Jan. 11, 2014
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SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team chose Saturday's game with Air Force to get well and did so in convincing fashion, defeating the Falcons by a 72-39 count in a Mountain West clash at Viejas Arena.
Junior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.) recorded her third collegiate double-double, tying her career-high with 20 points to go with a personal-best 17 rebounds as the Aztecs (4-9, 1-2 MW) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Hunter shot 9-for-18 from the field and capped off her all-round effort with a career-high four assists, while freshman Ariell Bostick (Oakland, Calif.) contributed a collegiate-best 17 points, including a pair of three-pointers, to go with a game-high four steals. In addition, senior Cierra Warren (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) reached double figures for the ninth time this season after scoring 11 points, all in the first half.
With no player standing taller than 5-11, Air Force (1-13, 0-4 MW) was overpowered in the middle by SDSU, which maintained a 48-33 rebounding advantage and a hefty 40-10 margin on points in the paint. The Aztecs also committed a season-low 10 turnovers and led wire-to-wire for the first time this year. In addition, the Scarlet and Black benefited from a cold-shooting Falcon squad that posted a mere 27 percent field-goal percentage on 14-of-52 attempts from the floor.
Sophomore Deajanae Scurry (Los Angeles, Calif.) drained her first collegiate triple to punctuate a 16-4 run during the first 4:29 of the game, and SDSU never looked back. Air Force managed to trim the deficit to eight on two occasions, including a 19-11 spread following a pair of Lindsay Lewis free throws with just under 12 minutes to go in the period. The Falcons could draw no closer, however, as the Aztecs uncorked a 15-3 run over the ensuing three-and-a-half minutes to build a comfortable 34-14 cushion by the 9:22 mark.
Following a three-pointer by Air Force's Mary Cavanaugh with 3:48 remaining, SDSU scored the final eight points of the half, including back-to-back layups by Hunter and junior Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.), to give the contest its 46-24 score at intermission.
The Aztecs connected on 50 percent of its shots from the floor in the frame (20-40) and owned a sizeable 13-3 advantage on the offensive glass to help key its big lead.
Following the break, SDSU maintained its defensive intensity, limiting the Falcons to just 15 points, an opponent-low for a half this season, on 6-of-26 shooting (23 percent). The Aztecs eventually increased their lead to 30 as Hunter scored her final points of the afternoon on a jumper with 4:50 left to give the hosts an insurmountable 67-37 advantage.
Air Force was led by Camille Thompson, who scored 12 points, while Cavanaugh and Cherae Medina (four assists) finished with eight apiece in the loss.
San Diego State will hit the road for a pair of MW games next week, traveling to Fresno State on Wednesday, Jan. 15, followed by a showdown at UNLV on Saturday, Jan. 18. Both contests are slated for a 7 p.m. PT start.