Jan. 5, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State will go for its fifth win in six games when it hosts Boise State for a Saturday afternoon showdown on Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. Chris Ello will call the play-by-play action for a live broadcast on the Mountain West Network.
The Scarlet and Black is coming off of an 83-78 home win against Nevada. SDSU scored a season-high 52 points, its highest first-half point total since the 2014-15 season opener against Sacramento State, and knocked down nine 3-pointers, more than its total in 11 games this year. In the first quarter alone, the Aztecs scored 32 points for their highest point total in a single frame this year and knocked down six shots from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Aztecs' 4-1 mark in the last five games is even more impressive when compared to the previous eight games. Since SDSU's Dec. 11 win against UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State has improved its field goal percentage, 3-point shooting percentage (.280, 108-for-147 to .355, 51-for-72), points per game (60.0 to 68.6 per game), assists (10.1 to 14.8 per game) and steals (6.1 to 6.4 per game).
In her first four games as an Aztec following her transfer from Washington prior to the Spring 2015 semester, junior Khalia Lark has made an immediate impact. The Irvine, Calif., native has averaged 12.8 points and 6.8 boards in her first four games, leading the Aztecs in rebounds in each of the four games and becoming just the second Aztec this year to score 20-or-more points with a career-high 22 against Nevada.
One of the best offensive teams in the conference, Boise State is off to a 2-1 start in conference play (12-2 overall) after suffering a surprising 58-55 loss to UNLV Wednesday that snapped a 10-game home win streak. The Broncos are averaging a Mountain West-best 71.8 points per game, outscoring opponents by 9.7 points per game. The team uses a strong performance from beyond the 3-point arc to get its wins, shooting 36.4 percent from 3-point territory. Boise State also employs a total team effort, ranking second in the league with 16.2 assists and 14.6 offensive rebounds.
Following the contest, the Aztecs hit the road for a pair of Mountain West road games. On Weds., Jan. 11, SDSU takes on San Jose State before heading to Logan, Utah for a matchup on Sat., Jan. 14 at Utah State.