Jan. 28, 2002
Game No. 19San Diego State (9-9/1-4)
at BYU (12-6/3-2)
Thursday - January 31, 2002
Marriott Center (22,700)
Provo, Utah
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Tip-Off: 7 p.m. (MST)/6 p.m. (PST)
Webcast: Live over the Internet at www. goaztecs.com. Dan Lawton will call the action.
Television: The SDSU at BYU game will be televised live by BYU-TV and is available on Dish Network 500 systems, Direct TV, and some AT&T cable providers. Holly Rowe will handle the play-by-play with Kathy Aiken providing the analysis.
The Records: San Diego State improved to 9-9 (1-4 MWC) Saturday as the Aztecs picked up their first Mountain West Conference win, defeating Air Force, 58-50. BYU is coming off a 77-65 win at Utah and is 12-6 (3-2 MWC).
In The RPI: SDSU enters the week ranked No. 160 in the most recent RPI rankings release by collegerpi.com. BYU is ranked No. 83.
SDSU Coach Barb Smith: Smith (Ohio State '86) is in her fifth season at San Diego State. She owns an overall record of 48-78 (.381) with the Aztecs.
BYU Coach Jeff Judkins: Judkins (Utah '78) is in his first season with the Cougars and has led Brigham Young to a 12-6 record.
Series History: Brigham Young leads the all-time series, 12-9.
On The Road Again: Aztecs Close Out First Half Of Conference Play With Trip To Beehive State
San Diego State (9-9/1-4 MWC) puts the wraps on the first half of its 2001-02 Mountain West Conference slate this week with games at Brigham Young, Thursday, Jan. 31st, and Utah, Feb. 2nd. The games will be the fourth and fifth road contests since the start of league play for the Aztecs.
SDSU opens the two-game swing at BYU. Both teams are coming off wins in their most recent outings. The Aztecs snapped a four-game slide with a 58-50 win over Air Force, while the Cougars (12-6/3-2 MWC) picked up their second straight victory with a 77-65 win at in-state rival Utah.
After getting off the snide in conference play with its win over Air Force, San Diego State now sets it sights on snapping a nine-game run of consecutive league road losses dating to last season. The Aztecs have not won a Mountain West game away from Cox Arena since winning at Air Force last season on Jan. 11, 2001.
Still, the Aztecs have been a competitive road team for the most part, losing by just nine at No. 20 Colorado State and leading UNLV by 17 points late in the first half before coming up short in their upset bid versus the Lady Rebels.
BYU has played just six of its 18 games at home this season and is 4-2 in the Marriott Center, including a 1-1 mark versus conference opposition. The Cougars have won two of their last three and 8-of-11 entering Thursday's meeting with the Aztecs.
At Stake For The Aztecs
* San Diego State will be out to snap a nine-game road conference losing streak when the Aztecs meet Brigham Young Thursday night in Provo, Utah.
* The Aztecs have not won a league road game in over a year. The last time SDSU won a MWC game away from Cox Arena was a 50-49 victory over Air Force, Jan. 11, 2000.
* San Diego State, which is 9-12 all time against BYU and 2-7 versus the Cougars in Provo, will be looking for its first win in the Marriott Center since a 63-55 victory, Jan. 14, 1995. The Aztecs have dropped four in a row against BYU in Provo.
A Quick Look At The Aztecs
After dropping four straight to open league action, San Diego State finally found its way into the win column Saturday with a 58-50 win over Air Force. The win ended a tough stretch for the Aztecs, who closed out their non-conference schedule on a roll, winning 5-of-6 games.
San Diego State continues to be one of the Mountain West's better defensive teams, yielding just over 60 points per game and holding opponents under 40 percent shooting on the season. But since the start of league competition, the Aztecs have had a tough time on the offensive end, where SDSU has shot just 35 percent and averaged just over 52 points. By contrast, the Aztecs averaged 65 points and shot over 43 percent during their pre-conference schedule.
One player who has not struggled in MWC games is Claire Swinbank. The senior has scored in double figures in all but one conference game (8-of-9 overall) and has led SDSU on the scoreboard three times. Swinbank averaged a respectable 11.0 ppg in 13 non-league games, but has caught fire since, scoring nearly 15 points per contest and taking over as the Aztecs' overall leading scorer (12.1 ppg).
Atim Otii has also been a key for San Diego State. On pace to have her best statistical season as an Aztec, the senior is averaging just under 11 ppg and has scored in double digits 13 times this year. She also leads the Aztecs on the glass (6.2 rpg) and ranks No. 4 in the conference in offensive rebounding (3.06 o-rpg).
Juniors Jamey Cox and Ashonda Williams have also been solid offensively this season for SDSU. Cox was back in double figures for the first time in four games against Air Force Saturday, drilling three 3-pointers en route to 15 points and is now averaging 9.6 ppg. Williams, one of the top 3-point threats in the Mountain West, is averaging 8.3 ppg and trails only Cox in treys.
San Diego State-BYU Series Notes
* Thursday's game will be the 22nd all time between the Aztecs and Cougars and the 10th time the two teams have squared off in Provo.
* Brigham Young least the all-time series, 12-9, and has won seven of the last eight encounters.
* San Diego State snapped a six-game losing streak vs. the Cougars with its 63-61 home victory last season.
* San Diego State is 2-7 in its previous nine visits to Provo.
* The Aztecs have dropped four straight at the Marriott Center. SDSU last win at BYU was a 63-55 victory on Jan. 14, 1995.
* The home team has won 14 of the 20 non-conference tournament meetings.
* San Diego State has not played an overtime game since the Aztecs an Cougars went into an extra period on Jan. 16, 1999. BYU won the game, 72-71.
* Aztec head coach Barb Smith is 1-6 against BYU.
* First-year Cougar head coach Jeff Judkins has never faced the Aztecs.
We've Got This In Common
San Diego State and BYU have faced one common non-conference opponent this season, TCU. The Aztecs dropped a 75-49 decision in Fort Worth on Dec. 2, while the Cougars got the best of the Lady Frogs in the Lone Star State, 74-71. In conference play, SDSU and BYU have both faced Colorado State, Wyoming, New Mexico and Air Force.
A Quick Look At BYU
Brigham Young (12-6/3-2 MWC) is coming off a huge 77-65 win at in-state rival Utah Saturday and has now won 2-of-3 and eight of its last 11 games. Thursday's meeting with San Diego State will be just the seventh home game of the season for the Cougars, who own non-conference wins over USC, Oregon and TCU this year.
Once again, Erin Thorn leads a BYU offensive attack that is averaging over 75 ppg. One of the nation's top 3-point shooters, the junior is averaging 17.8 ppg to rank No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference.
Three other Cougars are averaging double figures, including Jennifer Leitner (11.4 ppg), who is also the league's No. 3 rebounder (8.1 rpg.) BYU is 4-2 (1-1 MWC) at home this season.
Wrapping Up The Air Force Game
* San Diego State snapped a seven-game conference losing streak and an eight-game winless run versus MWC opposition with its 58-50 victory over Air Force.
* The Aztecs trailed by seven points late in the first half before going on a 13-0 run to take control of the game.
* San Diego State was out-rebounded, 38-36, but grabbed a season-high 19 offensive boards. The Aztecs also won the turnover battle, 15-23.
* SDSU reached double-digit in steals for the fifth time in the last six games, finishing with 13. * Claire Swinbank's game-high 19 points were a season-best and the most for the senior since scoring 20 at UNLV last season.
* Jamey Cox finished with 15 points, her third-highest point production of the season and the most for the junior since the start of league play.
* Atim Otii scored just four points, but hauled down eight rebounds and grabbed a career-high five steals.
* Valencia Howard scored in double figures for the second time in three games, finishing with 11 points.
The Last Time We Met: SDSU at BYU 2/10/01
PROVO, Utah - San Diego State came to the Marriott Center looking for its first season sweep of the Cougars since the 1994-95 campaign, but instead ran into a buzz saw as the BYU handed that Aztecs a 76-53 loss.
Heather Cheesman finished with 15 points to lead BYU, which shot 52 percent from the floor, including a scalding 65 percent in the first half. Sophia Sledge scored 13 points and Atim Otii added 10 points and seven boards to lead SDSU on the glass.
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 3-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. San Diego State pulled within 19 down the stretch but never got closer.
Streaking With The Aztecs
* San Diego State snapped a four game losing streak with its victory over Air Force. The win improved the Aztecs to 7-3 at home this season.
* The Aztecs have lost four straight road contests and are 2-6 away from campus this year, including a 1-6 mark on enemy turf.
* SDSU has dropped nine straight Mountain West Conference road games dating back to last season.
* San Diego State is a perfect 5-0 when scoring at least 70 points.
* The Aztecs are 5-1 when attempting more free throws and 5-0 when making more free throws than their opponent.
* SDSU is 2-0 when shooting at least 50 percent.
* Junior Jamey Cox has connected on at least one 3-pointer in 15 consecutive games.
On The Charts
* With 179 free throws, Atim Otii needs to make just 16 more this season to crack SDSU's all-time top 10. Earlier this year the senor busted SDSU's top 10 in attempts.
* Otii needs just seven more blocks to take over the No. 9 position in blocked shots. She is also within 50 boards of cracking SDSU's top 10 in rebounds.
* Junior Jamey Cox has 152 career 3-point baskets and ranks No. 2 all time. She needs 54 more to catch SDSU's career leader Falisha Wright (206) .
* Cox, No. 10 all-time in assists, is just 10 shy of moving into the Aztecs' No. 9 position.
Road Rage
The road has not been kind to the Aztecs so far this season. San Diego State enters Thursday's game at Brigham Young with a 2-6 record away from Cox Arena, including a 1-6 mark on enemy turf, and will be looking to snap a nine-game conference road losing streak when it meets the Cougars.
So far this season, the Aztecs have been a completely different team on the road, scoring almost 14 fewer points and grabbing almost four 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.
Owning The Arc
San Diego State's improvement from the 3-point line this season has been impressive. * The Aztecs rank No. 3 in the Mountain West Conference in both 3-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage defense.
* SDSU has made more treys than their opponents 10 times this season and turned in an equal number on three other occasions.
* The Aztecs are averaging 4.61 3-point baskets per game, up from last year's average of 3.6.
* Last season, opponents connected on an average of 4.4 treys per game. This season that figure has been sliced to 3.9.
Stop, Thief
One of San Diego State's most dramatically improved areas this season has been in the steals department. The Aztecs enter the week ranked No. 3 overall and No. 1 in league games in thefts.
* SDSU has had more steals than its opponent in 11-of-18 games.
* The Aztecs have reached double figures nine times this season.
* Over the last 11 games, SDSU has registered double-figure steals eight times, and narrowly missed making it nine 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 7-2 this year when reaching double-digits in steals.
Better On The Boards
* San Diego State has out-rebounded six of its last nine opponents, including UNLV by three in Las Vegas, and Wyoming by two in Laramie.
* Overall this season, San Diego State has out-rebounded 9-of-18 opponents. Last year the Aztecs won the battle of the boards in just 9-of-28 games.
* 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 nearly dead even (-0.6 rpg) in rebounding margin this season.
* Last year SDSU finished up -4.1 in rebounding.
* So far this season, San Diego State is 6-3 when out-rebounding an opponent. The Aztecs lost for just the third time when dominating the glass at Wyoming.
Getting Defensive
San Diego State's defense has been ranked among the nation's best for most of the season. Through 18 games, the Aztecs have held 10 opponents to 40 percent shooting or worse, including 3-of-5 conference foes.
Wyoming is the only opponent this season to crack the 50 percent plateau. Prior to that game, SDSU had allowed just three of its previous 11 opponents to shoot better than 40 percent and had held 6-of-8 below 60 points.
The Aztecs' overall defensive performance in the last 14 games has been impressive as opponents have connected on just 38.5 percent (284-of-737) of their attempts since SDSU's win over Navy on Nov. 25th.
Either Way It's All Good
San Diego State has found it can win with both defense and offense this season. Through 18 games, the Aztecs are a perfect 5-0 when scoring at least 70 points. SDSU is also 6-2 when holding an opponent below 60 points.
The Best Offense Is...
San Diego State has held eight of its last 11 opponents, including two in a row, below 60 points, winning six of the eight games. In fact, just three opponents this season have managed to crack the 70-point barrier.
The Aztecs lost for the just the second time this season when holding an opponent below 60 points last Wednesday versus New Mexico, 58-49. It was the second time in three games that the Aztecs had been defeated by that score.
The previous week at No. 20 Colorado State, the Aztecs held the Rams without a 3-point field goals in a tough, 58-49 loss.
Playing strong defense has been one of the big keys to victory over the past two seasons for SDSU, which is 27-8 (.667) during that span when holding an opponent under 60 points.
Swinbank Making Bid For All-MWC Honors
The hottest player in the Mountain West Conference in the last nine games just may be SDSU's Claire Swinbank. Below is a quick look at the senior's performance over the last month.
* With her 18 points against New Mexico and season-high 19 points versus Air Force, she has taken over as SDSU leading scorer, averaging 12.1 ppg.
* Swinbank, a 6.8 ppg scorer for her career, has averaged 14.8 ppg over last nine games and has scored in double figures eight times. She is also averaging 14.8 ppg in conference play.
* In those nine games, the senior has also led San Diego State in scoring six times and in assists seven times.
* Swinbank is averaging 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game over the nine-game span.
* One of the top defensive players in the Mountain West Conference, Swinbank has notched 21 steals in the last nine games, an average of 2.4 per game.
More 'Bank Shots
By scoring in double digits in eight of the last nine games, Claire Swinbank has now reached double figures in 12-of-18 outings this season and has taken over as SDSU's leading scorer with 12.1 ppg.
The senior is also prominent in the Mountain West Conference rankings and is No. 12 in scoring, No. 3 in assists, No. 4 in steals and No. 4 in assist-to-turnover ratio. Since the start of MWC play, she has been ever more impressive and ranks No. 6 in scoring, No. 10 in rebounding, No. 4 in assists, No.5 in free throw percentage, No. 3 in steals, and No. 11 in assist-to-turnover ratio during SDSU's five MWC games.
Atim The Dream
Atim Otii continues to be one of the Mountain West's hottest shooters and enters the week ranked No. 8 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 13, including 11 points vs. New Mexico.
Starts Piling Up For Otii
San Diego State senior Atim Otii made her 73rd consecutive start at Wyoming. 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 6.2 rebounds per game. But when you look inside the numbers the senior's totals become even more impressive. Through 18 games, nearly half of Otii's rebounds (55-of-112) have come on the offensive glass. Her 3.40 offensive rebounds per game ranks third in the Mountain West Conference, while her overall rebounding total is just seventh.
Double Plays
In addition to being the Aztecs' second 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-doublesversus 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.
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 (33-for-93) of her 3-point attempts this season, has hit at least one three in 17-of-18 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 152 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.
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, 10 at UNLV and 15 points versus Air Force. She has now scored in double digits nine times this season and 44 times during her 72-game career.
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-18 games this year, including a season-high eight against both Radford and UNLV. She now has 89 (4.9 apg) assists this season to rank No. 2 in the Mountain West Conference. Swinbank, who has 81 on the year, has had at least four assists in nine of the last 11 games. She is ranks No. 3 on the MWC assist chart with 4.6 apg.
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 18 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 8.3 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 seventh in the Mountain West Conference in 3-point shooting at 38.0 percent.
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 27 this season, a figure that ranks seventh in the Mountain West.
Howard Catching On
Junior Valencia Howard has significantly stepped up her game of late. * A starter in just once in the first 12 games, Howard has been in the opening lineup in four of the last five.
* After scoring in double figures just once in the first 10 games, the junior has turned the trick twice in the last two games.
* Howard scored a career-high 12 points at Wyoming, then came back to knock down 11 versus Air Force.
* The team's second-leading rebounder, she has grabbed at least five boards nine times, including a career-best 11 against Portland State.