Nov. 7, 2011
The San Diego State women's basketball team used a 13-0 run midway through the first half to erase an early five-point deficit and go on to defeat visiting UC San Diego, 79-60, Monday evening at Viejas Arena. The game was the lone exhibition contest for the Aztecs in 2011-12, while it was the third for the Tritons, who fell to 1-2 in such outings.
"It was probably about what I expected, considering how young our team is," said SDSU head coach Beth Burns. "I was thrilled with all of our freshmen and our new players, including Malia Nahinu, who didn't see a lot of action a year ago. All of our young players came in and did really exciting things and it give us something to focus on and continue to get better. We have great respect for UCSD. They gave us a great test and really made us work to be successful."
Junior guard Chelsea Hopkins (Las Vegas, Nev.) had a team-high 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting in only 18 minutes of action in her Aztec debut. Sophomore guard Melissa Sweat (Bakersfield, Calif.) made six of her first seven shots from the field to finish with 13 points, while junior Courtney Clements (Long Beach, Calif.) was the third SDSU player in double figures with 10 points. Sophomore guard Kiyana Stamps (Moreno Valley, Calif.) added eight points and four steals and Nahinu (Hayward, Calif.) contributed a team-best six rebounds and all five blocked shots.
The two sides were tied at 14 points apiece at the 13:41 mark of the first half when the Tritons utilized back-to-back 3-pointers and a lay-up to go up by five points at 19-14. The Aztecs countered with six consecutive baskets in the paint and a free throw to regain the lead at 27-19. UCSD made it a five-point game less than a minute later, but the host went on an 18-4 run to build a 19-point advantage at the half.
San Diego State went up by as many as 24 points in the second half, but the Tritons refused to go away, cutting their deficit in half as the Aztecs went without a field goal for just over seven minutes. Hopkins ended the draught with a lay-up at the 8:40 mark and the home team notched seven of the next nine points before eventually going on to claim a comfortable 19-point victory at 79-60.
The Aztecs shot over 53 percent from the field and 85 percent at the line, but were 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. UCSD, meanwhile, hit five 3-pointers, but had 23 turnovers and had 10 fewer rebounds.
The Tritons were led by guards Chelsea Carlisle, who tallied 17 points, and Daisy Feder, who added 15, in dropping an exhibition contest at SDSU for the second season in a row.
The Aztec will officially open their 2011-12 campaign in a week, as they play host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday, Nov. 14, beginning at 7 p.m. PT. The game is being televised live on Channel 4 San Diego as well as The Mtn. Tickets 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).