Dec. 30, 2004
Complete Game Notes vs. Providence (Fri., Dec. 31) in PDF Format
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Game No. 12
Providence (7-4) at San Diego State (5-6)
Friday, Dec. 31, 2004
2:05 p.m. PST (announced)
Cox Arena (12,414)
San Diego, Calif.
Television
Channel 4 San Diego. Ted Leitner (play-by-play), Tony Gwynn (analysis), John Weisbarth (sidelines) and Jason Bott (producer). The game will also be broadcast in the Providence market on Cox Sports TV3.
Radio
XPRS-1090 AM, San Diego (The Mighty 1090). Allan Horton (play-by-play), John Kentera (analysis) and Dave Marcus (producer).
Series
This is the first meeting between San Diego State and Providence, The Aztecs are tenatively scheduled to return the game next season. This is the Aztecs' first game against a Big East opponent since Dec. 28, 1989 and marks the first time SDSU has played host to a Big East team at the eight-year old Cox Arena.
Up Next
San Diego State concludes the non-conference portion of the schedule with a game against South Dakota State at Cox Arena on Jan. 3. The Jacks entered this season having posted a 118-36 (76.6 percent) record since the 2000-01 campaign. Following the contest against South Dakota State, SDSU will open Mountain West Conference play with consecutive road games and will not play again at home until Jan. 22, against Wyoming.
San Diego State Battles 2004 NCAA Tournament Team Providence; Hosts First Big East Team in Cox Arena and Hosts First Associated Press 1st-Team All-American Since 1988
For the first time since 1988, San Diego State (5-6) will welcome a reigning first-team Associated Press All-American to San Diego, as senior forward Ryan Gomes and the Providence Friars (7-4) battle the Aztecs in a New Years Eve matinee.
Game time is set for 2:05 p.m. PST and the contest will be broadcast by Channel 4 San Diego. The game will also be shown in the Providence market, and the game is available via satellite AMC9, Transponder K08.
This marks the first visit by a Big East team to Cox Arena (including the 2001 NCAA First and Second Rounds that were hosted by San Diego State at Cox Arena) and marks the first contest versus a member of the league since Dec. 28, 1989, when Villanova defeated San Diego State 57-52, in the finals of the Texaco Star Classic at the Sports Arena.
This is just the fourth time in the Division I era (since 1970-71) SDSU has played host to a current AP first-team All-American and the first time since the Aztecs battled J.R. Reid and North Carolina in 1988. On Dec. 29, 1988, Reid had 17 points, four rebounds and four assists as seventh-ranked North Carolina defeated San Diego State, 103-92.
San Diego State is coming off a hard-fought 69-59 loss to Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday night. The Aztecs broke a 44 all tie with a Marcus Slaughter three-point field goal to take the lead with 9:29 to play. But the Cyclones responded with a 13-0 run to claim their 24th victory in their last 25 home games.
Sophomore guard Brandon Heath led the Aztecs with 20 points. It marked the 13th time in his career he has scored 20 or more points in a contest. Slaughter posted his fourth double-double of the season and the sixth of his career with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Senior forward Chris Walton returned to the lineup after being sidelined with a hip flexor and groin strain since the opener, and contributed six points and four rebounds.
The Aztecs are still struggling from the field. After shooting above 53 percent from the field in three straight games during a four-game winning streak earlier this season, San Diego State has failed to shoot 42 percent from the floor in its last six games, connecting on 131-of-344 (38.1 percent) during that span.
But, solid defense (Aztec opponents are shooting 42.2 percent in the last five games) and an ability to get to the free throw line (SDSU has shot more free throws than their opponents in eight of 11 games this season), have kept SDSU close. Three times in the last five games and four times this season, SDSU has lost a game that has been a one possession contest with three minutes or less remaining.
Providence, ranked 30th in the RPI (as of Dec. 30) has won consecutive games, including an impressive 72-59 victory at Memphis in its last outing on Dec. 23. The Friars have two losses to nationally-ranked teams - Wake Forest and Florida - and the other two defeats are by a combined total of 10 points. Providence has won five straight road games dating back to last season, knocking off Villanova, Boston College, Notre Dame, St. John's and Memphis. Gomes, a top-50 candidate for the Wooden Award and a preseason first-team All-American selection by Street & Smith, is averaging 19.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and is connecting on 41.3 percent of his three-point field goal attempts. He leads the Friars in both scoring and rebounding.