Dec. 29, 2001
Game No. 12Detroit (4-5) at
San Diego State (6-5)
Sunday - December 30, 2001
Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl (12,414)
San Diego, Calif.
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Tip-Off: 2:00 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 improved to 6-5 Friday with its 89-42 victory over Radford. Detriot is 4-5 following its 69-59 loss at UC Irvine.
In The RPI: San Diego State enters Sunday's game ranked No. 209 in the most recent RPI rankings release by collegerpi.com. Detroit is ranked No. 149.
SDSU Coach Barb Smith: Smith (Ohio State '86) is in her fifth season at San Diego State. She owns an overall record of 45-73 (.381) with the Aztecs.
Detriot Coach Anne Rexford: Rexford (Oakland '84) is in her third year with the Titans and has guided UDM to a 39-26 (.600) record.
Series History: Sunday's game will be the third all-time between San Diego State and Detriot. The series is tied, 1-1, with the Aztecs claiming the most recent meeting, 78-59, on Dec. 4, 1998 at the Kansas State Tournament.
San Diego State Looks To Close 2001 On A Winning Note Versus Detroit Sunday
The San Diego State women's basketball team bids au revoir to 2001 Sunday afternoon when the Aztecs host Detroit for a 2 p.m. tip-off in Cox Arena. The game is the second of a three-game homestand and final one of the calendar year for San Diego State (6-5), which appears ready to hit the new year on a serious roll.
Winners of three of their last four, the Aztecs are coming off their most complete game of the season -- a 47-point drubbing of Radford Friday night. San Diego State had five players score in double figures for the first time this year and combined to shot a season-best 58 percent from the field en route to an impressive 89-42 victory.
But it wasn't just the SDSU offense that was firing on all cylinders as the Aztecs held Radford to just 30 percent shooting, collected a season-high 20 steals, and forced the Highlanders into a season-worst 31 turnovers. San Diego State also finished with a 17-rebound advantage on the boards (41-24).
The win pushed the Aztecs one game over .500 for the fourth time this season. San Diego State will try to make two games over for the first time this year against a Detroit team that has fallen on hard times of late.
The holiday season has not been kind to the Titans (4-5), who found a lump of coal in the form of a three-game losing streak in their stocking. UDM opened the season a respectable 4-2 but hasn't won since a 70-51 victory at Central Michigan Dec. 8th. Most recently, the Titans squandered a 28-point outburst from senior Michelle James in its 69-59 loss at UC Irvine Friday.
A Win Saturday By The Aztecs Would ...
* Improve San Diego State to 7-5 on the season.
* Be the Aztecs fourth in the five games.
* Put SDSU two games over .500 for the first time in 2001-02.
* Equal the Aztecs' best start under Barb Smith through 12 games. SDSU also opened the 2000-01 season at 7-5.
* Improve San Diego State to 5-2 in Cox Arena this season.
* Be the Aztecs' third straight home victory.
* Give SDSU a 2-1 edge in the all-time series vs. Detroit.
San Diego State-Detroit Series Shorts
* San Diego State is 1-1 all time versus Detroit.
* Detroit captured the first meeting with a 56-47 win over SDSU in at the Queens College Tournament on Dec. 17, 1981.
* SDSU won the most recent encounter and evened the series with its 78-59 win at the Kansas State Tournament on Dec. 4, 1998.
* Sunday's game will be the first ever between the two schools not played at a neutral site.
* San Diego State is 2-1 all-time versus current members of the Horizon League.
A Quick Look At Detroit
Detroit (4-5) will be looking to end a three-game losing streak when the Titans invade Cox Arena Sunday afternoon. The Titans opened the season with a 4-2 record but have not tasted victory since a 70-51 win at Central Michigan on Dec. 8th. UDM has never lost four straight under current head coach Anne Rexford, who is in her third season at the helm of the Titan women's basketball program.
Still, UDM is coming off a 69-59 loss at UC Irvine Friday night. Detroit got 28 points from Michelle James but just five other Titans were able to find the basket. The Titans trailed UCI by as many as 23 points in the second half before slicing the deficit to four with just under five minutes to play. UDM could manage just four points the rest of the way, however, as the Anteaters put the contest on ice.
James' scoring outburst was nothing new for the senior guard, who has already tallied at least 20 points three times this season and enters Sunday's game as Detroit's leading score with a 17.0 ppg scoring average.
Senior Molly Peterman is the only other Titan averaging double digits at 11.3 ppg. The Aztecs would be wise to keep Peterman off the free throw line, where she is connecting on over 84 percent of her attempts.
Sophomore forward/center Randee Henry has paced UDM on the glass this season, gobbling up over seven rebounds (7.2) per game.
Noting SDSU's Victory Over Radford
* San Diego State's never trailed in its 89-42 victory over Radford.
* SDSU's 89 points were its most since the Aztecs put up the same number on San Jose State in 1999.
* The Aztecs' 47-point win was also its largest margin of victory since SDSU defeated Fresno State (97-35) by 62 points in 1995.
* Atim Otii and Claire Swinbank led all scorers with 14 points as SDSU had five players score in double figures for the first time this season.
* San Diego State shot a season best 58 percent from the floor while holding Radford to 30 percent.
* SDSU's 24 assists and 20 steals were both season-highs.
* In addition to her 13 points, Jamey Cox also dished out a season-best eight assists.
* Claire Swinbank, who made her first career start of the season at the point, had six assists and just one turnover.
Like Deja Vu All Over Again
If the start to the 2001-02 season seems similar to last year it is. Last season, San Diego State opened the year 3-5 and was coming off back-to-back losses, including a close defeat at San Jose State on Dec. 6, before getting red-hot and putting together a six-game winning streak during the holidays.
This year, the Aztecs started a little better off at 3-4. Still, like last year at this time, SDSU entered the holiday season on a two-game losing streak, including a close loss to SJSU on Dec. 6. However, SDSU appears to be heating up just in time for the new year and has won three of its last four games resulting in a 6-5 record through 11 games for the second straight year.
Cookin' In Cox
Cox Arena continues to be a winning edge for the Aztecs. Dating to the start of last season, San Diego State is 14-10 (.583) versus non-conference competition overall but 8-3 (.727) in Cox Arena, including 4-2 this season.
In fact, since the beginning of the 2000-01 campaign, 12 of SDSU's 19 overall wins (63 percent) have come in the friendly confines of Cox Arena.
Statistically, SDSU is averaging almost 16 points per game more at home this season and is shooting almost 7 percentage points higher, while limiting opponents to just over nine fewer points.
Don't Bring A Losing Streak In Here
Detroit is the fourth San Diego State opponent to enter its game versus the Aztecs with an extended losing streak. So far this season, the Aztecs have been able to add to the misery, extending UMKC's run of losses to five games, Sacramento State's streak to eight and Radford's slide to five. Detroit has lost three straight.
Better On The Boards
San Diego State has out-rebounded both of its last two opponents and enters the Detroit game nearly dead even in rebounding this season (36.4-36.8). Prior to the Creighton game, the Aztecs had been out-boarded in four straight and were averaging -3.4 rpg on the season.
SDSU posted its largest rebounding margin of the year Friday against Radford, grabbing 41 boards to RU's 24. The Highlanders' 24 rebounds were also the fewest by an Aztec opponent on the season.
Last year SDSU finished up -4.1 in rebounding.
You Gotta Make Your Free Throws
After struggling from the charity stripe in the season's first seven games, San Diego State has connected on over 70 percent of its free throws in each of the last four games, including a season-best 75 percent (18-for-24) against Radford Friday night.
All Or Nothing
Most of San Diego State's games have fallen into one of two categories this season -- blowouts or nailbiters. Already, four of SDSU's games have been decided by fewer than five points, while four others have been routs of the 20-plus point variety. Only three have finished up in the mid-range 8-15 point category.
San Diego State has already notched three 20-plus point wins this season, including its 47-point blowout of Radford on Friday. By comparison, SDSU had only three 20-plus point wins all of last year.
On the flip side, the Aztecs are 2-2 in down-to-the-wire finishes. During 2000-01, SDSU was involved in only six late-game nailbiters for the entire season, winning four.
San Diego State is 1-2 in middle-of-the-road games this year, defeating Cal Poly by nine, falling to Cal by 14 and losing at Creighton by 11.
Either Way It's All Good
San Diego State has found it can win with both defense and offense this season. Through 11 games, the Aztecs are a perfect 3-0 when scoring at least 70 points. SDSU is also perfect (5-0) when holding an opponent below 60 points.
Traditionally its been San Diego State's defense that has brought home wins for the Aztecs, who are 24-6 (.800) over the past two seasons when holding an opponent under 60 points.
Getting Defensive
San Diego State has picked up the defensive intensity of late, holding five of its last seven opponents below 40 percent shooting and all seven below 42 percent. The Aztecs, who entered the week ranked fourth in the Mountain West in field goal percentage defense at 38.8 percent, have now held over half of their 2001-02 opponents under 40 percent from the field, including San Jose State (36 percent), Sacramento State, (27 percent -- a season-low for an SDSU opponent), UMKC (33 percent), and Radford (30 percent) in four of their last five games. Since SDSU's win over Navy on Nov. 25th, opponents have connected on just 136-of-383 (35.5 percent) attempts from the field.
Stop, Thief
San Diego State's defensive intensity has been most obvious of late in the steals category. Over the last four games -- three of which were SDSU wins -- the Aztecs have registered double-figures steals three times, including a season-high 20 against Radford. SDSU is a perfect 4-0 this year when reaching double-digits in steals.
More Keys To Victory
Rebounding and turnovers continue to be keys to victory for San Diego State. The Aztecs have out-rebounded five opponents and come away winners four times. Creighton, which held SDSU to 35 percent shooting from the field, is the only Aztec opponent to survive being out-boarded by SDSU. Sacramento State and UMKC are the only SDSU opponents to out-rebound the Aztecs and lose.
On the turnover front, San Diego State is 5-1 when committing fewer miscues. The only time the Aztecs have won the turnover battle but lost the war came versus UCSD when SDSU had three fewer miscues than the Tritons.
Feeling Positive
San Diego State may have committed 21 turnovers Friday night versus Radford, but they also had a season-best 24 assists, marking the first time this season the Aztecs have had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio.
Hot Shots
After hitting on a season-low 33 percent from the field at TCU, San Diego State has shot 40 percent or better in 4-of-5 games, including a season-high 58 percent against Radford on Friday. The Aztecs have now shot a least 40 percent in 8-of-11 games this season, including four games over 45 percent. By comparison, SDSU opponents have reached the 40-percent plateau in just 5-of-11 contests.
As Easy As One, Two, THREE
One of San Diego State's biggest area of improvement on offense has come from behind the arc. The Aztecs shot a respectable 33.6 percent a year ago but are hitting over 37 percent of their 3-pointers this season.
Just Shoot Me!
San Diego State is not only more accurate from beyond the arc this season, it is also much more productive. Entering Sunday's game versus Detroit, the Aztecs are averaging 5.0 3-pointers per game, up significantly from the 3.6 they averaged a year ago.
Whose Got Next?
Through 11 games, the scoring has been spread around by the Aztecs, who have had five different players turn in high-point honors.
Spreading The Wealth
San Diego State has also had seven players score in double digits at least twice. Atim Otii leads the way with eight double-digit scoring games with Ashonda Williams not far behind with seven. Claire Swinbank owns six double-figures games, Jamey Cox five, Morgan Vargas three, and Missy Schomaker and Valencia Howard two.
New To You
After using the same starting lineup in the first eight games of the season, SDSU head coach Barb Smith has shaken things up of late and has used a different set of starters in each of the last three games. Atim Otii, Jamey Cox and Claire Swinbank are the only Aztecs to have started all 11 games this season.
Please see the pdf version of this release for SDSU player notes.