Feb. 21, 2018
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State women's basketball team lost to Air Force 56-48 Wednesday evening inside Viejas Arena. The Aztecs fell behind 8-0 to start the game and never recovered and trailed by double-digits for the majority of the game.
Geena Gomez led the Aztecs with 18 points, going 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. Naje Murray added nine points and Cheyenne Greenhouse had six points and a season-high eight rebounds.
The Aztecs (10-16, 4-11 MW) missed their first five field goals and committed four turnovers in that span, which allowed the Falcons to start the game on an 8-0 run. Back-to-back baskets by freshman Naje Murray cut the lead to 14-8, but Air Force would finish the first quarter on a 6-0 run to take a 20-8 lead in to the break. The Aztecs were just 3-for-13 from the field in the first quarter and were outrebounded 13-5.
Things turned for the worse in the second quarter for the Aztecs. They failed to score a field goal, getting all seven of their second quarter points on Geena Gomez free-throws. SDSU did pick up their defense in the second quarter though, holding the Falcons to 33 percent shooting in the second frame after they shot better than 50 percent in the first quarter. However the Falcons held a 32-15 lead at the half with nine of the Aztecs' 15 points coming from the free-throw line.
The Aztecs' offense started to click in the second half, but the Falcons slowed their pace and attempted to drain the clock on every offensive possession. After trailing by as much as 19 points, the Aztecs outscored the Falcons 19-9 in the fourth quarter and didn't allow them to score a field goal in the game's final five minutes. SDSU cut the deficit to eight points with 2:25 left, but that would be as close as they would get.
The Aztecs were outrebounded 36-29 and had only four assists while the Falcons had 13.
The Falcons were led by Erika Chapman's 17 points. Emily Conroe added seven and seven rebounds.
THE NOTE I
Geena Gomez went 12-for-13 from the free-throw line. Before her lone miss, she had made 17 in a row, a stretch that spanned all the way back to January 17. Additionally, her 12 makes from the line were the most by an Aztec this season.
THE NOTE II
Cheyenne Greenhouse led the Aztecs with eight rebounds, her highest total of the season.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Aztecs seven fourth quarter field goals matched their total for the first three quarters combined.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs will host San Jose State for their final home game of the season on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.