Dec. 18, 2014
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SAN DIEGO - Despite limiting the nation's seventh-best scoring offense to its lowest output of the season, the San Diego State women's basketball team came up short in a 69-48 defeat to Washington on Thursday at Viejas Arena.
The Aztecs fought valiantly, but were unable to contain the individual exploits of Husky guard Kelsey Plum, who led all scorers with 30 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including a 4-for-8 clip from three-point range.
With the loss, SDSU falls to 3-6 on the season, while Washington, which benefited from two timely second-half runs, raises its record to 9-1 overall.
The Huskies shot 59 percent from the field after intermission (17-29) to break open a tight game, while the Aztecs experienced the opposite fate, connecting on just 28 percent of its attempts from the floor in the second half (9-28). In addition to 18 turnovers, which Washington converted into 19 points, SDSU's woes were compounded by a 2-for-17 effort from beyond the arc, along with a 42-26 scoring deficiency in the paint.
Still, the Aztecs managed to keep things close during the first 32 minutes of the contest, thanks in part to the play of sophomore Ariell Bostick, who made her first appearance since suffering a devastating knee injury last February. The SDSU guard finished with 10 points and a game-best three steals off the bench, joining senior Khristina Hunter (12 pts.) and freshman McKynzie Fort (10 pts.), who reached double figures as well. Hunter also grabbed seven rebounds to tie junior Erimma Amarikwa (7 pts.) for team-high honors.
Conversely, Plum's heroics were buffeted by Jazmine Davis (9 assists), who scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half, while teammate Aminah Williams added 11 points and a game-best nine rebounds to help the Huskies secure their ninth consecutive victory.
The two sides plodded through a defensive struggle in the first half, combining to make just 38 percent of their field-goal attempts (20-53). With the score tied at 12-12 midway through the opening period, Fort drained a jumper, while Hunter followed a layup to give the Aztecs their biggest lead of the night, before the Huskies reeled off eight straight points, capped by a Talia Walton basket, to vault in front for good at 20-16.
Shortly thereafter, Fort nailed two additional jumpers sandwiched around an Amarikwa free throw to pull the host school to within 22-21 at the 2:26 mark, but two quick layups by Plum short-circuited SDSU's momentum.
After Aztec junior Deidra Smith sank one of two free throws in the closing seconds of the first period, Washington methodically gave itself some breathing room over the first 12 minutes of the second half, utilizing a 19-10 run to increase its advantage to 45-32.
SDSU tried to rally as five quick points by Bostick and an Amarikwa foul shot trimmed the margin to 45-38 with 8:17 to go. However, Washington put the game out of reach with a 15-2 flurry over the next 4:25, punctuated by Plum's back-to-back triples and a Davis jumper.
Despite sinking six straight free throws down the stretch, the Aztecs were unable to match the Huskies' firepower for the remainder of the game, converting just two of their final 14 field-goal attempts, which ultimately sealed their fate.
San Diego State wraps up its homestand on Saturday, Dec. 20, when it tackles CSUN, beginning at 2 p.m. PT.