Feb. 20, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY - Against the nation's top scoring defense, the San Diego State women's basketball team suffered its worse loss of the season, scoring only eight points in the second-half and falling to first-place Utah, 66-22, Thursday evening at the Huntsman Center. With the loss, SDSU fell to 8-13 overall and 2-7 in MWC play, while Utah improved to 19-4 and 9-1 in conference action.
Junior Nicolette McCartny (Chicago, Ill.) was the only Aztec to reach double-figures in scoring, finishing with 10 points, including eight of the team's 14 first-half points before fouling out. Senior Jamey Cox (Waterloo, Iowa) was SDSU's second-leading scorer with five points, including one three-pointer.
The Aztecs opened the game by leading for most of the first eight minutes, building as much as a five-point lead at 14-9, with the help of eight points from McCartny. Utah, however, took the lead for the second time in the game following back-to-back buckets by Shona Thorburn and Julie Wood at 15-14.
SDSU was kept off the scoreboard for the final eight minutes of the first half with McCartny's basket at the 12:01 mark being her team's last points. Utah, meanwhile, took advantage of the Aztez scoring drought with a 25-0 run to go up by 20 points at the half, 34-14.
The Utes scored the first points of the second half to take a 22-point lead, before the Aztecs finally got on the scoreboard when Dunlap hit the first of two free throws at the 19:00 mark to make the score 36-15. The first SDSU field goal of the half came over four minutes into the half when McCartny reached double-figures with a lay-in at 15:48.
The Aztecs were never able to reach the 30-point barrier, putting in only five more points on three free throws by senior Tynisha King (Moreno Valley, Calif.) and one 15-foot jumper by Cox. Utah eventually wrapped up the game, winning 66-22.
Utah shot 43.6 percent from the field field and forced SDSU into a 19.5 field-goal percentage and 28 turnovers for the game. Junior Carley Marshall finished with a double-double for the Utes with 11 points and 14 rebounds, while freshman Kim Smith chipped in 11 points in the win.
The Aztecs finish out the road trip with a Saturday afternoon game at Brigham Young University, beginning at 1 p.m. MST. SDSU will then return home for its final homestand, playing host to both Air Force and New Mexico.