Jan. 26, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball got a huge monkey off its back Saturday night in Cox Arena as the Aztecs snapped a four-game losing streak and got their first Mountain West Conference win of the season with a 58-50 victory over Air Force in front of 1,062.
The victory also snapped an eight-game drought versus Mountain West opposition for San Diego State (9-9, 1-4 MWC), which hadn't defeated a conference foe since drilling Air Force at home last season.
"We really needed the game tonight, especially since we are about to head back out on the road again." said SDSU head coach Barb Smith. "To be able to get a win and then go gives you a little bit of momentum."
Claire Swinbank scored a season- and game-high 19 points and Jamey Cox was back in double figures for the first time since the Aztecs' MWC opener at UNLV, finishing with 15 points in the winning effort.
Atim Otii scored just four points, but lead the way on the glass for SDSU, grabbing eight rebounds.
Gwen Grove scored all of her 12 points in the final eight minutes of the game to lead the way for Air Force (4-14, 0-5), which hung tough throughout the contest and trailed by just a point with eight minutes to play.
But the Aztecs scored the game's next nine points, including two short jumpers in the paint from Valencia Howard, who closed out the game with 11 points and five boards, to put the game out or reach.
Air Force, which outrebounded the Aztecs, 38-36, but committed 23 turnovers, never got closer than six points in the final two minutes as the Aztecs hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch.
"This team is getting close to turning the corner," Smith added. "And when it does, it will be a whole different ball game. They have just got to get over the hump."
For the second time in as many games, however, San Diego State got off to a slow start and trailed the Falcons by seven points with six minutes to go in the first half before rallying with a 13-0 run and building a six-point lead of its own.
Swinbank, who had 11 by intermission, scored five during the spurt, including a 3-point play, to get the Aztecs' spurt started. The senior also knocked down a pair of free throws for the final points of the half, lifting the SDSU to a 32-25 lead at the break.
San Diego State returns to the road next week and closed out the first half of its Mountain West Conference slate with games at BYU and Utah.