Dec. 28, 2004
LAWRENCE - The San Diego State women's basketball team held its lone lead of the game at 12-11, but then failed to score for the next nine minutes of the half, as the Kansas Jayhawks went on to defeat the Aztecs, 71-45, Tuesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse. With the loss, SDSU, playing its final non-conference road game, fell to 3-6 overall, while KU improved to 6-4 in 2004-05.
Aztec junior Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.) scored a season-high 12 points, for her second double-figure outing of the year. Forwards Lindsey Casey (Odessa, Texas) and Ashley Cheesman (Orem, Utah) both had a team-best seven rebounds, while three Aztecs finished with six points apiece.
After getting behind 5-0 following the opening tip, the Aztecs traded several baskets with the Jayhawks, before putting together three straight field goals to go up by a point at 12-11 on a lay-up by Jessica Huettl (Eau Claire, Wis.).
Kansas responded to the deficit with a run of its own, scoring 15 unanswered points to head into a media timeout up 26-12. The Aztecs drought continued until Jordie Smith (Ft. Collins, Colo.) scored on a lay-up at the 3:15 mark. Huettl later added the team's first three-pointer of the half, but SDSU went into the locker room down 39-17.
The Jayhawks pushed their lead out to 27 points early in the second half, but SDSU immediately cut into that with an 8-2 run with buckets by four different players to shave the deficit to 21 points at 51-30. Kansas immediately upped their lead back to 23 points with a pair of free throws and did not look back, earning the 71-45 victory.
The Jayhawks had three players finish in double-figures, including leading scorer Crystal Kemp, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
San Diego State heads home to round out 2004, with a non-conference contest Thursday evening at 7 p.m. against Southern Utah at Cox Arena.