Feb. 21, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Basketball Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip Card
NEWS AND NOTES (through Feb. 20)
* San Diego State, which has won three straight games and five of its last six, puts the finishing touches on a brief two-game homestand on Wednesday night vs. Fresno State.
* The Aztecs enter the game in fifth place in the Mountain West standings, but only two games behind conference tri-leaders Nevada, Boise State and Colorado State, and a half game back of fourth-place New Mexico. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are right behind SDSU, sitting a half game back. CSU and UNM play on Tuesday night in Albuquerque.
* San Diego State and Fresno State are getting together for the 113th time in series history and the game is easily the most frequently played in Aztec history. SDSU's series with UC Santa Barbara is next in line with 93 all-time meetings.
* The Aztecs are looking to sweep the season series with Fresno State for the first time since 2014. Earlier this month, San Diego State went into Save Mart Center and defeated the Bulldogs, 70-67. The win snapped Fresno State's 13-game home conference winning streak and its nine-game overall home winning streak.
* SDSU enters the mid-week clash looking for its fourth consecutive victory, which would equal a season best. The Aztecs won four straight games in December, defeating Alabama State at home before heading to Honolulu and winning three games in four days (Southern Miss, Tulsa, San Francisco) to capture the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
* The Aztecs, who once won 47 straight games vs. California schools dating from Dec. 2, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2015, are 62-5 in their last 67 games vs. universities that reside in the Golden State. SDSU, meanwhile, has won 22 straight at home against California State University (CSU) schools. Both SDSU and Fresno State are CSU schools.
* San Diego State heads into Wednesday's game on short rest after defeating UNLV on Sunday, 77-64, at Viejas Arena. The win was the Aztecs' 10th straight over the Runnin' Rebels.
* For the game, SDSU shot 50.9 percent from the field, which was its 57th straight win when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor, and received 23 points from the bench, including a career-high 16 from senior forward Matt Shrigley, who made four three-pointers in the first half. The Aztecs also limited UNLV, the conference's top offensive rebounding team (13.2 orpg; league games only), to five offensive rebounds and two second-chance points.
* In addition to Shrigley's 16 points, San Diego State received game-high totals of 17 points and nine rebounds from junior forward Malik Pope. The Sacramento native has missed nine games and countless practice time this season due to a knee injury. Pope has played in 10 straight games and started each of the last seven contests during which he has posted impressive numbers: 12.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 steals. He is 34-of-62 from the field (54.8 percent) and 7-of-14 from three-point distance during that stretch.
* Sophomore guard Jeremy Hemsley quietly added 16 points for the Aztecs vs. UNLV after making 6-of-8 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The Rancho Cucamonga product has scored in double figures in four straight games, averaging 14.3 points in that span. Over his last two games, he is 4-for-8 from three-point range.
* Junior guard Trey Kell continues to do a little bit of everything. Prior to the UNLV game, he had scored in double figures in a season-best 10 straight games. Then on Sunday, he struggled with his shot, making just 2-of-7 from the floor, but he pulled down at least seven rebounds for the fifth straight game (7 rebounds; 7.4 rpg) and matched his career high with a game-high seven assists. He also committed zero turnovers and zero personal fouls in 36 minutes.
* Once again, San Diego State is the top-ranked defensive unit in the conference. In MW games only, the Aztecs rank first in points allowed (65.4), field-goal percentage defense (39.6 percent) and blocked shots (4.9 bpg, tied), and second in steals (7.1 spg). 
* In each of the last three seasons, SDSU has led the Mountain West (all games) in points allowed per game and field-goal percentage defense. The Aztecs this season own the top defense in terms of points allowed (63.5) and field-goal percentage defense (.392).
* Despite an 8-6 league record, SDSU still owns a +60 scoring margin in MW games. In four of its six defeats, it has owned a lead of at least 11 points and in the other two games it had a seven-point advantage and had a shot at the buzzer to force overtime.
* San Diego State is third in the league in conference scoring margin at +4.3.
* SDSU has missed 24 games due to injury from players expected to contribute at the beginning of the season.
* San Diego State entered the season 50-22 since the beginning of the 2010-11 campaign in games decided by six points or less in overtime. This season, the Aztecs are an uncharacteristic 2-7 in such games.
* KenPom lists the Aztecs as the 21st "unluckiest" team in the country (a measure of a team's actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies). Among the 21 unluckiest teams in the nation, SDSU is one of only five with a winning record (also: Indiana, Utah, Loyola Chicago, Texas Tech).