Feb. 8, 2014
Final Stats | Final Stats in PDF Format
RENO, Nev. - The San Diego State women's basketball team fell victim to another barrage of three-point shooting as host Nevada claimed an 84-65 decision on Saturday in a Mountain West clash at Lawlor Events Center.
The Wolf Pack, who entered the contest averaging 4.6 triples per outing, drained 11 of 22 attempts from beyond the arc to help raise their record to 12-10 overall and 7-4 in conference play. Conversely, the Aztecs connected on just 1 of 11 shots from three-point range to fall to 8-12 on the year and 5-5 in the MW.
Despite maintaining a 43-32 rebounding advantage and sinking nine more free throws (22-13) than Nevada, the Aztecs shot just 36.2 percent (21-58) from the field on the afternoon, compared to the Wolf Pack's 50.8 percent clip (30-59).
Individually, SDSU was led by junior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.), who scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, while senior Cierra Warren (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) finished with 15 points and three blocks. Freshman Ariell Bostick (Oakland, Calif.) also got into the act with 11 points and six boards, but it wasn't enough to counter Nevada's success from the perimeter. In addition, Warren and Bostick scored just seven points combined in the first half after getting into early foul trouble.
The two sides witnessed three ties and five lead changes in the opening six minutes before Terilyn Moe nailed two free throws, while Arielle Wideman buried one of her career-high four treys to put the Wolf Pack up for good at 13-10 with 12:17 remaining in the first half. A layup by the Aztec senior Danesha Long (Long Beach, Calif.) cut the deficit to one, but Wideman once again dialed up from long distance to spark a 15-5 run that provided the host school a 28-17 cushion by the six-minute mark.
SDSU trimmed the margin to eight on three occasions, including a 34-26 spread after a jumper by junior Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.) with 1:31 left before halftime. Following a Nevada miss, the Aztecs had a chance to draw closer, but a turnover and an errant three-point attempt sandbagged those plans. Instead, Moe drilled a jumper with 16 seconds to go, giving the contest its 36-26 score at the break.
Following intermission, Warren sank a pair of foul shots in the first minute to trim the margin to single digits at 36-28. However, Nevada gradually gave itself additional breathing room over the ensuing 6:46 as a three-pointer by Moe punctuated a 21-8 spurt that put the Wolf Pack up 57-36 by the 12:19 mark. Nevada went 8-for-12 from the field during that stretch, highlighted by three triples, while the SDSU simply couldn't match that firepower, committing three turnovers and missing four key foul shots.
The Aztecs managed to stage a late rally, narrowing the gap to 11 at 64-53 after a pair of free throws by Deajanae Scurry (Los Angeles, Calif.) with just under seven minutes to go. However, SDSU was unable to sustain the momentum as another misfire from three-point territory proved costly. Shortly thereafter, Wideman connected on two free throws, while Danika Sharp hit a three-pointer to all but extinguish the Aztecs' hopes.
Wideman tallied game-highs of 17 points and nine assists to pace the Wolf Pack, while Sharp also drained four triples on the day, finishing with 16 points to match Moe's output. In addition, Nyasha LeSure finished in double figures with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting off the bench.
San Diego State returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 12, when it plays host to Wyoming at Viejas Arena, starting at 6 p.m. PT. The Aztecs will don special pink uniforms as part of their annual breast cancer awareness game.