Dec. 5, 2003
SAN DIEGO -
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Fresh off a victory against crosstown-rival San Diego, San Diego State (4-2) looks to improve to 5-2 for the first time since the 1996-97 season and match its best seven-game mark to open a season since 1984-85 when the Aztecs play host to Division II foe UC San Diego (1-2). The game is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. PST start and can be heard on XPRS-1090 AM (The Mighty 1090).
The Aztecs are ending the busiest portion of their schedule with this contest marking the seventh game in 16 days. Through six games, San Diego State has already posted an impressive list of accomplishments.
- At 4-2, San Diego State has matched its best record throuigh six games in the last 19 seasons. The last time SDSU had a more successful start to the season was in 1984-85 (8-0).
- Posted two victories in the EA Sports Maui Invitational marking the first time the Aztecs have won multiple games in an in-season tournament since 1987.
- With wins at Chaminade and at San Diego, SDSU has won the first two road games of the season for the first time since 1984-85.
- San Diego State posted a 22-point victory over Ohio State, marking the school's largest margin of victory over a Big Ten school.
- Defeated San Diego on the USD campus for the first time since Feb. 25, 1975 and recorded the second straight win versus the Toreros since 1984.
All of this has been accomplished despite the fact that SDSU has used a rotation of eight players, with sophomore forward Trimaine Davis, junior forward Travis Hanour and sophomore guard Steve Sir missing the first six games of the season due to injury.
A victory would give the Aztecs their fifth win of the season on Dec. 6, the earliest date in school history. The current best mark for securing victory number five of the season is Dec. 8, achieved in 2001-02.
The Aztecs are coming off an impressive 66-63 victory over San Diego in front of a sold out crowd at the Jenny Craig Pavilion on the USD campus. The Aztecs led the majority of the game and built a 20-point advantage, 49-29, with 16:53 to play only to see the Toreros battle all the way back. Twice in the final three minutes of the game, San Diego took the lead only to see Aztec freshman guard Brandon Heath respond with a driving layup and then a three-pointer from the left wing to secure the win. Heath, who scored a game-high 27 points in the contest, scored the Aztecs final nine points of the game.
UC San Diego improved to 1-2 on the season, with an 82-78 overtime victory at Grand Canyon. The Tritons rallied from a 17-point deficit without Jesse Boyd and Adam Snyder, their two leading scorers entering the contest. Sophomore guard Matthew Sweany, who logged 42 minutes, led UCSD with 21 points.
This is the sixth meeting between the schools and the fourth straight season the schools have met. San Diego State has won all five previous meetings, the last four by at least a 30-point margin, including last season's 87-57 decision on Dec. 2 at Cox Arena.
It is poster and autograph night, with free posters being distributed at the door and autographs available from SDSU players after the game. Also, it is unofficially Ben Wardrop Appreciation Night, with the Fisher Fanatics, the official men's basketball student support group, paying homage to the senior walk-on. The student group has made Wardrop face cards and is planning to make t-shirts and signs to honor the senior. Wardrop has played in 25 career games and has scored 11 points in his Aztec career.
Injury Update
Although there are 13 players on the roster, the Aztecs have played with just nine healthy bodies to date. Junior guard Travis Hanour has a bulging disc and is expected to miss the next two weeks, while sophomore guard Steve Sir, did not start practicing with the team until Nov. 14, while he recovered from hernia surgery. He was listed as day-to-day before slipping during a pre-practice workout on Saturday and suffering a groin strain. He is expected to rejoin the team on Thursday. Trimaine Davis, who suffered an injury to his right knee, had surgery on Nov. 21 to remove two bone fragments and is expected to miss three-to-five weeks from the date of the surgery. Freshman guard Shawn Weinstein has not played thus far and coaches are hoping to redshirt the guard.
Sir is expected to see his first game action of the season on Saturday against UC San Diego.
Aztec players have already missd 18 games this season due to injuries (Davis, Hanour and Sir six straight).