Nov. 16, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Men's Basketball Game Notes | SDSU Broadcast Flip Card
NEWS AND NOTES
* San Diego State returns home on Friday to face McNeese State, which marks the beginning of a two-game pre-Thanksgiving holiday homestand. FOX Sports San Diego will have the game live on television with Prime Ticket simulcasting the contest in the Los Angeles and Orange County markets. Ted Leitner will have the call on 101.5 KGB, XTRA 1360 and FOX Sports IE 1350.
* In addition to opening a two-game homestand, SDSU is also beginning a stretch where it will play five games in 10 days. Outside of McNeese State, the Aztecs will welcome Eastern Illinois on Monday, which will also air on FOX Sports San Diego/Prime Ticket, and then open Wooden Legacy action in Fullerton on Thanksgiving night vs. Sacramento State. SDSU will then play on Black Friday vs. either Georgia or Cal State Fullerton, and then wrap up tournament action on Sunday, Nov. 26.
* The Aztecs return to the familiar surroundings of Viejas Arena coming off a 90-68 road defeat at Arizona State on Tuesday. SDSU rallied from a 10-point first-half deficit to take a 40-34 lead at halftime and led by nine points with 19:22 left in regulation. ASU, however, made 20 of its 30 field-goal attempts in the second half and was 10-for-11 from the charity stripe to overcome the deficit and emerge with the win.
* San Diego State received a double-double from senior Trey Kell, who put up season- and team-high figures of 16 points and 10 rebounds. The double-double was the second of his career and he became the 14th Aztec (30th occurrence) since 1996-97 to put up a stat line of at least 16 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, and the first since Winston Shepard vs. Washington on March 21, 2016.
* One of the reasons the Aztecs were able to overcome their first-half deficit and take a halftime lead at ASU was the play of junior Max Montana. The forward was 4-for-4 from behind the three-point arc en route to 12 points in the first 20 minutes. The four treys were one off his career high and in his last four games dating to last year, he has made 11 three-pointers (11-for-23; 2.8 3FGM/g).
* Senior Malik Pope continued his hot start to his final campaign, posting 14 points, eight rebounds and a game-high three steals vs. the Sun Devils. Pope enters the McNeese State game leading the Aztecs in scoring (17.0), rebounding (7.0) and field-goal percentage (.667; min. 10 FGA), while connecting on 3-of-6 from three-point distance. Since Jan. 28, 2017, which covers his last 16 games, Pope is averaging 13.6 points and 7.1 rebounds, and shooting 48.8 percent from the floor, including 47.4 percent from three.
* Junior Devin Watson nearly joined Kell in the double-double club at ASU as he finished with eight points and a game-high nine assists. The San Francisco transfer has scored eight points in each of his first two games at SDSU and the nine assists established a new career high. It marked the first time an Aztec has had at least nine helpers against a Pac-12 opponent (or any major non-conference foe) since Wesley Stokes dished out nine assists against Washington (Dec. 27, 2003). Watson currently has 11 assists and four turnovers (2.75 a/to ratio), and is tied for the team lead with three steals. He is also averaging a team-high 30.0 minutes.
* SDSU has faced McNeese State two previous times, once in 1984 in Las Vegas (W, 91-85) and the other time in 2013 inside Viejas Arena (W, 65-36), and defeated the Southland Conference school both times.
* San Diego State has partnered with Nike for a fourth consecutive year through its N7 program, and the team will wear turquoise Nike N7 uniforms for its game against McNeese State to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. The color turquoise represents harmony, friendship and fellowship for many Native American communities.