SAN DIEGO – The Aztec women's basketball team (12-13, 6-8) hosts Fresno State (9-15, 5-8) Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. SDSU, who lost to the Bulldogs 73-67 on Dec. 31, is a half-game ahead of Fresno State in the Mountain West standings.
Aztec Tidbits
• Prior to the game, SDSU's six seniors will be honored as part of the senior day ceremony: Mallory Adams, Alex Crain, Kiara Edwards, Jayden Perez, Sophia Ramos and Mercedes Staples. This group has appeared in 440 games in their careers while making 238 starts and scoring over 3,200 points.
• With a win Saturday, SDSU will improve to 10-5 at home, which will be their most home wins in a season under head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson.
• The Aztecs beat San Jose State 77-69 at home Wednesday evening, overcoming an eight-point deficit in the fourth quarter and finishing the game on an 18-5 run.
• Four Aztecs finished in double-figures led by Asia Avinger's 20 points. Sophia Ramos had 16 points and Mallory Adams and Kim Villalobos had matching double-doubles with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Mercedes Staples tied her career-high with six assists.
• This was the first time two Aztecs have had double-doubles in the same game since Mercedes Staples and Kamaria Gipson accomplished the feat Dec. 10, 2020 at Colorado State.
• SDSU scored a season-high 43 points in the second half with 27 coming in the fourth quarter.
• The Aztecs also had a season-high 18 second chance points while holding the Spartans to three. Over their last six games, SDSU is allowing just 4.7 second chance points per game.
• SDSU has four players averaging 10 points or more: Ramos (15.1), Avinger (11.8), Adams (10.8) & Staples (10.3). All four have scored 20 or more points in a game, making this season the first since 2017-18 that at least four players have scored 20 or more.
• Sophia Ramos (San Antonio, Texas) has scored in double-digits in all but two games this season and is averaging 20.0 points over the last six games.
• Ramos is one of three active four-year players with career totals of at least 1,400 points, 500 rebounds, 350 assists and 150 steals (Ohio's Erica Johnson & Florida's Kiara Smith).
• Ramos is currently in the top 10 in program history in seven statistical categories, including assists (6th), made threes (6th), made free throws (7th) and points (7th) and three-point percentage (10th).
• Ramos is second in the conference in steals per game (2.1) and minutes per game (37.2) and third in made threes (52). She is in the top 100 nationally in seven statistical categories.
• Mallory Adams (Frisco, Texas) is averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in conference games and making 2.8 three-pointers per game, the most in the Mountain West.
• Adams, who has over 800 points and 500 rebounds in her career, has the second most double-doubles in her career in the Mountain West (13).
• Asia Avinger (Cerritos, Calif.) is one of three freshmen in the nation to average at least 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. (Notre Dame's Olivia Miles & Pacific's Anaya James). Avinger leads all Mountain West freshmen in scoring and assists.
• SDSU has three active players in the top 10 all-time in career three-point percentage. Mercedes Staples (Centerville, Utah) is fourth at 36.2 percent (59-163), Isabela Hernandez is seventh (35.5%, 59-166) and Sophia Ramos is 10th (35.3%, 148-419).
• The Aztecs have alternated wins and losses over their last six games.
• SDSU is averaging 33.2 points in the paint over their last five games after averaging 23.3 in their first 20 games.
Opponent Notebook (Fresno State)
• The Bulldogs are 9-15 on the year and 5-8 in conference.
• They are a half game behind the Aztecs for seventh place in the Mountain West.
• They have lost four games in a row.
• They are 4-8 on the road.
• Haley Cavinder, the preseason Mountain West Player of the Year, averages 18.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, both are tops in the conference. She also leads the Mountain West in double-doubles (12), free throw percentage (.978) and minutes per game (37.86).
• Her twin sister Hanna Cavinder averages 14.4 points.
• As a team, they shoot 35.3 percent from three (2nd in the MW).
• They are fifth in the nation in turnovers per game (11.4).
• Last year they went 17-11 and 12-6 in conference and lost in the MW Championship game to Wyoming.
• They made it to the second round of the WNIT before falling to Rice 87-73.
• Head coach Jamie White (8th season) has guided the 'Dogs to three 20-win seasons, five postseason appearances and four appearances in the Mountain West tournament championship game. She has the highest win percentage in Mountain West games among active coaches.
Series Notes
• San Diego State leads the all-time series 28-25.
• The Aztecs are 14-11 against the Bulldogs at home.
• Fresno State has won nine of the last 11 meetings.
• The Aztecs lost 73-67 in Fresno on Dec. 31. Four Aztecs scored in double-digits, led by Sophia Ramos' 19 points.
• Over the last three meetings, Fresno State's Haley Cavinder has averaged 24.7 points.
• From 1993 to 1997, SDSU won 13 straight against the Bulldogs, but since then they haven't won two in a row.
• Their first meeting was Jan. 13, 1977, a 61-42 Aztec win.
Aztecs Host Fresno State for Senior Day
