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Nov. 14, 2002
SAN DIEGO - EXHIBITION - GAME 2
SAN DIEGO STATE Aztecs (1-0 Exhibition Record)
vs. West Coast All-Stars (0-3)
-When & Where: Monday, Nov. 18, Cox Arena at Aztec Bowl (12,414), San Diego, Calif., 7:05 p.m. (PST)
-Webcast/TV: None. There will be a live audio broadcast of all regular-season games on www.goaztecs.com.
-The Records: San Diego State finishes its exhibition schedule with a meeting Monday versus the West Coast All-Stars. The Aztecs are coming off a 72-65 come-from-behind win over Czech team Strakonice on November 8, while the All-Stars (0-3) will be rounding out their six-game exhibition schedule in San Diego.
-In The RPI: SDSU finished the 2001-02 season ranked No. 199 in the final RPI released by the NCAA.
-SDSU Coach Jim Tomey: Tomey (Michigan '81) is in his first season at San Diego State, taking over the Aztec helm on April 9, 2002.
-West Coast All-Stars Coach: Jerry Gatewood
-Series History: N/A
San Diego State Finishes Out Exhibition Schedule
After a 72-65 come-from-behind win over a week ago against Czech team Strakonice, the San Diego State women's basketball team finishes out its exhibition schedule with a game next Monday, Nov. 18, versus the West Coast All Stars.
The West Coast All-Stars, a collection of former collegians, will also be rounding out its exhibition schedule. The All-Stars have lost each of their first three meetings at UCSB (81-95), UNLV (71-80) and Nebraska (63-97), with two more games at Arizona (Nov. 14) and UCLA (Nov. 17) still left to play.
The Aztecs will only have three days to recover from their final exhibition game, as the SDSU plays host to Centenary College of Louisiana on Friday, Nov. 22, at 7:05 p.m.
What's Up With The West Coast All-Stars?
The West Coast All-Stars is composed of 11 former collegiate standouts ... coached by Jerry Gatewood, the All-Stars are playing a six-game exhibition schedule, finishing at San Diego State ... the team has been led by Tanisha Johnson (15.0 ppg), Nicky McCrimmon (21.7 ppg) and Shaundra Greene (12.3 ppg) ... McCrimmon, a 5-8 point guard who played at USC, is a member of the two-time WNBA champion Los Angeles Sparks ... guards Trise Jackson and Akia Hardy, who both played collegiately at Long Beach State, round out the All-Stars' starting lineup ... McCrimmon's L.A. Sparks teammate LaTasha Byears was listed on the team's original roster, but has yet to see action in any of the squad's first three games .... San Diego State split its two exhibition games a year ago, losing to Team Concept (61-78), before defeating the NWBL USA Elite (69-54).
Game Recap: Aztecs Rally
Behind senior Jamey Cox's game-high 20 points, the San Diego State women's basketball team erased an early 12-point deficit, rallying to defeat Strakonice, 72-65, in an exhibition game Friday at Cox Arena. The exhibition game was the Aztecs' first under new head coach Jim Tomey.
San Diego State trailed for much of the first half, falling behind for the first time at 4-5. Strakonice then used its height advantage to jump out to a 12-point lead at 27-15. The Aztecs, however, would manage to get to within seven points at the half by going on an 8-3 scoring run.
SDSU kept the momentum out of the locker room, tying the score at 36-36, before taking a two-point lead at 38-36 on a lay-up by senior forward Valencia Howard (Richmond, Calif.) at the 14:18 mark. The two sides then traded leads before a three-pointer by Cox (Waterloo, Iowa) gave the Aztecs the lead for good at 42-39. SDSU would later post a double-digit lead of its own, going up by as many as 11 points at 69-58 with 2:15 left in the game.
Strakonice, which made its first stop of a seven-game exhibition tour, got the Aztec lead down to as little as six points, but ended up running out of time as Cox finished out the game by making one of two free throws.
Cox, who scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half, was helped on the offensive side by Howard, who finished with 13 points, and freshman guard Veronica Shaw (Phoenix, Ariz.), who tallied 11 points and five assists in her Aztec debut.
Strakonice had four players reach double-digits, including leading scorer Jana Kleckova, who had 18 points, including three, three-point field goals.
First Time Out Notes
Although the game and stats won't officially count for the team's first exhibition, here are a few notes on the team's first outing: After shooting just over 31 percent in the first half, the Aztecs rebounded to shoot 58 percent in the second half ... Valencia Howard's 13 points would be a career-high ... three of the team's seven freshmen saw playing time, with Veronica Shaw logging 37 minutes, Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.) playing 20 and Amber Fouse (Compton, Calif.) recording 17 minutes off the bench ... after going 0-for-5 from three-point range in the first half, the Aztecs were 3-for-4 in the second (all three came from Jamey Cox).
Going With The Guards - Line-Up Notes
The Aztecs are expected to start three guards for the second straight time, including senior Jamey Cox, sophomore Heather Wolf (Stayton, Ore.) and freshman Veronica Shaw .... freshman forward Ashlee Dunlap and junior forward/center Nicolette McCartny (Chicago, Ill.) should round out the starting line-up on the posts ... the projected starting line-up includes all four class levels, while all five players hail from different states (Arizona, California, Iowa, Illinois and Oregon) ... senior Ashonda Williams, who dislocated her right shoulder prior to the opening of fall practice, is expected to suit up for this Monday's final exhibition ... sophomore Maggie Sauls (left knee) and freshman Michelle Strawberry (right knee) are not expected to see action in Monday's exhibition for the second straight game.
Sign On The Dotted Line
San Diego State women's basketball head coach Jim Tomey has announced the signings today of two high school seniors to national letters of intent. Guards Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) and Courtney Fritz (Newberg, Ore.) will join the Aztecs in the fall of 2003.
"With the two players that we signed, we feel that we've really added to the basketball I.Q. of our program," Tomey said. "We signed two girls who have a great feel for how to play the game and their greatest attribute is their ability to strengthen and bond the group that is out on the floor - they're leaders. "I feel terrific about them both as people and players. They are the kind of student-athletes that we want to bring into San Diego State to help us build this program."
A 5-11 shooting guard, Elliott averaged 18.2 points per game her junior season, earning first team all-conference honors twice at Pasco High School. Under head coach Steve Davis, Pasco has advanced to the state 4A tournament two of the last three seasons, placing eighth her freshman year.
"Michelle Elliott is the kind of player who can help a program immediately with her overall knowledge on how to play the game and her ability to shoot the ball," Tomey said. "She can keep a defense honest, because they have to get up and play her, giving her the option to drive to the basket."
Elliott has also earned varsity letters in track and soccer, playing alongside twin sister Nicole. During the off season, Elliott has competed for Northwest Sagebrush Hoops since 1999.
"I just clicked with the coaches," said Elliott about her decision to attend San Diego State. "Coach Tomey is a lot like my coach, Mike Hodgins, in that they both care more about you as a person and not just as a player. There is a certain level of respect there and (the coaches) have an intense amount of passion for the game."
Fritz, a 5-8 point guard, was the first player to orally commit to SDSU in mid-September under first-year head coach Tomey. She has averaged 12 points, 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game her sophomore and junior seasons, helping Jesuit High School (Portland, Ore.) to the Oregon state 4A semifinals in 2001 and 2002.
"I chose to come to San Diego State because I had a very good comfort-level with the coaches," Fritz said. "They were very sincere and I knew I could trust and be comfortable with them for four years. I know that they will be able to help me grow as a player and as a person. I also am happy that I will be able to make an immediate impression on the program."
An adidas All-American in 2002, Fritz is a two-time, first team all-league selection, leading Jesuit in scoring each of the past two seasons en-route to state all-tournament honors. Fritz was named to the state third team as a junior and has earned three letters in track, while playing travel basketball for the Portland Elite Basketball Organization (PEBO) Lady Legends.
"Courtney is one of the finer shooters that we saw all summer," Tomey said. "She is a very flexible player, who can handle the point guard position if called upon, but also has ability to play the two spot. She's similar to (current Aztec senior) Jamey Cox, who we're going to lose to graduation after this season. Courtney should be able to step in and fill those shoes."
A New Crew
On April 9, 2002, Jim Tomey was hired as the seventh head coach in program history. A former SDSU men's assistant (1999-2002), Tomey made a name for himself in San Diego as the head coach of boys' prep powerhouse University of San Diego High School from 1989-99. Tomey, who enters his first year as a head coach on the collegiate level, spent the summer putting together a balanced coaching staff, which now includes assistants Matt Hart, Nicole Anderson and Jennifer Gross.
Local Connections
Aztec assistant coaches Nicole Anderson and Jennifer Gross are both San Diego natives. Anderson played at La Jolla High School before starring at UCLA from 1989-93, while Gross earned all-state honors at University City High School, before moving on to UC Davis (1993-97). Anderson (Francis Parker, USD) and Gross (University City) later returned to San Diego to coach on the prep level, prior to taking their current jobs at SDSU.
San Diego State's other assistant coach Matt Hart, meanwhile, has spent his entire coaching career in the Southern California area, serving as a Division I men's assistant coach at Long Beach State and USC, in addition to a pair of head coaching jobs at Bishop Amat and St. John Bosco High Schools.
Other Newbie Coaching Notes
-Jim Tomey will look to buck the trend for first-year women's basketball head coaches at San Diego State. Only one of the program's previous six coaches have had winning records in their rookie campaigns. Earnest Riggins (1984-89) led the Aztecs to a 24-6 record in 1983-84.
- SDSU is not the only Mountain West Conference school to have a new head coach at the helm this season. Colorado State's Chris Denker enters his first season in Fort Collins, while two other conference coaches, Ardie McInelly (Air Force) and Jeff Judkins (BYU), both begin their sophomore campaigns.
- Of San Diego State's 13 other non-conference opponents, four will feature first-year head coaches. At the Fresno tournament in late November, three of the four teams have first-year head coaches, including Tomey, Butler's Beth Couture and Fresno State's Stacy Johnson-Klein. Creighton (Dec. 22) and CSU Northridge (Dec. 28) also both have first-year head coaches.
In The Books
The team's top returnee in 2002-03, senior Jamey Cox is close to making her way into elite company in Aztec basketball history. The 5-7 guard needs just 69 points to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career. She would become the 16th SDSU player to reach the milestone mark and the first to do so since Jodi Nowlin-Tres (1994-97).
Cox is second all-time in career three-point field goals with 172, trailing only Falisha Wright (1992-95), who tallied 206 during her career. The senior is ninth in career assists (291) and has led the team in scoring in two of her three seasons on the Mesa.
Mark It On Your Calendar
This season the Aztecs will stick close to home for almost all of their pre-conference schedule, taking just one trip outside of the Golden State on January 11, at Portland State. Overall, only four of the 12 non-MWC teams appeared on the team's schedule a year ago.
SDSU will play host to 13 home games at Cox Arena, which includes two doubleheader days with the men's team, scheduled for December 28 and January 18.
Back To Cox ... Arena That Is
Two SDSU women's basketball games, originally scheduled for Peterson Gym, have been moved back across the street to Cox Arena. The venue change will affect the Aztecs' games for the 2002-03 season versus Brigham Young (Jan. 23) and the University of Utah (Jan. 25). Game times will remain the same.
The two Mountain West Conference games had been moved to Peterson Gym to help accommodate festivities for the upcoming Super Bowl, slated for Sunday, Jan. 26, 2003, in San Diego, Calif.
Aztecs Picked To Finish Seventh In The MWC
For the third consecutive season, San Diego State has been picked to finish seventh by the Mountain West Conference media in the league's preseason poll.
BYU received eight of the 16 first-place votes, becoming the third different school to be picked to win the MWC title in as many years.
The media has correctly picked the regular season conference winner in each of the previous three polls, with Colorado State earning the nod in 2001-02, and Utah claiming the title in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
The Cast
The 2002-03 SDSU roster includes five seniors, one junior, two sophomores and seven freshmen. The seven freshmen are the program's most since the 1983-84 team, which opened the season with nine freshmen.
While this year's squad includes five seniors, only two, Jamey Cox and Andrea Kiesling (Helena, Mont.), have played all three of their previous collegiate seasons at San Diego State.
The Returnees
- Jamey Cox (5-7, Sr., G) - Three-year starter at guard ... played in 82 career games, the most of any Aztec on this year's roster ... led the Aztecs in scoring two of her three seasons ... scored in double-figures in 49 of 82 games ... has 931 career points and would become the 16th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau ... second all-time in career three-point field goals (172) and ninth in assists (291).
- Valencia Howard (6-1, Sr., F) - In her second year with the Aztecs after transferring from Contra Costa Community College in the Bay Area ... appeared in 27 games a year ago, making seven starts ... averaged 3.8 ppg and 3.9 rpg ... SDSU's top rebounder in six games ... one of five Aztecs named to the MWC all-academic team.
- Andrea Kiesling (6-3, Sr., C) - Played in 28 career games ... limited by injuries most of her stay at SDSU ... one of just two of the team's five seniors to have played all three of her previous collegiate seasons at San Diego State ... appeared in seven games in 2001-02, averaging 1.1 ppg and 0.7 rpg ... one of the team's tallest players at 6-3, along with freshmen Tami Garnett and Megan Bryant.
- Tynisha King (5-10, Sr., F) - Begins third year at SDSU (sat out 2000-01 under NCAA transfer rules) ... played in five games in 2001-02, averaging 1.0 ppg ... the oldest player on this year's squad, who is a vocal team leader on and off the court.
- Nicolette McCartny (6-2, Jr., F/C) - Second on the team in career games played with 50, which includes 24 starts ... made 11 starts a year ago, fifth-most on the team ... started at both center and forward, earning starting roles in seven of the final eight games ... averaged 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds as a sophomore, missing first eight weeks with a severe ankle sprain.
- Maggie Sauls (5-9, So., G) - Recovering from off-season knee surgery, after missing most of her freshman campaign with a knee injury ... appeared in nine games, scoring six points in 19 minutes.
- Ashonda Williams (6-0, Sr., F) - Returning starter from a year ago, who averaged 7.5 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game ... scored in double-figures 11 times, leading the team in scoring in eight games ... a threat from beyond the arc, tallying 35 three-point field goals in her first season with the Aztecs ... appeared in all 28 games, starting 22 ... currently recovering from a dislocated right shoulder, suffered in pre-season workouts, October 7 ... expected to suit up for the team's final exhibition versus the West Coast All-Stars.
- Heather Wolf (5-6, So., G) - Appeared in 17 games before missing the final seven with an ankle injury ... a good ball handler at the point guard position, making two starts as a freshman in 2001-02 ... served as the first guard off the bench, averaging 1.8 points.
The Newcomers
- Megan Bryant (6-3, Fr., C) - One of three players from Texas ... prepped at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, earning all-district honors three straight years ... McDonald's HS All-America nominee ... averaged 8.8 points and five rebounds a game.
- Ashlee Dunlap (6-1, Fr., F) - A proven scorer out of Fairfax High School in Los Angeles ... flexible player who can shoot from the inside or outside ... three-time all-city selection and league MVP as a junior ... averaged 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists per game.
- Amber Fouse (5-7, Fr., G) - Played at two-time national champion Narbonne High School in Harbor City, Calif. ... NHS won state title twice ... led team to state finals as a senior, finishing with a 27-4 record and a No. 14 ranking ... averaged 9.0 ppg and 90 percent from the free throw line ... one of the team's best passers, who will see time at point guard.
- Tami Garnett (6-3, Fr., C) - One of three Aztecs at 6-3 ... played at Sam Houston High School in Arlington, Texas ... McDonald's HS All-America team nominee ... four-time letterwinner in cross country and track ... an accomplished violinist.
- Veronica Shaw (5-7, Fr., G) - Played at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix ... led high school to the 5A state title as a senior ... all-Tribune 5A player of the year ... honorable mention Street & Smith's All-American ... averaged 16.5 points, 6.2 assists and 7.7 steals.
- Michelle Strawberry (5-10, Fr., G) - One of the team's most highly rated recruits ... 38th-ranked wing by All-Star Girls Report ... first team all-CIF, all-county and all-league out of Centennial High School in Corona, Calif. ... averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as a senior ... recovering from off-season knee surgery.
- Ashley White (6-1, Fr., F) - Averaged 11 points and eight rebounds at Ayala High School ... team was four-time league champs ... all-league and all-CIF selection.
Key Points For SDSU In 2002-03
- Offense - With the loss of two of the team's top three scorers from a year ago, the Aztecs will look for help to support senior Jamey Cox, who has led SDSU in scoring in two of the last three seasons. The team, however, returns its three-point threat from a year ago in Cox and Ashonda Williams, who both ranked in the MWC top 10 in three-point field goals.
- Defense - The Aztecs proved to have one of the top defenses in the MWC last season. SDSU ranked third overall and second in league games in steals, reaching double-figures in that category 13 times ... opponents only shot 40 percent or better from the field 12 times in 28 games ... the Aztecs held 10 of their final 20 opponents under 60 points.
- At the line - The Aztecs have struggled at the line in recent years, shooting just 65 percent in 2001-02. Part of that figure, however, can be attributed to the fact that SDSU took almost 200 less foul shots than its opponents (438-623).