Feb. 21, 2004
LARAMIE, Wyo. - Wyoming made 13 three-pointers, including eight in the first half, to pull away early from the San Diego State women's basketball team, as the Aztecs fell to the Cowgirls, 71-46, Saturday afternoon at Arena Auditorium. With the loss, SDSU dropped to 7-16 overall and 2-8 in MWC play, while Wyoming improved to 9-15 and 5-6 in the conference.
Junior Candace Mattson (Alpine, Utah) had a career high 14 points, nine of which came in the second half, on a career high 14 field-goal attempts. Sophomore Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.) also scored in double-figures with 12 points, while the Aztecs' leading scorer Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) was held to a career low one point.
The Aztecs fell behind early as Wyoming's Ashley Elliott, the MWC's second-leading scorer, nailed three-straight three pointers and Michelle Lieber added a rebound basket to give the Cowgirls an 11-2 lead heading into the first media timeout.
SDSU ended the run with a basket by Mattson but Wyoming hit two more three-pointers as the Aztecs made just two of their first 13 shots from the field.
The San Diego State deficit grew to as many as 23 points, but would stand at 17 points, 39-22, at the half with the help of a four-point play by Courtney Fritz (Newberg, Ore.), a rebound basket by freshman Erin Jackson (Sparks, Nev.) and a free throw by Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.) in the final minute and a half.
The Aztecs managed to find their shooting touch early coming out of the locker room, as Strawberry matched her career high with a pair of three-pointers to put the team down by 13 at 43-30. The two sides traded points as SDSU once again trailed by 13 at 45-32.
The 13 points would be as close as SDSU would get as Wyoming went on a 15-0 run, eventually winning 71-46.
Ashley Elliott led the Cowgirls with 28 points, 10 rebounds and finished the afternoon 7-for-13 from three-point range. Senior Brenda Pickup also had 15 points and seven assists as Wyoming was 13-for-25 overall from beyond the arc.
San Diego State head home for its final homestand of the season, starting Thursday night versus last place Air Force at 7 p.m., and followed by a Saturday evening contest against New Mexico, beginning at 5 p.m. Both games will be played in Peterson Gym across the street from Cox Arena due to a scheduling conflict.