June 21, 2016
2016-17 SDSU Women's Basketball MW Schedule
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- For the third year in a row, the San Diego State women's basketball team will open Mountain West competition before New Year's Day, as the league announced its 2016-17 schedule Tuesday morning. Starting times for the Aztecs' 18-game MW slate will be finalized at a later date. In addition, SDSU's non-conference schedule is nearing completion and will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.
The conference format will remain the same, with each team playing eight of the other 10 teams twice and playing two opponents once. This year, the Aztecs will not engage Wyoming at home and will not travel to Boise State.
While the rest of the league tips off MW play on Thursday, Dec. 29, SDSU will remain idle for the first of two open dates before jumping into action on Saturday, Dec. 31, when it pays a visit to long-time rival New Mexico. The New Year's Eve jaunt will mark the third straight year in which the Aztecs open their conference slate on the road and the first time they will face the Lobos in a MW lid-lifter since 2010. The teams split their two encounters last year, with each side claiming a victory on the opposing floor.
Following its trek to Albuquerque, SDSU returns to "America's Finest City" for its MW home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 4, when it locks horns with Nevada at Steve Fisher Court. The Aztecs will be looking to avenge a 70-64 home loss to the Wolf Pack in the lone meeting between the two squads last season. SDSU will then close off its initial homestand of conference play on Saturday, Jan. 7, when it welcomes Boise State to Montezuma Mesa.
The Aztecs will play four of their next six games on the road, starting Wednesday, Jan. 11, when they venture to the Bay Area for a mid-week clash at San José State, while a visit to Utah State awaits the Scarlet and Black three days later on Saturday, Jan. 14.
SDSU will enjoy a brief respite from the road when it battles UNLV (Jan. 18) and Air Force (Jan. 25) on consecutive Wednesdays, sandwiched around its final open date of the 2016-17 campaign. The Aztecs will be looking to reverse a two-game slide against the Lady Rebels, while the Falcons invade Steve Fisher Court for the first time since 2015 after engaging the Scarlet and Black just once last season.
SDSU will resume its road swing with a pair of challenging tests in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains at three-time defending regular-season conference champion Colorado State (Jan. 28) and Wyoming (Feb. 1). The Aztecs will be seeking to put the brakes on a seven-game skid against the Rams, who also locked up the league's automatic berth in the NCAA tournament a year ago. Conversely, SDSU emerged triumphant in three encounters with the Cowgirls last season, including an 84-77 triumph in Laramie.
The Aztecs will play three of their next four games in the friendly environs of Montezuma Mesa, beginning with a key showdown against Fresno State on Saturday, Feb. 4. SDSU came away with a thrilling 65-54 double-overtime victory in the Bulldogs' last visit to Steve Fisher Court a year ago. The Aztecs will then tackle San José State in their first repeat matchup of the MW schedule. The Scarlet and Black posted its highest point-total of the 2015-16 campaign with an 87-70 defeat of the high-octane Spartans at home.
Following a quick trip to Reno for a return engagement with Nevada on Saturday, Feb. 11, SDSU will square off against Utah State on Wednesday Feb. 15, in the Aggies first visit to The Mesa since 2015.
The Aztecs will quickly partake in another road trip, squaring off against UNLV (Feb. 18) and Fresno State (Feb. 22) in consecutive outings before playing two of their three remaining games at home.
SDSU will battle Colorado State at Steve Fisher Court on Saturday, Feb. 25, followed by an excursion to the Rockies once again for a date with Air Force on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Colorado Springs. The Aztecs have won 12 straight against the Falcons, its longest stretch against MW opponents, including a 69-66 nail-biter at the Academy last year.
For the first time in its MW membership, SDSU will finish its conference slate by playing the same team it faced in its league opener when New Mexico comes to town on Friday, March 3. The game will also represent the Aztecs' first regular-season finale at home since the 2012-13 campaign.
The Mountain West Championship will be held at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev., for the 10th straight season and the 15th time overall from March 6-10.
Under the direction of the fourth-year head coach Stacie Terry, SDSU returns nine letterwinners and three starters, led by rising junior McKynzie Fort (Fontana, Calif.), who received all-Mountain West honorable mention last season and earned a spot on the league's all-defensive team.