March 9, 2015
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LAS VEGAS -
San Diego State-Nevada Final Box
Seventh-seeded San Diego State used a dominating second half to dismiss 10th-seeded Nevada, 70-48, from the Mountain West Championship Monday night at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. With the win, the Aztecs improve to 12-18 and advance to Tuesday's quarterfinal round vs. No. 2 seed New Mexico.
The first half had an ebb-and-flow type of feel to it despite SDSU enjoying an 11-point lead with under six minutes to play. Prior to the double-digit lead, the score was tied twice and was a two-possession game for the first 12 minutes before the Aztecs embarked on a 17-4 run to take the 11-point advantage.
Nevada, which received 15 points from Mimi Mungedi in the opening 20 minutes, closed the period on a 9-2 run to cut its deficit to one point, but Chairese Culberson knocked down a three-pointer with 25 seconds left to lift San Diego State to a 32-28 at halftime.
The Wolf Pack continued to click offensively in the second half by scoring the first four points to knot the score at 32. The Aztecs, however, responded with six consecutive points and eventually finished their run by scoring 10 of the game's next 11 points. SDSU's 10-1 spurt was spurred by six straight McKynzie Fort points, which were bookended by buckets from Ahjalee Harvey and Khristina Hunter.
At this point, Nevada trailed by nine points and the Wolf Pack answered immediately with four points over the next two-plus minutes. But like before, San Diego State had a solution and rattled off seven consecutive points to move ahead by 12 and SDSU never looked back en route to the 22-point victory.
Four Aztecs reached double figures in scoring as Harvey, Fort, Erimma Amarikwa and Ariell Bostick each scored 10 points. Hunter, meanwhile, added nine points, and Culberson and Deidra Smith contributed seven points apiece.
San Diego State shot 49.1 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Wolf Pack, 33-24. Nevada was nearly as good as the Aztecs were from the field, shooting 48.6 percent, but SDSU forced the Wolf Pack into committing 24 turnovers, which equaled the most by a San Diego State opponent this season.
The Aztecs will return to Thomas & Mack Center on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. PT to face the Lobos. The winner will advance to Wednesday's 8:30 p.m. semifinal.