener, finishing with 11 points, including the 118th 3-pointer of her career. She has now scored in double digits in 36-of-55 (65.4 percent) games during her Aztec career.
The Aztecs' leading scorer for the past two seasons, Cox has a real shot at becoming SDSU's first 1,000-point scorer since Jodi Nowlin-Tres in 1997. She enters the Cal game with 669 points.
Post Presence
Coaches said Morgan Vargas was going to be the Aztecs' most improved player in 2001-02 and they were right on. Vargas, who made only one start and averaged just over six minutes in 21 games a year ago, started both preseason exhibitions and displayed some newly-perfected moves, including a sweet fade-away jumper and a flawless drop step. As a result, Vargas scored 11 points versus Team Concept and added eight against USA Elite. She also grabbed seven boards in the two games.
The senior was just a good in Friday's season opener, scoring six points and grabbing a career-best six rebounds versus Cal Poly.
Hot Starter
No Aztec was hotter in SDSU's two preseason exhibitions than guard Claire Swinbank. The senior was the lone player to finish in double figures in both games, pouring in a game-high 19 points against Team Concept and adding a double-double (11 points/11 rebounds) versus USA Elite.
Swinbank, who was force to play out of position at the point for stretches against Cal Poly due to Heather Wolf's ankle injury still managed to finish with six points, two rebounds and three assists.
War Is Hell: Casualties Beginning To Mount
It may be early, but injuries are already beginning to take their toll on the San Diego State's lineup. Sophomore forward/center Nicolette McCartny, a projected starter who was in the Aztecs' opening lineup 13 times as a true freshman, is still recovering from a high ankle sprain suffered in practice Nov. 3rd and is projected to miss 2-3 more weeks.
Also out 2-3 weeks is promising shooting guard Maggie Sauls. An all-Texas performer as a senior in high school, Sauls strained an MCL in practice prior to the first exhibition.
A third Aztec, freshman point guard Heather Wolf, also did not dress versus Cal Poly due to an ankle sprain. She is listed as questionable for the Cal game.