Dec. 16, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Basketball Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip
NEWS AND NOTES
* San Diego State returns from final exams on Friday to play host to Grand Canyon in what is the third game of a season-long five-game homestand.
* The Aztecs are 2-0 on the current homestand and are in search of their third consecutive victory, which would be their longest winning streak of the season. SDSU will wrap up its homestand with Kansas on Dec. 22 and Wyoming in the Mountain West opener on Dec. 30.
* When SDSU takes the floor vs. Grand Canyon, it will be its first game in eight days, which is a far cry from the first 11 games of the campaign. The Aztecs played 11 games in 28 days, including seven games in the first 15 days of the season.
* San Diego State is facing a Grand Canyon program that it has not met since Feb. 23, 1980. In the only meeting of the series, the Antelopes emerged with an 86-68 victory at the San Diego Sports Arena.
* In its last outing vs. Nicholls, SDSU shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 40.0 percent from three-point distance, while limiting the Colonels to 24.6-percent accuracy from the floor en route to an 84-47 victory. The Aztecs also forced 20 turnovers, which were the most by an opponent this year, and recorded a season-high 11 steals and 10 blocked shots.
* The starting backcourt of Jeremy Hemsley and Trey Kell led the way for the Aztecs vs. Nicholls by combining for 35 points (13-19 FG, 4-6 3FG, 5-7 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, one blocked shot and five steals. Individually, Hemsley led all players with a career-high-tying 20 points and four assists. Kell, meanwhile, added a career-high-matching 15 points and a game- and personal-high three steals.
* Winston Shepard was solid off the bench against the Colonels as he posted his first double-double of the season (fourth career) with 13 points and a season-high 10 rebounds in 19 minutes. Ben Perez joined Shepard in double figures with a career-high 11 points (3-7 3FG) and a personal-record two steals.
* Trey Kell has played some of the best basketball of his career of late. In his last four games, he is averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field (52.6 percent from three-point distance). When you take out the game vs. Biola when he played 12 first-half minutes (0 points, 0-3 FG) and sat the second half due to a sore knee, his numbers improve to 14.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 45.5-percent shooting (58.8 percent from behind the three-point arc).
* Ben Perez has also played well recently as he has bookended a four-game stretch with a pair of double-figure scoring performances. At Long Beach State, Perez scored a then-career-high 10 points (4-4 FG, 2-2 3FG) in 13 minutes off the bench, but missed the next two outings due to a concussion. The preferred walk-on, however, returned to action vs. Nicholls and one-upped his performance at LBSU with a personal-best 11 points. In his last two games, Perez is averaging 10.5 points on 57.1-percent shooting (5-9 3FG) and 2.0 rebounds in 15.5 minutes.
* Defense has been the Aztecs' calling card the last several seasons and this season is no different. SDSU has held its last three opponents to 53 points or fewer and is allowing a Mountain West-low 60.0 points per game (14th nationally). The Aztecs also rank first in the MW in field-goal percentage defense (35.6 percent; 6th nationally) and second in blocked shots per game (6.0; 17th natonally). San Diego State's 66 blocked shots are the seventh most in Division I. All rankings are through Dec. 15 games.
* SDSU is also among the national leaders in taking and making free throws. The Aztecs rank 11th in America in free-throw attempts (277) and 13th in makes (198), through Dec. 15 games. San Diego State is shooting 71.5 percent from the stripe, which is ahead of last year's 63.0 percent accuracy.