Jan. 7, 2012
Behind a career-high 21 points from junior Chelsea Hopkins, the San Diego State women's basketball team finished out its 2011-12 non-conference schedule by defeating host CSU Bakersfield 74-60 Saturday afternoon at the Icardo Center. The win is the Aztecs' sixth in a row and improved the squad to 10-4 on the year, while the Roadrunners dropped to 3-16 overall.
Hopkins (Las Vegas, Nev.) continued her stellar play by matching her previous career high for scoring in the first half alone, ending with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including her first three triples of the season. Hopkins also had eight assists and was one of four players with a team-best six rebounds.
Three of the Aztecs' other four starters also reached double-figures in scoring with juniors Malia Nahinu (Hayward, Calif.) and Courtney Clements (Long Beach, Calif.) notching 11 points apiece and redshirt sophomore Kiyana Stamps (Moreno Valley, Calif.) contributing 10.
SDSU trailed by a single possession on three occasions early before breaking out of an 8-8 tie with 12 unanswered points to go up 20-8, as the `Runners failed to score for more than seven and a half minutes. The Aztec lead dipped below double-figures at nine on a triple from CSUB's Brooklynn Hinkens, but the Aztecs reeled off a 9-0 run to go up by 18 before heading into the break in front 37-23.
The Roadrunners managed just three free throws through the first four and a half minutes coming out of the locker room to help the visitors jump ahead by 19 on two occasions. CSUB's first field goal of the second half, a 3-pointer by Kristine Herman, sparked 12-5 run cutting the Aztec advantage down to 50-38 with 11:08 left in the game.
San Diego State immediately countered with a jumper by Nahinu and Stamps and a triple from Hopkins to restore the team's 19-point lead. The Aztecs led by as many as 24 points with 2:54 remaining before CSU Bakersfield ended the afternoon on a 10-0 run to close out the game at 74-60.
SDSU shot 50 percent from the field (28-for-56) and converted seven 3-pointers, while also registering a +19 advantage on the glass to overcome its 20 turnovers. CSUB shot only 35.6 percent, including 31 percent in the first half, and was just 12-of-23 at the free-throw line.
The Roadrunners, who had only seven players available due to injuries, were led by Lauren Carter's 21 points and eight rebounds and Ciarra Ford's 16 points.
San Diego State opens Mountain West play next week starting Wednesday for a 8 p.m. PT tip-off against preseason league favorite TCU at Viejas Arena. The game is being televised live on The Mtn.