Dec. 2, 2003
IRVINE, Calif. - The San Diego State women's basketball team overcame a nine-point first half deficit to grab its third straight victory, defeating UC Irvine, 51-40, Tuesday night at the Bren Events Center. With the win, the 3-1 Aztecs are off to their best start since the 1995-96 campaign, while UC Irvine remained winless, dropping to 0-3 this season.
Aztec freshman Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) posted her fourth straight game in double-figures, finishing with 15 points. Freshman Jessica Huettl's (Eau Claire, Wis.) added a career best 15 points all from beyond the arc, while sophomore Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.) had her second double-double of 2003-04, pouring in 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
Unlike Monday night when the Aztecs opened the game with a 69 percent first half field-goal percentage, SDSU fell behind early by as many as five points twice at 9-4 and 14-9 with just under 10 minutes remaining. Huettl's second three-pointer of the game would get the Aztecs to within two points at 14-12, before an 8-1 Anteater run pushed the SDSU deficit to nine.
Freshman Courtney Fritz's (Newberg, Ore.) fastbreak lay-up at the 2:25 mark would be the first Aztec field goal in almost seven minutes to bring the score to 22-15. UC Irvine responded with a bucket in return, before the SDSU offense, which shot only 23 percent in the first half, went on a 4-0 run to go into the locker room behind by only five points at 24-19.
The two sides traded baskets to open the second half until the Aztecs got back in the offensive swing with a 7-0 run capped by Huettl's third three-pointer of the game for a one-point advantage at 31-30, the team's first lead since the opening basket.
A 7-0 run gave SDSU its largest lead thus far of the contest at 40-34 with a little over 10 and a half minutes remaining. The Aztec advantage would grow to as many as 13 points at 51-38, as SDSU outscored UC Irvine 32-16 in the second half to take home a 51-40 victory.
UC Irvine was led offensively by Christina Callaway's 14 points, while Kristen Green added a team-best eight rebounds in the loss.
SDSU heads home for a few days before traveling to Cal State Northridge Saturday for a 2 p.m. contest in Northridge, Calif. The Aztec defeated the Matadors, 75-54, a year ago at Cox Arena.