Nov. 29, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. - Aztec senior Jamey Cox had 23 points and was 7-of-15 from beyond the arc to lead the San Diego State women's basketball team to a 59-54 win over Murray State Friday in first day action of the Fresno State Classic at the North Gymnasium. With the win, SDSU moved to 2-1 on the season, while the Racers fell to 1-2.
"I'm excited for our team, because they worked really hard and somehow found a way at the end to get us a victory and put us in the championship game," SDSU head coach Jim Tomey said.
Cox scored 17 of her game-high 23 points in the second half, while also tallying 17 of the team's final 25 points. Cox's 23-point effort was the second time this season and the ninth time for her career that the guard has broken the 20-point barrier, putting up 26 in the season-opener versus Centenary.
"We told our team at half time that she (Cox) only had four attempts at the basket and that wasn't enough," Tomey said. "Part of that was her not being really aggressive and the other part was us not finding her when she was available. We really made an emphasis in the second half to create looks for her and it paid off."
Cox was helped offensively by junior forward Nicolette McCartny's (Chicago, Ill.) 13 points. McCartny, who helped seal the game with the final two buckets, fell just one rebound short (nine overall) of her first career double-double. SDSU freshman guard Amber Fouse (Compton, Calif.) also put up a notable numbers, tallying a career-best seven assists and seven rebounds.
The Aztecs led throughout the first half, opening the game with a 7-0 run on a Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.) rebound basket, a Cox three-pointer and a McCartny jumper. SDSU would eventually own a 10-point lead at the 9:39 mark, following a driving lay-in by senior Ashonda Williams (Crockett, Calif.).
Murray State would get its deficit down to as little as four points at 23-27, following a 5-0 run with two minutes remaining in the half, but another Cox three-pointer gave the Aztecs a seven-point advantage at 30-23 heading into the locker room.
The San Diego State lead did not last for long, as the Racers outscored the Aztecs through the first six minutes, 11-4, to take their first lead of the game at 35-34. Murray State would build its lead to as many as three points four times, but Cox's hot shooting kept SDSU in the game as the score was tied three times at 37, 43 and 52 points.
With seven lead changes in the half, a made three-pointer by Cox put San Diego State up for good, breaking the tie at 52 to give her team a 55-52 advantage. Two insurance baskets by McCartny helped off-set a lay-up by Racer Lori Trumblee with under a minute left to give the Aztecs the 59-54 win.
Murray State's Beth Schnakenberg had 20 points and Trumblee added 12 in the losing effort.
SDSU will face the winner of the Fresno State-Butler game Saturday at 2 p.m. in the tournament championship game at the North Gymnasium.