Nov. 6, 2009
SAN DIEGO - Four women's basketball teams from two of the nation's elite conferences - the Mountain West and the Pac-10 - will converge on Viejas Arena for a pair of games on Saturday, Nov. 21, for the 2009 JHG Jam. The host San Diego State Aztecs will take on the Arizona Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. PT, followed immediately by the Utah vs. UCLA contest, which is slated to get underway at 8:30 p.m. Both games will be televised live nationally on The Mtn. The event is being sponsored by JHG, a Southern California-based interactive marketing agency that enables brands in technology, consumer, sports and entertainment sectors.
San Diego State and Arizona meet for the first time since 1998, as the Aztecs own a 12-4 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1980. SDSU, under head coach Beth Burns, returns four of five starters in 2009-10, including preseason MWC Player of the Year Jené Morris, all-time career assists leader Quenese Davis and first-team all-league honoree Paris Johnson. A year ago, the Aztecs advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament, won a share of the MWC regular season title and compiled a 24-8 overall record.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, finished 12-19 in 2008-09, under then first-year head coach Niya Butts. Arizona is receiving votes in the USA Today/ESPN coaches' preseason poll released this past week and will be led by forward Ify Ibekwe, who was an honorable mention All-American and first-team all-Pac-10 pick as a sophomore.
The second game of the night features UCLA against Utah for the two schools' fifth all-time meeting. The Utes won the Mountain West Conference tournament a year ago, earning their fourth NCAA bid in the last five years under head coach Elaine Elliott. Last month, Utah was picked to finish third in the MWC in 2010 and boasts the league's top returning scorer in senior Kalee Whipple.
The Bruins, who are receiving votes in the Associated Press preseason top 25 poll along with the Aztecs, are coming off a 19-12 record in coach Nikki Caldwell's debut season. UCLA returns its top four scorers and welcomes back 10 letterwinners in all, headlined by preseason all-Pac-10 junior guard Doreena Campbell.
Fans can see both games for the price of just one ticket, as reserved seats are $9 and general admission seats are only $6 apiece, while children under age two are free. Group tickets are also available for the event by contacting the Aztec Ticket Office at 619-283-SDSU.
Tickets for the 2009 JHG Jam and all other SDSU women's basketball home games can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 619-220-8497 or via ticketmaster.com. Fans can also visit the Viejas Arena Box Office or the Aztec Ticket Office at Qualcomm Stadium (window E).
Additional information on the 2009 JHG Jam is available on goaztecs.com, the event's website at www.jhg.com/jhgjam, as well as the event's official Twitter Page at www.twitter.com/jhgjam.
2009 JHG Jam at Viejas Arena (San Diego, Calif.)
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009
6:30 p.m. PT - Arizona at San Diego State (The Mtn.)
8:30 p.m. PT - UCLA vs. Utah (The Mtn.)