Jan. 30, 2015
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team looks to put the brakes on a two-game losing skid Saturday when it travels to the Wasatch Mountains to battle Utah State, starting at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. A live audio stream will be available on GoAztecs.com with SDSU alumnus Chris Ello handling the play-by-play responsibilities courtside from Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah. In addition, Saturday's showdown will feature streaming video courtesy of the Mountain West Network.
The Aztecs (6-13, 3-5 MW) are coming off a disappointing 57-50 road loss to conference front-runner Fresno State on Wednesday. SDSU trimmed an early 11-point deficit down to two, but were unable to gain the upper hand, as the Bulldogs sank 17 of 20 free throws and drained four 3-pointers to help keep the Aztecs at bay. Meanwhile, the Aggies (6-14, 3-5 MW) saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt after running into a hot-shooting Wyoming squad that scorched the nets with a 13-for-19 performance from beyond the arc in an 86-51 defeat at Laramie.
SDSU and Utah State will be meeting for just once during the regular season this year after the teams split two encounters during the 2013-14 campaign. The Aztecs posted an 88-72 victory at Viejas Arena before the Aggies turned the tables with a 79-69 triumph in Logan. In that latter engagement, SDSU point guard Ariell Bostick suffered a devastating knee injury and missed the final seven games of the season, along with the first eight contests this year.
Despite the setback, the Aztecs still maintain a 4-1 lead in the all-time series, including a 132-64 conquest in San Diego on Dec. 16, 1983, when the Scarlet and Black established a program record for most points in a single game.
SDSU and USU will each look to break unsettling patterns on Saturday. The Aztecs rank 10th in the Mountain West in scoring offense with just 55.5 points per game, while the Aggies occupy the ninth spot in scoring defense, allowing 71.4 points per outing.
The two sides have faced one common opponent in Sacramento State during their respective non-conference schedules. SDSU outlasted the high-octane Hornets with a 99-91 triumph in the season opener at Viejas Arena on Nov. 14; however, USU was not as fortunate, coming up short on the road in a 102-92 slugfest on Dec. 19.
Collectively, the Aztecs find themselves in the top half of the MW in three-point field goal percentage defense (2nd - (.280)), which ranks 45th in the nation, rebounding defense (2nd - 35.0/gm) and rebounding margin (3rd - (+3.8)).Individually, junior Erimma Amarikwa occupies the eighth spot for all games in rebounding (6.9/gm) and is ninth in free-throw percentage (.692). She also enters the weekend averaging 12.4 points per contest in league play, which ranks 10th.
Following Saturday's clash, San Diego State will return to Montezuma Mesa for a pair of home games next week when it squares off against Nevada (Feb. 4) and Boise State (Feb. 7).