March 5, 2004
Complete Game Notes vs. Utah (Sat., March 6) in PDF Format
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Game No. 29
Utah (20-8/8-5) at San Diego St. (14-14/5-8)
Saturday, March 6, 2004
3:00 p.m. PST announced
3:04 p.m. PST tip
Cox Arena (12,414)
San Diego, Calif.
Television
ESPN+Plus. Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Irv Brown (analysis), Lou Kusserow (producer). The game will be seen throughout the West and can be seen in San Diego on Channel 4 San Diego.
Radio
XPRS-1090 AM, San Diego (The Mighty 1090). John Fricke (play-by-play), John Kentera (analysis).
Series
Utah leads the series 44-9 and owns a 16-7 edge in San Diego. The Utes have claimed 16 of the last 17 meetings although SDSU won 58-56 at Cox Arena last season (Jan. 18, 2003).
Tickets and Promotions
Ticket pricing for the game: sideline reserved seats are $20 and general admission tickets are $12 (adults), $10 (children, senior, military and SDSU faculty/staff) and $3 for SDSU students ($5 SDSU students on game day). UT Youth and Family Day special promotion - four reserved chairbacks for $48 (a savings of $32).
Aztecs Say Good Bye to Two Seniors; Look to Secure the Fifth Seed in the Conference Tournament on Staurday Afternoon vs. Utah
San Diego State (14-14 overall; 5-8 Mountain West Conference), winners of seven of its last eight Mountain West Conference home games, looks to tie its Cox Arena record for most wins in a season and secure the fifth-seed in next weeks Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships when the Aztecs entertain Utah (20-8; 8-5 MWC) on Saturday afternoon at Cox Arena.
The game is set for a 3 p.m. PST start and the contest will be televised throughout the West coast on ESPN+Plus. Locally, the contest can be seen on Channel 4 San Diego and can be heard on XPRS (The Mighty 1090).
The game marks the final home appearance for Aztec seniors Aerick Sanders and Ben Wardrop. The two will leave SDSU having helped ignite one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball. The two seniors have helped guide SDSU to a 65-54 and will leave the school as the winningest senior class in at least 17 seasons (the 1986 class won 66 games). By comparison, San Diego State averaged 9.8 wins per season in the 15 years from 1986-87 through 1999-00, with just one winning season during that stretch. Following is a quick look at the two Aztec seniors.
Ben Wardrop - It is impossible to know the value of this senior without being around the program on a daily basis. He may have played in just 38 games and scored 15 career points but no player has a bigger impact on the San Diego State program. A former walk-on (he earned a scholarship in the second semester of his senior year), he was named a team captain prior to the season and is a leader on and off the court.
Aerick Sanders - A three-time conference player of the week recipient this season, he joined Michael Cage as the only other player to accomplish that in school history. He is attempting to become the first Aztec player since Michael Cage in 1984 to average a double-double. He currently ranks among the top 13 of eight different Mountain West Conference statistical categories. He is listed prominently on the SDSU career charts, including seventh in rebounding (669), seventh in field goal percentage (54.0), fourth in blocked shots (105) and ninth in games played (107).
The duo has helped lead San Diego State to three straight .500 or better campaigns, consecutive postseason appearances and the first Division I postseason tournament victory in school history in their first three seasons on the Mesa.
San Diego State is coming off a pair of road losses, falling at New Mexico 72-60 last Saturday and dropping a 61-49 decision at Air Force on Monday.
The Aztecs have won three straight senior day games, and are looking for their Cox Arena record-tying 12th home victory of the season. San Diego State has won seven of its last eight home games overall.