Jan. 12, 2016
SAN DIEGO - Following an open date, the San Diego State women's basketball team returns to the court on Wednesday when it entertains Colorado State in a Mountain West showdown at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. PT. SDSU alumnus Chris Ello will handle the play-by-play responsibilities for a live video stream via the MW Network on GoAztecs.com.
SDSU (6-8, 1-2 MW) is coming off a hard-fought 78-73 loss at San José State on Jan. 6. The Aztecs battled back from a 15-point deficit in the first quarter to grab a 48-41 advantage by halftime, only to relinquish the lead after connecting on just 4 of 19 field goals in the final period. Meanwhile, the Rams (13-1, 3-0 MW) dispatched the same Spartan squad by a 76-54 count at home last Saturday to remain one of just two unbeaten teams in MW play this season, along with Fresno State.
Wednesday's matchup will be the 50th meeting with CSU, marking SDSU's fourth-most frequently played opponent behind New Mexico (56), UNLV (51) and Wyoming (51). Despite maintaining a 27-22 advantage in the all-time series, including a 16-7 ledger in San Diego, the Aztecs have dropped four straight to the Rams, averaging just 46.8 points per game during that span. Last season, SDSU was saddled with a 49-36 defeat on Montezuma Mesa before CSU completed the sweep with a 65-42 decision in Fort Collins.
Keeping with the trend, defense has typified the Aztecs-Rams rivalry of late, with the winning team scoring over 70 points just seven times in the past 33 games dating back to 2000. The last time SDSU tallied 70 points against CSU occurred on March 3, 2010, when the Scarlet and Black emerged with a 73-54 triumph on the road. The task at hand appears daunting once again, as the Rams top the conference in scoring defense (50.6 ppg), while the Scarlet and Black is averaging 60.4 points per contest.
Individually, the Aztecs are led by sophomore McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), who ranks fifth in the Mountain West for all games in scoring (14.8 ppg) and is tied for the fifth spot in steals (2.1/gm). In addition, the 5-9 guard is sixth among the league leaders with four 20-point performances to her credit. Meanwhile, senior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.) occupies the sixth position in conference games with a .400 three-point field-goal percentage and ranks 10th in scoring (13.0 ppg). Recently, Harvey moved into ninth place on the school's all-time list with 273 three-point field-goal attempts for her career.
For the season, SDSU owns a plus-1.6 turnover margin and has committed the third fewest turnovers in the MW with 206 overall (14.7/gm), trailing only Colorado State (166 - (11.9/gm)) and Wyoming (185 - (13.2/gm)). Through 14 games last year, the Aztecs ranked last in the conference with 301 turnovers (21.5/gm) and a minus-5.9 turnover margin.
After Wednesday's encounter, San Diego State will square off against Boise State on Saturday, Jan. 16, at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena to highlight Alumni Appreciation Weekend. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m. PT.