Jan. 15, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team scored its biggest victory of the three-year Jim Tomey era, as the Aztecs upset preseason league favorite UNLV, 76-60, Saturday at Cox Arena. With the win, SDSU improved to 6-7 overall and 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play, claiming its first MWC opener since 2001, while UNLV fell to 9-6 overall and 0-1 in the MWC.
"When we went in at halftime, I couldn't imagine us playing a better half," said Tomey, who is in his third year as the Aztecs' head coach. "Everything looks great when you knock shots down and we knocked shots down in the first half. The team just put it all together today. They were loose and relaxed and most importantly, they believed that they could win."
The Aztecs' victory is their first in their last 10 tries versus the Lady Rebels and only their second since the MWC began play in time for the 1999-2000 campaign. The last time SDSU defeated UNLV was Jan. 29, 2000, when the Aztecs claimed a 54-52 win also in San Diego.
Four SDSU players scored in double-figures in a game for the first time this season. Freshman Ashley Cheesman (Orem, Utah) and sophomore Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) led the charge with 15 points apiece, while juniors Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.) and Veronica Shaw (Phoenix, Ariz.) each added 11.
SDSU shot a season-high 59.1 percent from the field, including 61.5 percent in the first half. The shooting percentage is the Aztecs' best ever in Mountain West Conference play, while the 76 points are the team's second-most in its 71 league contests.
SDSU trailed by as many as five points (12-7) at the 14:48 mark of the first half, before going on an 11-0 run, including four points by redshirt freshman Jordie Smith (Fort Collins, Colo.), to go up by six at 18-12. The Aztecs then put together scoring runs of 10-0 and 5-0 in the final 5:36 of the half to go into the locker room up by 20 points at 41-21.
In the second 20 minutes, SDSU saw its 20-point advantage trickle all the way down to just eight at 58-50 with 7:01 left. The Aztecs, however, stepped up their defense, forcing six UNLV turnovers and keeping the Lady Rebels scoreless over the next 3:47, as the SDSU lead climbed back up to 18 at 68-50 with just 3:27 remaining.
The SDSU advantage would grow to as many as 20 points for the second time at 73-53, before claiming the 16-point victory at 76-60.
UNLV, which entered the game averaging over 73 points an outing, was led by Moore, who scored 16 of her game-high 19 points in the second half. The Lady Rebels matched a season high with 23 turnovers and made just one of their 10 three-point opportunities.
San Diego State heads out on the road for the first time in 2005, when its plays at league foes Colorado State (Jan. 20) and at Wyoming (Jan. 22).