Jan. 28, 2015
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FRESNO, Calif. - San Diego State's Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) notched her seventh career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds on Wednesday, but it wasn't enough as the Aztec women's basketball team dropped a tough 57-50 decision to Fresno State in a Mountain West game at Save Mart Center.
Despite maintaining a 42-30 rebounding advantage, including a 23-12 spread on the offensive glass, SDSU was outscored 26-22 in the paint and was unable to overcome seven blocks on the evening to fall to 6-13 on the year and 3-5 in conference play.
The Bulldogs, meanwhile, converted 17 of 20 free throws and sank four 3-pointers to help extend their winning streak to 12 in a row and remain in sole possession of first place in the league standings with a 16-3 overall record and a spotless 8-0 mark in the MW.
In addition to Amarikwa's performance, senior Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.) fell just short of her own double-double, finishing with nine points and 10 rebounds, while fellow classmate Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.) contributed five points and eight rebounds to go with a game-high four steals, which equaled her personal-best.
The two sides battled through six lead changes and three ties in the early going until Fresno State went in front to stay at 13-10 with 12:16 remaining in the first half, following consecutive layups by Alex Sheedy and Raven Fox. After the Aztecs countered with a basket by Amarikwa, the Bulldogs reeled off 10 straight points to build a 23-12 cushion by the 7:16 mark of the period.
Unfazed, SDSU quickly responded with a 9-0 blitz over the next 3:35 to narrow the gap to 23-21 with 3:47 left before intermission. Culberson sparked the run with a 3-pointer and a layup, while Amarikwa added a basket and a pair of foul shots. However, Fresno State snuffed the visitors' momentum with consecutive triples by Fox and Sheedy to build a 29-22 cushion by halftime.
Hunter converted a layup off an offensive rebound early in the second half to cut the deficit to five, but the Aztecs could draw no closer. The Bulldogs answered with a 10-3 surge over a three-and-a-half minute span, punctuated by two Furr free throws, to seize control of the game at 39-27 by the 15:26 mark.
Shortly thereafter, junior Ahjalee Harvey's (Mountain View, Calif.) driving layup trimmed the margin to 41-34 with 12:09 to go, but Fresno State's Shauqunna Collins scored six points during an 8-3 blitz that restored the host school's double-digit lead at 49-37 with 6:49 remaining. The Bulldogs subsequently sank six of eight free throws in the final three minutes to help keep SDSU at bay and complete the regular-season sweep.
Five Fresno State players produced double-digit scoring totals, led by Fox's game-high 14 points, while Toni Smith added 13 points and nine rebounds. In addition, Furr, Sheedy and Collins tallied 10 points apiece, while Bego Faz Davalos made her presence felt with four blocks in the victory.
San Diego State will continue its road swing on Saturday when it travels to Utah State for a 2 p.m. MT tipoff. The Aggies (6-14, 3-5 MW) dropped an 86-51 decision at Wyoming on Wednesday.