Feb. 1, 2012
San Diego St. 69, Boise St. 59
The San Diego State women's basketball team claimed its 13th consecutive victory and finished the first round of league play unbeaten by downing host Boise State 69-59 Wednesday at Taco Bell Arena. The Aztecs improved to 17-4 overall and now own a two-game lead in the Mountain West Conference standings at 7-0. Boise State, which committed 26 turnovers, dropped to 11-11 on the year and 2-5 in league action.
SDSU had three players in double-figure scoring with junior Courtney Clements (Long Beach, Calif.) leading the way with 20 points, despite shooting just 30 percent from the field. Clements now has eight 20-point scoring outings this season and also added a team-high seven boards in 37 minutes. Classmate Chelsea Hopkins (Las Vegas, Nev.) contributed 13 points and seven assists, while center Malia Nahinu (Hayward, Calif.) added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Nahinu and sophomore Kiyana Stamps (Moreno Valley, Calif.) also both had four steals apiece.
The Broncos had a pair of two-point advantages to start the evening, but the two sides would trade leads five times within the first five minutes before the Aztecs went on a 6-0 run for a 14-9 lead. SDSU was also ahead by seven at 21-14, but the host squad retook the lead at 24-23 after three consecutive points from center Lauren Lenhardt.
The Aztecs did not make a field goal in the final 4:31 of the first half, but made good on seven trips to the free-throw line, converting six of them to head into the locker room up 31-26 after a Boise State jumper at the buzzer.
SDSU opened the second half on a 7-2 run and led by 10 points twice at 38-28 and again at 42-32. Boise State got to within four on a 3-pointer by Katie Isham with 14:30 to play. The visitors answered with three points in a row from freshman Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) and seven points from Clements over a span of less than two minutes to build its largest advantage at 56-42.
Boise State cut it to eight points with under five minutes left, but the Aztecs made seven of 10 free throws in the final 1:38 to secure the 69-59 win.
The Broncos outshot the Aztecs (42.3 to 38.3), but SDSU owned a slight +3 margin on the glass and a big +12 advantage in the turnovers column.
Lenhardt had a game-high 24 points, while Isham contributed 13 for BSU.
San Diego State plays its second road game this week when it heads to Fort Worth, Texas, for a Saturday afternoon game against host TCU beginning at Noon PT/2 p.m. CT. The game is being televised live on CBS Sports Network from Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.