Jan. 23, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
San Diego State makes its return to Viejas Arena following a bye to take on Air Force in a Mountain West showdown on Weds., Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Chris Ello will call the play-by-play action for a live stream on the Mountain West Network.
The Aztecs fashioned one of their most exhilarating games of the season on Jan. 18, using a season-high 14 long balls, their most in nearly 13 years, to take down UNLV in home Mountain West action, 87-68. SDSU knocked down 14 3-pointers for a season high and their most since the 2004-05 season, while recording 24 assists, the most since the 2014-15 season opener against Sacramento State.
Since the start of conference play, San Diego State's play from beyond the arc has been phenomenal. The Aztecs lead the league in MW play with 9.3 3-pointers per game, and is one of four MW teams to have five-or-more games this year with double-digit 3-pointers. Junior Lexy Thorderson has had three games with five-or-more treys: seven against UNLV, six versus Boise State and five against Nevada. Her 2.5 3-pointers per game and 4.0 threes per conference game are the most in the Mountain West.
SDSU takes its home court advantage to the next level. The Aztecs are 6-2 this season when playing at Viejas Arena, shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and holding opponents to a .423 shooting percentage, while narrowly edging opponents in assists (129-128), steals (40-39) and points per game (73.9-70.4). At home, four Aztecs are averaging double-digit points, led by junior McKynzie Fort's 17.1 points per game.
Air Force (2-15, 0-7 MW) has yet to win a game in Mountain West play, but have lost their most recent two games by five and four points, respectively. The Falcons rely heavily on their newcomers, who account for 65.3 percent of its scoring and 54.9 percent of its minutes logged. Freshman Mariah Forde is a major component of the Falcons' first-year success, as she is the conference's leading scorer among freshmen with 9.9 points per game. Classmate Kailin Davis, meanwhile, ranks third among freshmen with 9.2 points per game.
SDSU will hit the road after its game against Air Force to visit second-place Colorado State on Sat., Jan. 28 for a 2 p.m. (MT) contest.