Oct. 15, 2009
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team kicks off its much anticipated 2009-10 campaign on Friday evening when the Aztecs hit the court for the first practice of the season at Viejas Arena. SDSU, which has been picked to win the Mountain West Conference and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2009, will have 21 days to prepare for its first and only exhibition game on Friday, Nov. 6, against Point Loma Nazarene.
"Our team can't wait until tomorrow so that they can pick up where they left off," said SDSU head coach Beth Burns. "They had the summer to improve and to work on the things that they needed to do so that we can get even better. We are excited to get started."
Fans can come out and watch part of the team's practice on Friday, from approximately 6 to 6:45 p.m. at Viejas Arena. At the end of the workout, Burns will introduce this year's Aztec basketball squad to the fans. Season tickets can be purchased on site throughout the event, which will run from 6 to 8 p.m.
Friday is a free event, but $1-per-hour parking permits should be purchased at Parking Structure 5 (PS 5), which is on the corner of 55th and Montezuma Rd.
In addition to being picked preseason No. 1 in the Mountain West Conference, the Aztecs have been ranked 22nd-nationally by two preseason publications after ending 2008-09 with a 24-8 overall record, including a 15-1 mark at home. SDSU returns four of five starters, highlighted by Wade Trophy and Wooden Award candidate Jené Morris (San Francisco, Calif.), preseason all-MWC center Paris Johnson (San Diego, Calif.) and all-time career assists leader Quenese Davis (Sacramento, Calif.).
"The collective excitement in our program, in our department and in our community for both men's and women's basketball is as high as I've ever felt," Burns added. "It's contagious and we're going to do our part to keep it that way."