Jan. 8, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Basketball Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip Card
NEWS AND NOTES
* After playing just one home game in the 28 days between Dec. 12 and Jan. 10, San Diego State opens a two-game homestand, playing host to San José State (Tuesday) and Utah State (Saturday).
* The Aztecs have opened Mountain West play 0-3, but had opportunities to win each game. SDSU led by as many as 11 points and by nine points with six minutes to play in the opener against New Mexico, had the final possession trailing at Nevada by three points, and led at Boise State by as many 11 points before suffering defeat.
* SDSU has played both all three conference games without starter Malik Pope (knee), who missed his eighth game of the season Saturday and has scored just 62 points in the 2016-17 campaign (he averaged 12.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and shot 51.5 percent from three-point range during the last nine games of last season). Senior captain Matt Shrigley (second degree high-ankle sprain), meanwhile, who was averaging 20.2 minutes per game this season and has connected on eight of his last 16 attempts from three-point range (50.0 percent) prior to the injury, missed the first two league tilts and is less than 100 percent.
* San Diego State has now lost 19 games this season due to injury from individuals expected to make contributions (Pope 8, Shrigley 4, Max Hoetzel 3, Jeremy Hemsley 1, Nolan Narain 1, Valentine Izundu 1, D'Erryl Williams 1).
* SDSU and San José State will meet for the 70th time on Tuesday. The series is the 10th-most frequently played in Aztec history.
* The Aztecs own a 35-34 series advantage, including a 24-8 record against the Spartans in San Diego. SDSU has won six straight in the series with the last San José State win coming on Jan. 30, 1999.
* SDSU has not suffered consecutive home conference losses since 2005. The Aztecs have responded from its last 12 league home defeats by winning in its next opportunity at Viejas. SDSU has gone 92 conference home games without suffering consecutive losses.
* San Diego State has dropped four games this season by six points or less. Despite being 0-4 in those contests this season, the Aztecs are a remarkable 50-26 in games decided by six points or less or in overtime since the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign.
* Hoetzel, a sophomore foward, continues to impress in his debut season with the Aztecs. The Indiana transfer posted a season-high 16 points in the game at Boise State, connecting on his first four attempts from three-point range. He ended the game 5-for-8 from bonus distance and now has a trey in eight consecutive games. In his last three games has 41 points in 77 minutes of action, connecting on 12-of-21 three-pointers (57.1 percent), with 13 rebounds.
* Hoetzel ranks 10th nationally in three-point field-goal percentage in conference games having made 12-of-21 for 57.1 percent (minimum three conference games and 4.0 3FGM/game).
* Senior guard Dakarai Allen has a reputation as a defensive stopper (according to Synergy he was the nation's top defensive player last season, see media guide page 47 for more details). On Saturday, however, the senior poured in a career- and team-high 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field to go with five rebounds and two steals.
* In his last three games, Allen is 11-of-19 (57.9 percent) from the field, while collecting eight steals. He now has 100 career thefts and is just six steals shy of making an appearance on the school's all-time top-20 list.
* On Wednesday at Nevada, Hemsley, a sophomore guard, had a remarkable night, scoring a career-high 30 points (21 after intermission), with five assists, three rebounds and no turnovers in 33 minutes of action. It marked just the sixth time this season a Division I player scored at least 30 points with five assists and no turnovers in a game. No San Diego State player has done it in at least 21 seasons.