Nov. 14, 2014
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team emerged triumphant in its 2014-15 regular-season opener on Friday, defeating Sacramento State, 99-91, in a high-scoring affair at Viejas Arena. The Aztecs (1-0) offset 39 turnovers with a huge interior presence, while five players posted double-digit scoring totals to key their hard-fought win.
SDSU survived the Hornets' (0-1) wide-open style by maintaining a 72-24 points-in-the-paint advantage to go with a substantial 65-36 margin in rebounds, including a 47-14 bulge on the defensive end. The result was a bevy of open looks, with the Aztecs shooting 63 percent from the floor (39-62), while Sac State connected on just 28 percent of its field-goal attempts (26-93).
In a statistical anomaly, Scarlet and Black won the game without the benefit of a three-point basket (0-0). Conversely, the run-and-gun Hornets hoisted an NCAA-record 58 shots from beyond the arc, but drained just 13 on the afternoon (22 percent), including four during a second-half fade.
Individually, the Aztecs were led by junior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.), who scored a career-high 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting, while junior Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) and freshman Cheyenne Greenhouse (Riverside, Calif.) each contributed a double-double. Amarikwa also established personal best of 19 points and 13 rebounds, while Greenhouse added 19 points of her own to go with 11 boards and five assists in her collegiate debut. In addition, the SDSU cause was aided by fellow classmate McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), who totaled 16 points, while junior Deidra Smith (Aurora, Colo.) finished with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The frenetic contest witnessed 12 ties and 22 lead changes before the Aztecs pulled away in the final 12 minutes of the second half. In the interim, SDSU had its hands full in the early going, committing 25 turnovers by intermission alone. Still, Sac State was unable to take complete advantage of the host school's ball-handling woes, posting its largest advantage of the first half at 31-25 on a three-pointer by Hallie Gennett with 10:25 left on the clock. SDSU kept things close, eventually tying the score at 32-32 just over a minute later following a Hunter layup and a Greenhouse foul shot.
After the Hornets reeled off five straight points, it was the Aztecs' turn to fashion a run, with a layup by Amarikwa capping 16-6 surge to provide SDSU a 48-43 lead with 2:05 remaining in the period. However, the Scarlet and Black could not build on its good fortune as the Hornets came up with four steals down the stretch to help fuel a 14-4 outburst, punctuated by Fantasia Hilliard's buzzer-beating layup to take a 57-52 lead into the locker room.
The high-octane pace continued in the second half, with the Hornets reclaiming a six-point bulge at 72-66 by the 14:16 mark following back-to-back triples by Andrea Chenier and Takara Burse. However, the visitors' momentum stalled at this juncture, allowing the Aztecs to seize control of the game. Sac State connected on just two of 21 shots from the field over the next 11-plus minutes, including an 0-for-13 effort from three-point range.
In the meantime, SDSU converted eight of 11 attempts from the field during that span, including consecutive layups by Hunter and Greenhouse that gave the hosts their largest lead of the game at 93-80 with 3:25 remaining.
The Hornets were led by Burse's 17 points, including a 12-for-12 performance from the free-throw line, while Hilliard, Brianna Burgos and Adella Randle-El finished with 11 points apiece.
The Aztecs' 99 points represented their highest point-total since defeating Colorado State at home, 101-62, on Jan. 25, 1992.
San Diego State wraps up its two-game homestand on Sunday, Nov. 16, when it entertains Long Beach State at Viejas Arena, starting at 2 p.m. PT.