Jan. 19, 2013
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SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team received double-digit scoring totals from four players and turned in a stellar defensive effort en route to a 66-43 victory over Wyoming Saturday in a key Mountain West game at Viejas Arena.
Senior Courtney Clements (Long Beach, Calif.) led all players with 18 points, while fellow classmate Chelsea Hopkins (Las Vegas, Nev.), tallied 14 points to go with game highs of eight rebounds, eight assists and five steals, as the Aztecs (12-5, 3-1 MW) extended their winning streak against the Cowgirls (13-4, 2-2 MW) to four in a row.
In addition, the SDSU cause was aided by senior Malia Nahinu (Hayward, Calif.), who recorded 12 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) totaled 11 points of her own to go with six boards.
The Aztecs limited Wyoming, which entered the game leading the conference in offense (73.2 ppg) and field-goal percentage (46.0 pct.), to just 17-of-51 shooting from the field (33.3 pct.), including a 7-for-26 clip (26.9 pct.) in the second half. SDSU also won the turnover battle (17-10), outscoring the Cowgirls 26-6 off those miscues, and blocked seven shots.
The Aztecs trailed just once in the contest, 2-0; however, back-to-back layups by Clements and Nahinu capped an 18-3 blitz that put the host school firmly in control with nine minutes elapsed. Wyoming answered with a 15-9 run to close out the half, as a 3-pointer by Kayla Woodward with 1:22 remaining trimmed the margin to 30-23.
After an exchange of baskets to open the second half, SDSU began to methodically pull away, reclaiming a double-digit lead for good at 40-29, following a Nahinu jumper with 14:18 left on the clock. The Aztecs promptly took advantage of four straight Cowgirl misses, as three Hopkins free throws and a jumper by senior Gabrielle Clark (Los Angeles, Calif.) sparked a 19-8 run to give the Scarlet and Black a 59-38 cushion by the 6:32 mark. Clark also added a 3-pointer down the stretch, while senior Niki Novak (San Diego, Calif.) came off the bench in the waning seconds to notch her first basket as an Aztec, providing the contest with its final outcome of 66-43.
Wyoming was led by Kayla Woodward, who finished with 12 points, but just two in the second half. Meanwhile, the Cowgirls' leading scorer Chaundra Sewell was held to nine points on the afternoon on 4-of-17 shooting.
As a team, SDSU was 26-of-58 from the floor (44.8 pct.) and maintained a 40-22 advantage in the paint and a 12-0 spread in fast-break opportunities.
The Aztecs, who remain tied atop the MW standings with Fresno State, return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 23, when they square off against Nevada (6-10, 1-2 MW) at Viejas Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. PT.