Feb. 3, 2005
PROVO, Utah - The San Diego State women's basketball team forced at least 20 opponent turnovers for the fifth time in its six league contests, but was unable to overcome a 30 percent field-goal percentage, falling to host Brigham Young, 62-49, Thursday evening at the Marriott Center. With the loss, the Aztecs dropped to 6-12 overall and 1-5 in league action, while BYU improved to 12-7 and 3-3 in the MWC.
Aztec junior Michelle Strawberry (Corona, Calif.) tallied her fifth double-figure scoring effort in six MWC contests, chipping in 13 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 effort from the line to run her season league total to 14-for-14 at the stripe. Senior Lindsey Casey (Odessa, Texas) scored six of her 10 points in the first half, while Michelle Elliott (Pasco, Wash.) added six assists and five rebounds, but was held to just four points all at the line.
The Aztecs forced 25 BYU turnovers and tallied 11 steals, but got outrebounded 44-26 and the Cougars shot 46.5 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point land and 90.9 percent at the stripe.
The first half went back and forth through the first 13:34, as the teams traded leads eight times before a three-pointer put BYU up by two at 18-16. The Cougars would go up by as many seven points at 28-21 and 30-23, but the Aztecs kept it close into the locker room, 30-26, despite a 28.1 first-half shooting percentage.
SDSU cut the deficit to just a pair on two occasions in the opening minutes of the second half. BYU then went on a 10-2 run to push its lead to double-figures at 42-32. The Cougars led by as many as 15 points four times, with the latest coming with 1:28 left and the score 60-45. The Aztecs continued to fight down the stretch with a lay-up and a jumper both off steals to cut the score to 60-49, but two free throws gave the Cougars the 13-point, 62-49 victory in the end.
BYU's Dani Kubik had a team-high 14 points, while Cougars Mallary Gillespie and Julie Sullivan both chipped in 10 apiece.
SDSU completes the first half of MWC play on Saturday as the team travels to Salt Lake City for a 3 p.m. (MST) meeting with the University of Utah Utes at the Huntsman Center.