Dec. 17, 2003
SAN DIEGO -
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San Diego State, which at 5-3 has matched its opening eight-game record of each of the last three seasons, opens a busy stretch of games Thursday night at home against Cal Poly (3-2). Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m. PST and the game will be televised locally in the San Diego market on Channel 4 San Diego (no satellite coverage) and can be heard on XPRS-1090 AM (The Mighty 1090).
It is the first of three games in five days for the Aztecs. After the contest against the Mustangs on Thursday, San Diego State will entertain Eastern Washington on Saturday before traveling to Tucson for a game against No. 7/5 (Associated Press/Coaches Poll) Arizona on Monday. All three Aztec opponents this week posted winning records in 2002-03 with two of the three advancing to postseason play (Arizona to the NCAA Tournament and Eastern Washington to the NIT). Counting the upcoming three games, seven of San Diego State's first 11 games, including seven of nine against Division I opposition, will have been against teams that advanced to postseason play in 2003.
San Diego State is coming off its third loss of the season, a 78-68 setback at Texas Tech last Saturday. The victory was the 21st consecutive non-conference home win for the Red Raiders and snapped SDSU's seven-game December win streak. Aztec freshman guard Brandon Heath scored a game-high and career-high 30 points in the defeat.
The Aztecs have now lost three games this season, all to teams that advanced to postseason play in 2003. The three opponents to top SDSU this season (24th-ranked Dayton, Troy State and Texas Tech) are a collective 18-4 in 2003-04, through Sunday.
Cal Poly is an impressive 3-2 on the season and is ranked 87th in the RPI through Sunday's games. The Mustangs own a road win at California (63-62) and have suffered just a one-point loss at Loyola Marymount (67-68) and an 11-point loss to Colorado (62-73). Cal Poly has not played a regular-season game since defeating Cal State Sacramento, 76-60, on Dec. 6 (the Mustangs did play an exhibition game last Saturday).
The teams will meet for the 50th time on Thursday night, with the Aztecs holding a 33-16 series advantage. An overwhelming majority of the meetings between the teams took place early in the school's basketball history, with last season's game marking the first contest between the teams since the Aztecs moved to Division I prior to the 1970-71 campaign. Last season, the Aztecs rallied from a 13-point deficit, including a nine-point second-half deficit, to claim a 65-62 decision at Mott Gym. The Aztecs were led in that game by now departed seniors Tony Bland and Mike Mackell who each scored 21 points. Only 13 of SDSU's 65 points in the game were tallied by players on the current roster (Steve Sir nine and Tommy Johnson four).
San Diego State is in the middle of finals week, which runs from Dec. 13-20. Of the 13 roster players, 11 will have completed finals by gametime on Thursday. The other two players, seniors Aerick Sanders and Ben Wardrop conclude final exams on Friday.
Injury Update
San Diego State sophomore Trimaine Davis started practicing with the squad on Monday. He had not practiced since Nov. 19 and had surgery on his right knee on Nov. 21 to remove two bone fragments. Junior forward Travis Hanour is not expected to return prior to Dec. 26. He has been out of action nursing a bulging disc in his back. Sophomore guard Steve Sir is practicing once again with the team after missing a week with the flu.
Aztecs Can't Overcome Free Throw Disparity in 78-68 Loss at Texas Tech
LUBBOCK, Texas - Brandon Heath scored a game high 30 points, a new personal best, but it was not enough to defeat Texas Tech in Lubbock, as the Red Raiders used a late run to earn a 78-68 victory.
Tech (8-2) led by eight points early in the second half but San Diego State used a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 52-51 on a drive by Brandon Heath with 12:56 remaining. The Aztecs kept the lead under five for the next seven minutes, but could never take the lead over Tech. Finally, the Red Raiders used an 11-4 run to go up 71-62 with 3:51 left in the game and the Aztecs never threatened down the stretch.
Heath connected on 10-of-10 from the free throw line and hit four from behind the arc. Wesley Stokes scored eight points to go with five assists and five rebounds. Chris Walton added eight points, six boards and four assists, while Aerick Sanders pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.
Texas Tech had five players in double figures. Andre Emmett led the way with 19 points, Ronald Ross scored 16, Darryl Dora added 14, Robert Tomaszek had 13 and Jarrius Jackson scored 10.
Both teams played solid defense as both teams shot 42 percent from the field. Texas Tech caused 17 SDSU turnovers, pulled down 14 offensive rebounds and connected on 26-of-36 from the free throw line.
It is Texas Tech's fourth straight win over the Aztecs in the last three seasons, including a matchup in the 2003 NIT with three of those Red Raider victories coming in Lubbock.
Noting the Texas Tech Game
- Aztec freshman Brandon Heath scored a career-high 30 points in the game. He now has the top three scoring games for the Aztecs this season (30 at Texas Tech, 28 vs. Ohio State and 27 at San Diego). He is averaging 19.1 points per game which would be an SDSU freshman record and his 153 points through eight games ranks 20th on the SDSU all-time freshman scoring list.
- Heath was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. Both numbers were season bests for an Aztec player.
- Aerick Sanders played a season-low 29 minutes due to foul trouble but was still able pull down 10 rebounds. It was the fourth time this season and the 15th time in his career he has 10 or more rebounds in game.
The Cal Poly Series
This will be the 50th meeting between the teams with the Aztecs owning a 33-16 series lead. San Diego State owns a 20-4 advantage when playing at home. Other tidbits from the series:
- Last season the Aztecs needed a frantic second-half rally to defeat Cal Poly 65-62 at Mott Gym. The 13-point deficit SDSU overcame to win the contest is the second largest overcome in an Aztec victory in the Steve Fisher era. The nine-point second-half deficit the Aztecs rallied from ties for the third largest disadvantage overcome for a victory in the Fisher era.
- This is the second consecutive season in which the teams have played after the teams went more than 33 years without playing. Prior to last season, the most recent meeting between the Mustangs and the Aztecs was Feb. 14, 1969.
- San Diego State is 182-92 against current members of the Big West Conference. The 182 victories represent the most by SDSU against any current league configuration (WAC is second at 123 and MWC is third at 122).
- San Diego State is 6-3 at Cox Arena against the Big West Conference. The Aztecs have won five straight at home against the league, including a 74-44 victory over Long Beach State earlier this season on Nov. 21. The last time the Aztecs dropped a home game to a Big West school was Jan. 5, 2000, when Cal State Fullerton claimed a 72-66 victory in Steve Fisher's first season.
- The Aztecs' 33 series victories are the fifth most against any single opponent. Most SDSU victories against one opponent: UC Santa Barbara 51, Fresno State 50, Whittier 50 and Long Beach State 34
- Steve Fisher is 1-0 vs. Cal Poly, while Mustang head coach Kevin Bromley is 0-1 vs. SDSU.
- San Diego State returns only 13 points off last season's squad that tallied 65 points in the victory against Cal Ply. Sophomore guard Steve Sir (nine points) and junior guard Tommy Johnson (four points) are the only players that have scored against the Mustangs.
- Cal Poly held senior forward Aerick Sanders without a point in last season's game. That marked the only time in his junior campaign that he was held without a point in a contest. He averaged 6.1 points per contest last season and is scoring at a 12.2 ppg clip this season.
The Last Meeting
San Diego State 65, Cal Poly 62
Nov. 30, 2002
San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Mott Gym w Att.: 2,859
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - San Diego State seniors Tony Bland and Mike Mackell scored 21 points each as the Aztecs overcame a 13-point first-half deficit en route to a 65-62 victory.
The victory was the first of the season for San Diego State (1-2) which had opened the campaign with consecutive five-point losses and marked just the third defeat in the last 15 home games for the Mustangs (1-2).
The Aztecs trailed 20-7 out of the gate and were down 36-24 with 4:29 remaining in the first half but ended the period with a 10-0 run. Mackell, who tied a career high with 21 points, tallied five points in the spurt that cut the Aztec deficit to two points at the break.
The Mustangs built the lead to nine points when Steve Geary connected on a three-point field goal with 13:08 to play. Geary tied for team-high honors with 16 points in the contest.
But the Aztecs battled back with a 16-2 run, and San Diego State sealed the victory by making 4-of-5 free throws in the final 56 seconds of the contest.
The Aztec senior class of Bland, Mackell and Moore accounted for 52 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists in the contest, including 26 of San Diego State's 31 second-half points.
San Diego State won despite shooting 34.9 percent from the field marking just the fifth time in the Steve Fisher era the Aztecs have won a game shooting less than 40 percent from the field.
Fast Starts
At 5-3, San Diego State has matched its eight-game start in each of the last three seasons. The Aztecs have not posted a better eight-game mark to open a campaign since the 1996-97 squad was 6-2 at this point in the season.
Obviously the fast start has paid dividends in each of the past two seasons with the Aztecs advancing to the 2002 NCAA Tournament and the 2003 NIT.
What is impressive about the Aztecs fast start this season is that SDSU has done it without the benefit of a majority of home games (only three of the first eight have been played at Cox Arena) and also had to do it against quality competition (seven of the first nine Division I opponents SDSU plays to open the season advanced to postseason play in 2003).
San Diego State has not posted this good of a record (5-3) to open a season while playing three or less games at home since opening the 1971-72 campaign with a 7-1 mark while playing just three home games.
Initial Ratings Look Good
The Aztecs continue to ride their impressive start to a good placing in the Sagarin Ratings. San Diego State opened the week at number 79, marking the third straight week SDSU has been placed in the top 80. By comparison, last season the Aztecs peeked at number 95 on Jan. 20 and March 3.
Earlier this season the Aztecs climbed to number 68, their best rating since SDSU ended the 2001-02 season at number 66.
100-Game Mark
Since the beginning of the 2000-01 season, San Diego State has posted a 56-44 record (56.0 percent). That is the best record in 100 consecutive games since the Aztecs posted a similar 56-44 record from Jan. 29, 1983 through March 6, 1986.
The Aztecs had not posted a .500 record in any 100-game stretch beginning on Dec. 3, 1983 until embarking on the current streak.
December Win Streak
Although San Diego State had its December win streak of seven consecutive games overall and 11 straight vs. unranked teams broken on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas, the Aztecs still have one holiday win streak alive.
San Diego State has won 12 consecutive December home games against unranked teams. The only blemish during that stretch was an eight point loss to top-ranked Arizona last season.
The last time the Aztecs lost in the month at home to a team not ranked number one in the country was a 55-52 loss to San Diego on Dec. 9, 2000.
Heath Climbing Freshman Charts
Brandon Heath continues to make a major impact in his freshman campaign at San Diego State.
A native of Los Angeles, Heath became just the eighth freshman to start a season opening game for Steve Fisher. He leads the team in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per contest and has shown the ability to post big games (30 at Texas Tech, 28 vs. Ohio State and 27 at San Diego) while showing tremendous consistency (he has scored in double figures in all eight of his college games).
In addition to leading the team in scoring, he also is tops in steals (15) as he has earned a reputation as a strong defensive player.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas called Heath the best on-ball defender in the Maui Invitational. He went on to write, "Heath is an absolute ballhawk, who can put great pressure on the ball. He is quick, athletic and has a tenacity that marks a great defender. He is still young and learning how to best defend, but he can be a terrific player. Heath had 28 points against Ohio State, and has the chance to be an outstanding player."
It is hard to believe, but in just eight games Heath is already climbing the Aztecs freshmen charts. He is currently 20th among Aztec freshmen, just 24 points shy of cracking the top 15.
His 19.1 scoring average would top the all-time SDSU freshman chart, below is a look at the top five.
Pl. Name, Season PPG 1. u Brandon Heath, 2003-04 19.1 2. Tony Ross, 1986-87 16.3 3. Presne Gilbert, 1976-77 15.4 4. Eddie Morris, 1979-80 13.3 5. Eddy Gordon, 1979-80 12.8 6. Myron Epps, 1998-99 11.8
Sanders is the Nations' Top Rebounder
The season is just a month old and San Diego State's lone scholarship senior has already posted some eye-popping numbers.
In addition to earning his second career Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honor and earning a spot on the 2003 EA Sports Maui Invitational all-Tournament team (the only player selected from a team that did not reach the championship game), he has also been listed among the nation's leading rebounders.
Through Tuesday's games, Sanders is the national leader in rebounds per game at 11.5. His total of 92 boards is the highest total nationally.
Sanders, who entered the season never having recorded consecutive double-figure scoring games, is averaging 12.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He posted three consecutive double-doubles and has 10+ points in four of his last six games.
In addition, the Aztecs' lone returning starter from last season has made 38 consecutive starts dating back to last season. Other statistical information on Sanders:
- Sanders has 79 career blocked shots, good for 5th place in SDSU history (Leonard Allen holds the school record at 214).
- Sanders' 38 career starts is just two short of 11th place in SDSU history for most consecutive career starts (Michael Cage holds the record at 112).
California Love
San Diego State enters the Cal Poly game with a 10 game winning streak against teams from the state of California. The Aztecs have not dropped a a game against a team from the Golden State since Dec. 5, 2001.
Since that time, the Aztecs have disposed of all 10 teams they have played from the state.
2001-02 SeasonDec. 8, 2001 No. 21/16 Fresno State W, 93-782002-03 SeasonNov. 30, 2002 at Cal Poly W, 65-62Dec. 2, 2002 UC San Diego W, 87-57Dec. 10, 2002 at Long Beach State W, 64-55Jan. 3, 2003 Loyola Marymount W, 79-69Jan. 8, 2003 San Diego W, 78-72Mar. 19, 2003 UC Santa Barbara ot-W, 67-622003-04 SeasonNov. 21, 2003 Long Beach State W, 74-44Dec. 3, 2003 at San Diego W, 66-63Dec. 6, 2003 UC San Diego W, 76-51