Dec. 19, 2014
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip Card
NEWS AND NOTES (all notes through Dec. 18 games)
* San Diego State opens its longest homestand of the season (four games) against Ball State. After the tilt with the Cardinals, SDSU will welcome UC Riverside (Monday), San Diego Christian (Dec. 27) and Air Force in the Mountain West opener (Dec. 31) to Viejas Arena.
* The Aztecs and Cardinals are meeting for the fifth time, but for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign, which was Steve Fisher's first atop Montezuma Mesa. Ball State leads the all-time series, 3-1.
* At the time of the last meeting between the schools (Dec. 27, 1999), Fisher had just three SDSU victories under his belt. Since then, the two-time national coach of the year and the Aztecs have won 316 games, with the 16th-year head coach becoming the school's all-time leader in wins back on Nov. 25, in Maui against Pittsburgh.
* SDSU is looking to rebound from Wednesday's overtime loss at Cincinnati and history is on its side. The Aztecs have responded with a win following a loss the last 12 times.
* San Diego State has gone 56 straight games without suffering a two-game losing streak.
* The Aztecs are also looking to prevent a losing streak while playing at a place they have had significant success at -- Viejas Arena. San Diego State is 94-8 since 2008-09 in home games and is a perfect 5-0 this season. n SDSU has won 19 consecutive home games, which is the longest streak in the school's Division I history (1970-71) and the second-longest in program history (22 from 1966-68).
* The Aztecs have won 49 consecutive non-conference home games against teams unranked in either poll at the time of the game. Its last such loss was a 62-56 setback to Northern Colorado on Jan. 9, 2008.
* San Diego State has held all five of its opponents at home to under 60 points this season and as a group, they are averaging 48.2 points against the Aztecs. The 48.2 points allowed by SDSU is the fourth-lowest in the nation among teams that have played at least five home games (see list below). The Aztecs' opponent field-goal percentage (.346) in games played at Viejas Arena, meanwhile, is 16th nationally (minimum five home games).
* SDSU is ranked in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll for the 22nd straight week, just one week short of the school record. The Aztecs' streak is the eighth-longest in the nation.
* Once again this season, San Diego State is one of the top defensive teams in the nation. The Aztecs rank t-20th in scoring defense (56.6), t-24th in fewest fouls per game (15.5), t-26th in blocked shots per game (5.5) and 30th in field-goal percentage defense (37.1). KenPom has SDSU sixth nationally in defensive efficiency.
* Junior forward Winston Shepard, who was named to the Naismith Trophy Top-50 Watch List at the beginning of the month, is coming off one of his strongest performances of the season. At Cincinnati on Wednesday, the Houston, Texas, native registered game highs of 17 points and five assists to go along with four rebounds and one steal. He made 6-of-10 shots against the Bearcats and is shooting 62.5 percent from the floor over his last two games (10-for-16).
* Senior guard Aqeel Quinn made his return to the rotation on Wednesday at Cincinnati just 16 days after surgery was performed on his left non-shooting hand. Quinn, who initially suffered the injury against Arizona in the title game of the Maui Invitational and missed a total of three games (vs. San Diego, at Washington, vs. Long Beach State), played 27 minutes and finished with six points, two rebounds and two steals.