Feb. 19, 2016
SAN DIEGO - Winners of three straight, the San Diego State women's basketball squad will face another hot team on Saturday when San José State invades Montezuma Mesa for a key Mountain West game at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Opening tip is set for 2 p.m. PT.
SDSU alumnus Chris Ello will handle the play-by-play responsibilities for a live video stream available on GoAztecs.com courtesy of the MW Network.
Saturday's clash with the Spartans will mark SDSU's annual "Play 4Kay" game to help promote awareness of women's cancers. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive free pink pom-poms, while the Aztec players are slated to don special pink uniforms. In addition, select prizes will be raffled off through a silent auction, with all proceeds benefiting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The Play4Kay initiative, formerly known as the WBCA Pink Zone, is named for the late Kay Yow, the former North Carolina State head coach who succumbed to breast cancer in 2009.
With seeding in next month's MW Championship potentially impacted, the Scarlet and Black will be looking to extend its winning streak to a season-long four games on Saturday, while SJSU rides into "America's Finest City" with five straight wins under its belt. Currently, the Aztecs occupy the ninth position in the conference race, while the Spartans are tied for third.
SDSU (9-15, 4-9 MW) is coming off a 69-66 road victory against a pesky Air Force squad ion Feb. 13. Despite 17 turnovers, the Aztecs shot a season-best 54.5 percent from the field, highlighted by an 8-for-14 clip from three-point range. Sophomore McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.) scored a team-high 16 points, including a pair of clutch free-throws with 4.9 seconds remaining to help seal the win. Meanwhile, SJSU (11-14, 9-5 MW) is coming off a 76-63 victory at Nevada in its last outing on Wednesday.
Saturday's encounter will be the 25th meeting between the two teams, with SDSU maintaining a 19-5 lead in the all-time series, including a 10-1 ledger in San Diego. However, the Aztecs will be seeking a measure of revenge against the Spartans after dropping a 78-73 decision in the last matchup between the two sides on Jan. 6 in San José. The Aztecs led by 13 in the second half, but was outscored 37-19 over the final 18:23.
Individually, SDSU has been led by Fort, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week who occupies the fifth spot in the conference for all games in scoring (14.8 ppg) and is third in steals (2.1/gm). In addition, the 5-9 guard ranks ninth in free-throw accuracy (.703) and 11th in field-goal percentage (.469).
Senior Ahjalee Harvey (Mountain View, Calif.), meanwhile, has landed in the sixth position this weekend with a .383 three-point field-goal percentage in conference play and ranks 13th with an average of 1.4 triples per game (17 overall). She is also averaging 11.0 points per contest in MW action. In addition, fellow classmate Deidra Smith (Aurora, Colo.) has found her range recently, connecting on 62 percent of her field-goal attempts over the past seven games (21-34), while sophomore Lexy Thorderson (Castle Rock, Colo.) is 9-20 from three-point territory in the Aztecs' last three contests.
Following Saturday's engagement San Diego State wraps up its homestand on Wednesday, Feb. 24, when it plays host to Wyoming at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m. PT.