Nov. 18, 2015
SAN DIEGO - Two teams looking to break into the win column for the first time this season will square off Thursday night when the San Diego State women's basketball squad takes on UC Davis at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Opening tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT, with Aztec alumnus Chris Ello calling the action courtside for a Mountain West Network video stream available on GoAztecs.com.
The Aztecs (0-2) are coming off an 85-68 defeat to UC Riverside in their home opener on Monday. SDSU received double-digit scoring totals from three players, including a career-high 25 points by sophomore guard McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), who also set a personal best with an 11-for-12 performance at the free-throw line. However, the Aztecs were unable to keep pace with the high-octane Highlanders, who shot 50 percent from the floor (31-62) and outscored SDSU 40-24 in the paint.
Much like its season-opening 74-54 defeat at Long Beach State last week, the Aztecs stumbled out of the gates against UCR, connecting on just 17 percent (5-29) of their field-goal attempts in the first half while committing 13 turnovers. The Highlanders scored 23 points off those miscues to help build a commanding 46-27 lead by intermission and never looked back.
Similarly, the Aggies (0-2) have come up short in their first two games of the 2015-16 campaign, falling at home to both Stanford (74-45) and Pacific (66-53). UC Davis has experienced its own shooting woes early in the season, draining just 27.5 percent (28-102) of its attempts from the field, including an 18 percent clip (7-39) from three-point range.
SDSU will engage its third straight Big West Conference opponent when UC Davis invades "America's Finest City" this week. Thursday's showdown will mark just the fourth all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Aztecs holding a 2-1 lead in the series. SDSU has not played UC Davis since Nov. 17, 2006, when the Scarlet and Black claimed a 59-52 decision at home. The two sides also faced one another twice during the 2005 non-conference slate, with each team winning on its home floor.
The Aztecs, who are 98-88 against current Big West schools, will have two additional games against the league's Southern California contingent next month when they travel to Cal State Northridge on Dec. 7, followed by a home clash with Cal State Fullerton on Dec. 19.
Following Thursday's encounter, San Diego State will make its lone excursion outside of California prior to the holidays when it heads to the Pacific Northwest on Monday, Nov. 23, for a battle with Washington at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT.