Dec. 7, 2014
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SAN DIEGO - San Diego State senior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.) and junior Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) totaled 15 points and six rebounds apiece on Sunday to lift the Aztec women's basketball team past UC Santa Barbara, 64-58, at Viejas Arena.
Amarikwa connected on 7 of 11 field-goal attempts, scoring all of her points in the first half, while Hunter went 7-for-8 at the free-throw line, sinking three in the final minute to help preserve SDSU's third straight triumph over the Gauchos. With the victory, the Aztecs raise their record to 3-4 overall, while UCSB remains winless on the year at 0-8.
Neither side shot the ball well, with the Gauchos converting 41 percent of their field-goal attempts (24-58), compared to SDSU's 39 percent clip (21-54). However, the Aztecs sank 18 of 27 free throws, including their first 13 attempts, while UCSB went to the charity stripe just 10 times, draining eight tries for the game. In addition, SDSU registered a season-low 13 turnovers and connected on 4 of 8 three-pointers, while the Gauchos were just 2 for 13 from beyond the arc.
The contest was a see-saw affair throughout the first half, featuring three ties and 11 lead changes. However, junior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.) nailed a triple from the right wing with 3:42 remaining to ignite a decisive 11-0 run that put the Aztecs up for good at 34-24 by intermission. Conversely, UCSB shot itself in the foot during that span, misfiring on its final five field-goal attempts of the period while committing five turnovers.
Following the break, the Gauchos managed to trim the deficit to 43-40 with 9:47 left on the clock on a jumper by Kendra Morrison, before SDSU fashioned a timely 14-5 run over the next 5:25 to give itself a seemingly comfortable 57-45 advantage. However, UCSB would not go quietly, eventually narrowing the gap to 59-55 with 42 seconds remaining on a layup by Jasmine Ware. With time running out, the Gauchos were forced to foul, but the Aztecs stood their ground, sinking five free throws down the stretch to seal the win.
In addition to the heroics of Hunter and Amarikwa, SDSU received a solid contribution from senior Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.), who recorded nine points and three steals off the bench, while Harvey tallied with eight points and three assists. Elsewhere, sophomore Aleiah Brandon (Corona, Calif.) was a perfect 2-for-2 from both the field and the foul line to finish with six points, while freshman Lexy Thorderson (Castle Rock, Colo.) notched her first collegiate three-pointer, a clutch conversion at the 7:34 mark of the second half.
On the flip side, Ware led all scorers with 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting for UCSB, while teammate Chaya Durr recorded 11 points before fouling out.
The Aztecs will have little time to savor their victory as they will travel west down Interstate 8 on Tuesday, Dec. 9, for a crosstown battle with the University of San Diego at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Game time is set for 6 p.m. PT.