March 7, 2016
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LAS VEGAS -
(9) Wyoming-(8) San Diego State Final Box
The eighth-seeded San Diego State women's basketball team finished the game on a 21-5 run to put away ninth-seeded Wyoming, 62-44, in the first round of the 2016 Mountain West Championship Monday afternoon at Thomas & Mack Center.
The Aztecs led wire-to-wire, but were pushed to the brink in the third quarter. SDSU led by as many as 11, but the Cowgirls closed to within two, 41-39, with 2:47 left in the frame. San Diego State, however, responded by scoring the final four points of the third, which was a part of a larger 21-1 run to put the Aztecs ahead, 62-40, with two minutes to play in regulation.
During the run, SDSU forced Wyoming into missing 15 consecutive shots and the Cowgirls did not connect until there was 1:32 left in the game. In fact, the Aztecs held the Wyoming to just five points in the final period to help post SDSU's largest margin of victory in the series since a 23-point win in 2013.
The tone for the afternoon was set by McKynzie Fort in the first quarter. The sophomore guard was 5-for-7 from the field en route to 10 points during a quarter in which the Aztecs finished with a 19-10 lead. Both teams played even in the second as they scored 12 points apiece, giving SDSU a 31-22 lead at halftime setting up the Wyoming rally and the subsequent Aztec surge to put a bow on the game.
Fort ended with a game-high 17 points and shared game-high honors with Ariell Bostick as both had four steals. Bostick enjoyed a nice all-around performance, adding nine points, eight rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes. Deidra Smith, meanwhile, posted 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Aztecs will return to action on Tuesday afternoon when they face top-seeded and No. 22/23 Colorado State. Tip time from Las Vegas is noon PT and the game will air on GoAztecs.com via the Mountain West Network.