Dec. 3, 2015
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SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's basketball team put forth a valiant effort against unbeaten crosstown adversary San Diego, but came up on the short end of a 60-53 decision Thursday at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. With the loss, the Aztecs (2-5) saw their modest two-game winning streak snapped, while the Toreros (7-0) kept their unblemished record intact.
USD came into tonight's contest with an average winning margin of 19 points in its previous six victories, but SDSU hung tough, especially in the middle, maintaining a 35-27 rebounding advantage and a 28-18 spread on points in the paint. However, the Toreros converted 19 Aztec turnovers into 21 points and outscored the host school 17-6 in a pivotal third quarter to take a 42-33 lead.
The Aztecs fought back to tie the score at 44-44 thanks to some clutch shooting by junior Kymberly Ellison (Columbus, Ga.), who drained a three-pointer and polished off an and-one opportunity to cap an 11-2 blitz during the first five minutes of the fourth period. However, USD responded with consecutive triples by Cori Woodward and Malina Hood to take the lead for good. SDSU narrowed the gap to three at 54-51 with 48 seconds remaining after an Ellison's third trey of the evening, but the Toreros sank six free throws down the stretch to keep the Aztecs at bay.
Ellison finished with a career-high 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting to match sophomore McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), who contributed a personal-best eight rebounds and five steals. In addition, the SDSU cause was aided by fellow classmate Cheyenne Greenhouse (Riverside, Calif.), who tallied seven points and five rebounds, while junior Ariell Bostick dished out three assists.
The Aztecs connected on one more field goal than USD (20-19), but squandered numerous scoring chances from close range, including seven missed layups. SDSU also experienced a dearth of free-throw opportunities, draining 9 of 13 shots from the foul line, while the Toreros went 17 for 26 from the charity stripe.
Still, the two sides battled through four ties and four lead changes, with the Aztecs forging a 22-16 bulge by the 4:22 mark of the second quarter following consecutive baskets by Bostick and senior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.). However, the Scarlet and Black was unable to give itself some additional breathing room as USD reeled off nine straight points capped by an Aubrey Ward-El bank shot with 1:46 remaining in the period. SDSU ended the run on its ensuing possession when senior Deidra Smith (Aurora, Colo.) converted an old-fashioned three-point play, while Fort sank two free throws with six seconds left to put the hosts back in front 27-25 at halftime.
The Toreros were paced by Hood's game-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including a 3-for-6 clip from beyond the arc, while Woodward and Sydney Williams contributed nine points each in the win.
The Aztecs return to the court on Monday, Dec. 7, when they head north to the San Fernando Valley to face Cal State Northridge. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT.