Nov. 13, 2013
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LOS ANGELES - For the second straight game, the San Diego State women's basketball team witnessed a furious rally fall short after dropping a 65-61 decision to USC Wednesday at Galen Center.
Senior center Cierra Warren (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) scored all of her game-high 21 points in the second half, but its wasn't enough to prevent the Aztecs' (0-2) first two-game losing streak since December 2011.
SDSU got off to a wobbly start in the first half, connecting on just 3-of-19 field goals, while committing 15 turnovers. USC (3-0) scored 19 points off those miscues to help build a 26-7 lead with 4:45 before intermission. The Aztecs began to pick themselves off the mat at this juncture as back-to-back jumpers by junior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.) and sophomore Deidra Smith (Aurora, Colo.) sparked a 12-3 run over the ensuing three minutes, which narrowed the gap to 29-19 with 42 seconds to go before halftime. However, SDSU's momentum was derailed somewhat when the Women of Troy's Ariya Crook sank three of four free throws in the waning moments to give the contest its 32-19 score at the break.
The Aztecs regained their shooting touch early in the second half when Harvey and senior Danesha Long (Long Beach, Calif.) drained a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a basket by USC's Cassie Harberts to pull the visitors to within single digits at 34-25 with nearly a minute elapsed in the period. However, the Women of Troy answered with a triple by Jordan Adams, while Kiki Alofaitui converted a pair of foul shots to restore the host school's double-digit advantage at 39-25.
That would be the prevailing theme for the remainder of the contest as USC thwarted every potential SDSU run with timely offensive rebounds and baskets, The Aztecs were unable to draw any closer than eight points until the final minute, but to their credit never allowed the Women of Troy to turn the contest into a run-away, trimming a 14-point deficit down to three before time ran out.
After Crook sank a free throw to give USC a seemingly comfortable 62-48 advantage with just 3:38 to play, SDSU fashioned a 12-2 outburst to tighten the score at 64-60 with 22 seconds to go. Warren was a one-player wrecking crew during the run, scoring 11 points, including an and-one opportunity, while the Women of Troy kept the door ajar for the Aztecs' comeback hopes with a 2-for-5 effort at the charity stripe in that same span.
However, the clock was the enemy of SDSU, which incredibly gained possession of the ball following another USC misfire at the free-throw line with 19 ticks remaining. The Aztecs had trouble getting the ball into the frontcourt, and when Long was fouled by Alexyz Vaioletama, only three seconds were left. The SDSU guard made one of two free throws, but Crook connected on a foul shot at the other end to seal the win for the Women of Troy.
Long surpassed the double-digit scoring plateau for the second straight game, finishing with 12 points, while Smith chipped in eight points off the bench. The Aztec cause was also aided by Harvey, who handed out five assists, while junior Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.) and freshman Ariell Bostick grabbed six rebounds apiece.
The Aztecs shot 16-of-25 (64.0 percent) from the field in the second half, compared to USC's 12-for-32 clip (37.5 percent), but the Women of Troy held a 14-5 advantage on the offensive glass during the period to help preserve the victory.
USC was led by Crook's 18 points, while Harberts (17 pts.) and Vaioletama (12 pts.) reached double figures as well.
SDSU will back in action on Monday, Nov. 18, when it plays host to the University of San Diego in the annual city showdown at Viejas Arena. Game time for the Aztecs' home opener is set for 6 p.m. PT.