Jan. 18, 2002
Game No. 16San Diego State (8-7/0-2)
at Wyoming (8-7/1-2)
Saturday - January 19, 2002
Arena-Auditorium (15,028)
Laramie, Wyo.
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Tip-Off: 2 p.m. (MST)
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 slipped to 8-7 (0-2 MWC) Thursday in Fort Collins as the Aztecs fell to No. 20/21 Colorado State, 58-49. Wyoming improved to 8-7 (1-2 MWC) with its 75-58 win over UNLV.
In The RPI: San Diego State enters the game ranked No. 166 in the most recent RPI rankings release by collegerpi.com. Wyoming is ranked No. 173.
SDSU Coach Barb Smith: Smith (Ohio State '86) is in her fifth season at San Diego State. She owns an overall record of 47-75 (.385) with the Aztecs.
UW Coach Cindy Fisher: Fisher (Arizona State '88) is in her fourth year with the Cowgirls and has guided Wyoming to a 36-61 (.371) record.
Series History: San Diego State is 13-6 all time versus Wyoming, but just 4-5 vs. the Cowgirls in Laramie. The teams split last year's season series with each squad winning at home.
San Diego State Wraps Up Road Swing At Wyoming, Looks For First MWC Victory
Still in search of its first league win of the season, San Diego State (8-7, 0-2 MWC) concludes its three-game conference-opening road trip Saturday, when the Aztecs take on Wyoming (8-7, 1-2 MWC) at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. The game tips at 2 p.m. (MST)/1 p.m. (PST) and can be heard live over the Internet at www.goaztecs.com.
The Aztecs, who closed out their pre-conference slate with three straight wins, have dropped two in a row to open Mountain West Conference action after Thursday's 58-49 loss to No. 20 Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Aztecs had more looks at the basket than the Rams, but shot just 36 percent from the field and couldn't match CSU's free throwing (22-of-32) in its second straight though MWC loss.
SDSU had a similar result in its league opener Saturday in Las Vegas, leading UNLV by as much as 17 points three minutes before halftime in a 67-55 loss to the Lady Rebels.
Still, the Aztecs' effort in those two games has been commendable, as San Diego State pushed two of the Mountain West's top teams to the limit.
Wyoming's pulled one of the biggest upsets of the early MWC season Thursday night in Laramie, defeating UNLV, 75-58, for its first conference win. The Pokes, who were swept on the road last week at Utah and BYU, remain undefeated at home, improving to 6-0 in Laramie with the victory.
San Diego State leads the all-time series 13-6 but is looking for its first win in Laramie since a 54-48 victory over Wyoming on Jan. 16, 1997. The teams split last year's season series with each squad winning at home.
At Stake For The Aztecs
* A win over Wyoming would snap SDSU's two-game losing streak and give the Aztecs their first win in conference play.
* San Diego State will be out to snap a two-game slide versus Wyoming in Laramie. The Aztecs will also be trying to end a five-game conference losing streak and an eight-game run of consecutive league road losses dating to last season.
* With a win Saturday, the Aztecs will have opened MWC action 1-2 for the second straight year.
A Quick Look At The Aztecs
Despite opening conference play with a pair of losses, San Diego State is playing basketball and remains positive in scoring margin and virtually dead even in rebound margin. The Aztecs entered the UNLV game riding a three-game winning streak and led the Lady Rebels 36-26 at halftime before suffering just their second defeat in the last seven games. SDSU then mounted a big comeback effort at No. 20 Colorado State, closing a 19-point gap to just nine in the final minute before running out of time.
Forward Atim Otii continues to lead the Aztecs in both points (11.6 ppg) and rebounds (6.1 rpg) and is coming off a huge game (15 points/9 rebounds) versus the Rams. She has now scored in double digits in 12-of-15 games this season.
Guards Claire Swinbank (10.9 ppg) and Jamey Cox (9.7ppg) are also supplying the Aztecs with points, while Ashonda Williams, a 40-percent shooter from 3-point distance this season, is just below double digits as 9.6 ppg. Cox also leads the MWC in assists with 5.6 per game and has at least six assists 11 times this season.
Noting SDSU's Game At Colorado State
San Diego State lost for just the third time in the last eight games, falling to No. 20 Colorado State, 58-49.
Thursday's loss at CSU was the third of the season by less than 10 points for the Aztecs and the first time in eight games this season SDSU has lost when holding an opponent under 60 points.
The Aztecs recorded double-digit steals for the seventh time this season, finishing the game with 11. It is the first time SDSU has grabbed double figures in steals and lost. u San Diego State lost the battle of the boards for the first time in six games as Colorado State out-rebounded the Aztecs, 42-35.
SDSU held CSU to 40-percent shooting to become the eighth Aztec opponent to 40-percent or lower in the last 10 games.
SDSU's 49 points equaled a season low from earlier this season at TCU.
Claire Swinbank tied a career high with eight boards.
San Diego State-Wyoming Series Notes
San Diego State leads the all-time series, 13-6. However, Wyoming has won three of the last four meetings, including two in a row in Laramie.
SDSU is 4-5 all time versus Wyoming in Laramie. The Aztecs have not won in Wyoming since defeating the Cowgirls, 54-48 on Jan. 16, 1997.
The Aztecs and Cowgirls split last year's season series, with each team winning at home.
Three of the last four meetings in the series have been decided by eight points or less with the average margin of victory over the last two seasons being less than 10 points.
The San Diego State-Wyoming series dates to Feb. 2, 1991. The game was played in San Diego and the Aztecs had to go overtime to get a close 79-75 victory over the Cowgirls. In fact, the win was SDSU's last overtime victory.
State head coach Barb Smith is 1-3 versus Wyoming in her tenure at SDSU.
Wyoming head coach Cindy Fisher is 3-1 against SDSU since taking the helm in Laramie.
A Quick Look At Wyoming
Wyoming (8-7, 1-2 MWC) captured its first win of conference play, defeating UNLV, 75-58, Thursday night in Laramie. Five Cowgirls scored in double figures, including Darci Arsene who collected a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Defensively, Wyoming held UNLV to just 34-percent shooting and out-rebounded the Lady Rebels, 48-34.
The Cowgirls, who have won five of their last seven games, remained perfect at home with the victory, improving to 6-0 this season in the Arena-Auditorium.
Wyoming posted a 7-5 mark during non-league and at 8-7 overall are a vastly improved squad from the one that limped to the finish line in 2000-01. The Cowgirls finished last season with just six healthy players and closed out MWC action with a 3-11 record.
What a difference a year has made for head coach Cindy Fisher's squad, which is now 16 deep and includes 1999-00 all-Mountain West first-team selection Carrie Bacon, who missed all of last year with an injury. She is tied for the team lead in scoring (13.4 ppg) and is third in rebounding (5.7 rpg).
The Cowgirls' leader in both scoring and rebounding is senior Arsene. She is averaging 13.4 ppg and 7.7 rpg.
Junior center Ann McColl (12.1 ppg) and sophomore guard Carly Stucky (10.5 ppg) are also averaging double figures. Wyoming averages 71.1 ppg as a team.
About The Game
Wyoming is the definition of a blue-collar team and simply out-works its opponents. Last year, the Aztecs got past a scrappy Cowgirls squad, 58-50, in San Diego but was out-hustled it its 73-59 loss in Laramie.
The Aztecs also allowed too many inside shots and had too many turnovers (26) as Wyoming connected on 46 percent of its 66 attempts from the field in Laramie.
Keeping the Cowgirls below 40-percent shooting and keeping the turnovers under control will be key for the Aztecs. Wyoming is shooting just a shade under 40 percent this season, including 29 percent from 3-point distance. Similar numbers could spell victory for San Diego State, which has allowed only three of its last 11 opponents to shoot better than 40-percent from the floor.
The Last Time We Met: SDSU at WYO 3/3/01
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Wyoming avenged a loss to San Diego State from earlier in the year as the Aztecs closed out the 2000-01 regular season with a 73-59 defeat at the hands of the Cowgirls on March 3, 2001 in the MultiPurpose Gym.
Jamey Cox finished with a team-high 21 points and Missy Schomaker added 10 to lead SDSU. Wyoming had four players score in double figures, including Jessica Gibbs, who paced the Cowgirls with 21 points. UW also shot 46 percent from the field for the game and knocked down eight 3-pointers.
The Cowgirls, who out-rebounded the Aztecs 35-31 and forced 26 SDSU turnovers, led by as many as 18 points in the first half.
The Aztecs, however, scored 11 of the period's final 15 points to slice the Wyoming lead to 37-26 at the break.
Wyoming, which dressed only seven scholarship players for the game, continued to roll after intermission using a 13-5 run, including a pair of 3-pointers by Shelby Hoffman, out of the gate to take a 19-point.
The Cowgirls' advantage reached as many as 25 with just over 12 minutes to play. SDSU pulled within 14 in the game's final minute but could get no closer.
Dome Of Doom Here We Come
For the first time since the Aztecs' win in Laramie in 1997, San Diego State will meet Wyoming in the 15,000-seat Arena-Auditorium, which may be a good thing for the Aztecs.
SDSU, which has lost on each if its last two visits to Wyoming, played both games in the band-box know as the MulitPurpose Gym (1,200 capacity). However, the Aztecs have won two of their last three games played in Arena-Auditorium.
No Reason To Panic
Despite dropping its first two conference games, the Aztecs have still won five of their last eight and proved they can hang with two of the Mountain West's top teams on the road, falling at UNLV by just 12 and at No. 20 Colorado State by nine.
San Diego State had its three-game winning streak stopped in Las Vegas. Still, SDSU has outscored its opponents in eight of the last 10 halves heading into Saturday's meeting with Wyoming.
Overall, San Diego State has won seven of its last 12 games after getting out to a 1-2 start.
Streaking With The Aztecs
After winning three in a row to close out its pre-conference schedule, San Diego has dropped its last two to open league play. It is the third time this season the Aztecs have had a two-game losing streak. SDSU has yet to go three games this season without a win.
Bataan Death March End In Sight
Two down, one to go. After playing eight of its first 13 games on campus, San Diego State opened its string of three consecutive Mountain West Conference road games last week at UNLV. The Aztecs close out the three-game trip Saturday at Wyoming. In all, the Aztecs will play five of their first seven league games on the road, meaning that SDSU will play just twice in Cox Arena during the first month of the Mountain West season.
Winning Big
In its eight victories this season, San Diego State has won by an average of 17.5 points. The Aztecs' 22-point victory over Portland State was its fourth this year by 20 or more points. Last year, SDSU posted only three wins of 20 or more points for the entire season.
Road Rash
The road has not been kind to the Aztecs so far this season. San Diego State enters Saturday's game at Wyoming week with a 2-5 record away from Cox Arena, including a 1-5 mark on enemy turf and will be looking to snap a seven-game conference road losing streak when it meets the Cowgirls.
So far this season, the Aztecs have been a completely different team on the road, scoring over 17 points fewer and grabbing almost six less rebounds on average that they do in Cox Arena.
San Diego State does have two wins away from campus this season, defeating Prairie View A&M at TCU and winning at Missouri-Kansas City. The Aztecs' win at UMKC snapped an eight-game road losing streak dating to last season. SDSU's last conference road win came at Air Force, Jan. 11, 2001.
Better On The Boards
San Diego State has out-rebounded five of its last six opponents, including UNLV by three in Las Vegas Saturday night, and 8-of-15 overall heading into Saturday's game at Wyoming.
Prior to the Creighton game -- the last time SDSU lost the rebounding war prior to the CSU 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 against Radford, grabbing 41 boards to RU's 24. The Highlanders' 24 rebounds were also the fewest by an Aztec opponent on the season.
The Aztecs are virtually even (-0.1 rpg) in rebounding margin this season.
Last year SDSU finished up -4.1 in rebounding.
So far this season, San Diego State is 6-2 when out-rebounding an opponent. The Aztecs lost for just the second time when dominating the glass at UNLV.
Getting Hot At The Right Time
San Diego State has shot over 50 percent from the floor twice in the last five games and over 40 percent in 10-of-15 contests this season.By comparison, SDSU's opponents have shot better than 40 percent in just 6-of-15 games this year. SDSU enters Saturday's game at Wyoming shooting 43 percent from the field this season to rank fourth in the Mountain West Conference.
Either Way It's All Good
San Diego State has found it can win with both defense and offense this season. Through 15 games, the Aztecs are a perfect 5-0 when scoring at least 70 points. SDSU is also 6-1 when holding an opponent below 60 points.
The Best Offense Is...
San Diego State has held six of its last eight opponents below 60 points, winning all five of the six games games. In fact, just two opponents this season have managed to crack the 70-point barrier.
The Aztecs lost for the first time this season when holding an opponent below 60 points, falling to Colorado State, 58-49.
Last Saturday at UNLV, the Aztecs held the Lady Rebels to 13 points below their season scoring average, but still missed the key 60-point mark in a 67-55 loss.
Playing strong defense has been one of the big keys to victory over the past two seasons for SDSU, which is 26-7 (.788) during that span when holding an opponent under 60 points.
Getting Defensive - Aztecs No. 39 in FG% Def.
San Diego State has picked up the defensive intensity of late, allowing just three of its last 11 opponents to shoot better than 40 percent and 6-of-8 below 60 points.
As a result, the Aztecs enter the week ranked 39th nationally and fourth in the Mountain West in field goal percentage defense at 38.3 percent, have now held over half of their 2001-02 opponents to 40 percent or worse shooting from the field, including San Jose State (36 percent), Sacramento State, (27 percent -- a season-low for an SDSU opponent), UMKC (33 percent), Radford (30 percent), Portland State (38 percent) and UNLV (39.6 percent) in six of their last nine games.
Since SDSU's win over Navy on Nov. 25th, opponents have connected on just 214-of-581 attempts (36.8 percent) from the field.
Stop, Thief
San Diego State's defensive intensity has been most obvious of late in the steals category. Over the last eight games -- five of which were SDSU wins -- the Aztecs have registered double-figure steals six times, and narrowly missed making it seven with nine steals at UNLV. SDSU grabbed a season-high 20 against Radford and 18 versus Detroit to close out its pre-conference slate. The Aztecs are 6-1 this year when reaching double-digits in steals and lost for the first time this season when picking up at least 10 thefts at Colorado State.
More Keys To Victory
Rebounding and turnovers continue to be keys to victory for San Diego State. The Aztecs have out-rebounded eight opponents and come away winners six times.
Creighton, which held SDSU to 35 percent shooting from the field, and UNLV, which shot 26 free throws to the Aztecs' six, are the only opponents 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 7-1 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.
San Diego State has come away with fewer turnovers in five of its last eight games and is averaging fewer turnovers than its opponents this season.
Spreading The Wealth
San Diego State has also had seven players score in double digits at least twice. Atim Otii leads the way with 12 double-digit scoring games with Ashonda Williams and Claire Swinbank not far behind with nine each. Jamey Cox owns seven double-digit scoring games, while Morgan Vargas has three, and Missy Schomaker and Valencia Howard each have two.
Whose Got Next?
Through 15 games, the scoring has been spread around by the Aztecs, who have had five different players turn in high-point honors.
A Sweet Six
With its win over Portland State, San Diego State won its sixth non-conference home game of the year. It is the first time in six seasons that the Aztecs have posted six non-league home wins. Including its victory over the Vikings last Saturday, the Aztecs closed out their 2001-02 non-league home slate at 6-2, their most pre-conference home wins since SDSU went 6-0 at home in non-conference play during the 1995-96 campaign.
Offensive Output
Atim Otii continues to be one of the Mountain West's hottest shooters and enters the week ranked No. 3 in the league in field goal percentage.
Though she has only paced San Diego State on the scoreboard three times this season, Otii leads the Aztecs in double-figure scoring games with 12, including 15 points at No. 20 Colorado State Thursday night. In addition to being a team best, her 11.6 ppg scoring average ranks among the top 15 in the Mountain West Conference and is well above her 7.9 ppg career scoring average.
Starts Piling Up For Otii
San Diego State senior Atim Otii made her 70th consecutive start at CSU. She is the only Aztec to start every game over the past two-plus seasons.
Michelle Suman owns SDSU's career record for consecutive starts with 118.
Crashing the Offensive Glass
Atim Otii may lead the Aztecs in rebounding with a solid 56.1 rebounds per game. But when you look inside the numbers the senior's totals become even more impressive. Through 15 games, nearly half of Otii's rebounds (45-of-92) have come on the offensive glass. Her 3.00 offensive rebounds per game ranks fourth in the Mountain West Conference, while her overall rebounding total is just 11th.
Double Plays
In addition to being the Aztecs' leading scorer, Otii also leads the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg) and in double-doubles (3). The senior recorded double-double No. 3 of the season at Creighton with 12 points and a career-tying-best of 12 rebounds. Otii has also recorded double-doubles this year versus Cal Poly (16-10) and Navy (17-11).
More Than Ever Before
Otii entered 2001-02 with two career double-doubles. She has already exceeded that number this season alone and now owns five for her career. She is the only Aztec to post a double-double this year.
As Advertised
Junior-college transfer Ashonda Williams came to San Diego State with a reputation as a big-time scorer after pouring in over 1,200 points in just two seasons at Contra Costa College. Through 15 games, Williams has already finished in double figures nine times and has led the Aztecs in scoring in six games, including her 16-point performance at UNLV. She is averaging 9.6 ppg to rank fourth on the team in scoring.
Bombs Away
For two years, the Aztecs have been looking for an outside shooter to compliment Jamey Cox. It appears that search is now over as newcomer Ashonda Williams continues to knock down shot after shot from beyond the arc.
Williams, who led the California state JC ranks in three-point shooting last season, has been more than solid since arriving at SDSU and ranks sixth in the Mountain West Conference in 3-point shooting at 40.3 percent, including 9-for-19 from behind the line in the last five games. The junior opened the UNLV contest with three straight triples and tied a career-high with four for the game. She now trails only Jamey Cox in 3-pointers made with 25 this season, a figure that ranks seventh in the Mountain West.
Swinbank Continues To Shine
Senior Claire Swinbank is playing some of the best basketball of her collegiate career over the past six games. The Aztecs leading scorer three times over the span, Swinbank has averaging 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists during the last six games, including a season-high 17 points against Detroit.
More 'Bank Shots
By scoring in double digits in five of the last six games, Claire Swinbank has now scored in double figures in 9-of-15 outings this season.
The Aztecs' second leading scorer with a 10.9 ppg average, the senior is scoring at a rate over 4.0 ppg above her career average.
Poised From The Perimeter
Jamey Cox and Ashonda Williams may get most of the attention as SDSU's top outside threats, but Claire Swinbank as been the Aztecs' most consistent shooter from the perimeter thus far. Swinbank is hitting at a 42-percent clip from the floor, tops among the Aztecs' perimeter players, including 46 percent (10-for-22) from beyond the arc.
Swinbank is also second on the team in assists with 71 (4.8 apg) and had a career-best nine versus Navy earlier this season.
Cox Back Heating Up In Time For Conference
Jamey Cox snapped a four-game drought of non-double figure scoring games with her 13 points against Radford. She followed that performance up with 14 points against Detroit, a game-high 16 versus Portland State and 10 at UNLV. She has now scored in double digits eight times this season and 43 times during her 68-game career.
Over the last four games, Cox has averaged 13.3 points and is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field (16-of-33, 48.5 percent), including over 40 percent from 3-point distance. The junior has also canned 14-of-16 (87.5 percent) of her free throws and produced a better that 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio (29 assists to just 13 turnovers).
3-Point Threat
Jamey Cox continues to show why she is considered one of the Mountain West's most dangerous players from beyond the arc. Cox, who has connected on 36 percent (27-for-75) of her 3-point attempts this season, has hit at least one three in 14-of-15 games on the year. Cox enters the week ranked No. 10 in the Mountain West Conference in 3-point shooting and No. 5 in 3-pointers made per game. She has now made 146 treys during her two-plus year career at SDSU to rank No. 2 all time in that category behind two-time honorable mention All-American Falisha Wright, who knocked down 206 triples from 1992-95.
Two Can Play At That Game
In addition to ranking among the Mountain West Conference's top scorers, Jamey Cox and Claire Swinbank are also among the league's top playmakers. Cox has had at least six assists in 11-of-15 games this year, including a season-high eight against both Radford and UNLV. She now has 84 (5.6 apg) assists this season to rank No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference. Swinbank, who has 71 on the year, has had at least four assists in eight straight games. She is ranked No. 5 on the MWC assist chart with 4.8 apg.
On The Horizon
The Aztecs return home for the first time since Jan. 5th this week when San Diego State hosts New Mexico on Wednesday, Jan. 23rd, and Air Force on Jan. 26th. The New Mexico game, originally schedule for the 24th, was shifted up a day due to a scheduling conflict in Cox Arena. The game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m.