March 10, 2004
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DENVER - For the fifth straight season, the San Diego State women's basketball team came up empty in its bid to advance in the Mountain West Conference Championship, as the No. 7 seed Aztecs fell to No. 2 seed Utah, 68-51, Wednesday at the Pepsi Center. The Aztecs finished the year at 8-20 overall, while Utah improved to 23-6 and will move on to face the winner of the UNLV-BYU game scheduled for later tonight, on Friday at 2:30 p.m. MST.
SDSU freshman Courtney Fritz (Newberg, Ore.) led the team in points for the 11th time this season, finishing with 17, including four three-pointers. Classmate Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) scored in double-figures for the 21st time in her 27 outings, adding 10 points, while sophomore Ashlee Dunlap (Los Angeles, Calif.) was the third Aztec in double-figures with all 11 points coming in the second half. Senior Nicolette McCartny (Chicago, Ill.) rounded out her career with a pair of points, rebounds, assists and blocks before fouling out with just over five minutes left in the contest.
The game began with six lead changes in the first five and a half minutes, until Fritz converted a four-point play with a three-pointer from the top of the arc and the foul at 11-8. The Utes responded with a 6-0 run to go up by three themselves, before SDSU tied the game for second time at 14 points apiece.
Utah came out of the tie with a 9-2 scoring spurt over the next five minutes to match its biggest lead of the game thus far of seven points at 23-16. The Aztecs deficit would grow out to double-figures at the 2:25 mark (29-11) and end up at nine points heading into the locker room, 29-20.
SDSU opened the half by tallying 10 of the first 13 points to close the gap all the way down to two at 32-30, capped by a Dunlap lay-up. Utah quickly responded with a three-point play and a three-pointer from the left baseline to go ahead by eight points. The Utes advantage extend to as much as 17 points as they went on to claim their third win over the Aztecs this season, 68-51.
Two-time MWC player of the year Kim Smith finished with a team best 28 points and 11 rebounds, as the Utes owned the boards with a 41-19 advantage.