Feb. 14, 2015
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FORT COLLINS, Colo. - The San Diego State women's basketball team was able to trade some early punches on the road Saturday against Colorado State, but cold shooting in the second half ultimately derailed any hope of an upset as the Aztecs dropped a 65-42 decision in a Mountain West game at Moby Arena.
SDSU scored a season-low 13 points after intermission, shooting just 29 percent (6-21) in the period and 37 percent (18-49) for the game to fall to 9-15 on the year and 6-7 in conference play. The Rams, meanwhile, had their perimeter game clicking from the outset, draining eight 3-pointers in the first half and 11 on the afternoon to help raise their record to 18-6 overall and 10-3 in the MW.
Despite owning a 36-31 rebounding advantage, the Aztecs were outscored 26-16 in the paint as CSU bottled up the middle, limiting SDSU forwards Erimma Amarikwa (Vacaville, Calif.) and Khristina Hunter (Fairfield, Calif.) to just three points combined. In addition, the Rams tallied 23 points off 20 Aztec turnovers en route to sweeping the regular-season series for the second year in a row.
After suffering a 47-point defeat at Moby Arena last season, SDSU still had to feel good about its chances after keeping the score close midway through the first half as freshman McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.) hit a jumper to pull the Scarlet and Black to within one at 13-12 with 9:30 remaining. However, the Rams' Jamie Patrick quickly answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to ignite a 15-3 outburst that put the host school in front 28-15 by the 6:44 mark.
Patrick, who buried five triples in the opening period alone, tallied eight of her game-high 17 points during the run, while Hanne Mestdagh added the first of her three 3-pointers of the day.
The Aztecs managed to trim the deficit to single digits over the next 3:42 as a pair of triples by freshman Lexy Thorderson (Castle Rock, Colo.) served as bookends to 12-4 run that pulled the visitors to within striking distance at 32-27 with 3:02 to go before halftime.
Whatever momentum SDSU built was quickly subdued however, as Patrick nailed two crushing 3-pointers down the stretch, including one at the buzzer that was aided by a friendly bounce, putting CSU up 38-29 heading into the locker room.
Stung, the Aztecs stumbled out of the gates after the break, misfiring on their first four shots of the second half, while the Rams scored six straight points, including baskets by Ellen Nystrom and Elin Gustavsson, along a pair of free throws by Alana Arias to forge a 44-29 advantage.
SDSU tried to rally once more as a pair of Fort jumpers sandwiched around an Amarikwa layup narrowed the gap to 44-35 with 12:49 to go. Shortly thereafter, however, AJ Newton and Victoria Wells converted and-one opportunities on back-to-back possessions, giving the Rams a comfortable 50-35 cushion with 9:14 left to play, and the Aztecs never threatened again.
SDSU, which came in averaging just 13 turnovers in its previous four games, posted 14 giveaways in the second half alone on Saturday, including seven in the final nine minutes, as CSU limited the Scarlet and Black to seven points the rest of the way.
Fort led the Aztecs with 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting, while Thorderson went 5-for-7 from the floor, tying her career-best with 12 points in the loss. In addition, junior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.) dished out a season-high six assists and added six rebounds, while senior Chairese Culberson (Oakland, Calif.) contributed six boards of her own.
On the flip side, Patrick's performance was buffeted by Newton, who reached double-digits with 10 points, while Nystrom (10 rebounds) and Gritt Ryder (8 assists, 3 steals) each accounted for game-high totals on the final stat sheet for the Rams.
San Diego State returns to the hardwood next week when it opens a two-game homestand, starting Wednesday, Feb. 18, when takes on New Mexico at Viejas Arena. Opening tip is set for 6 p.m. PT. The Lobos (14-10, 10-3 MW) posted a 63-45 victory over Nevada at home on Wednesday.