SAN DIEGO – The Aztec women's basketball team (21-8, 11-5) plays at No. 24/25 UNLV (26-2, 16-0) Saturday at 2 p.m.
Aztec Tidbits
• This is SDSU's first time playing a ranked Mountain West team in the regular season since Feb. 16, 2010 (No. 23/25 TCU).
• The Aztecs' last regular season win against a ranked team was Nov. 18, 2011 vs. No. 18/18 DePaul at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Hawai'i.
• With two regular season games remaining, SDSU (11-5) is tied with Colorado State for third in the Mountain West standings, and a half game behind Wyoming (12-5).
• The Aztecs split a pair of home games last week, beating Colorado State 53-49 and then falling to Wyoming 70-58 Saturday.
• Wyoming shot 57.8 percent from the field, the highest SDSU has allowed this season. This was the first time the Aztecs lost a game where they held a lead entering the fourth quarter.
• SDSU's 21 wins are their most since the 2012-13 season.
• Defensively, SDSU is first in the Mountain West in points allowed (56.5) and 3-point % defense (.282) and 2nd in steals per game (9.9).
• On offense, the Aztecs are second in assists per game (14.9) and three-point percentage (.348).
• SDSU has held an opponent to their lowest point total of the year nine times.
• The Aztecs have a 1.20 assist-to-turnover ratio in MW play. Their 1.05 ratio on the season is their best since the 1983-84 season.
• SDSU has five players averaging between 8.0 and 12.0 points/game and four averaging double-digits in conference play.
• SDSU has six players in their fifth year of college. All six have played at least 100 games and are pursuing a master's degree.
• SDSU also has six players who were top 100 recruits coming out of high school.
• Sophia Ramos is the only player in the nation with at least 1,800 points, 600 rebounds and 500 assists in her career. She is two points away from 1,900 points.
• Ramos is second in school history in points and assists and is in the top three in program history in seven other statistical categories including games (1st), made free throws (2nd), and made threes (2nd).
• Mercedes Staples is shooting 44.8% from three on the year & 40.3 percent at SDSU, both are the best in program history. She is first in the Mountain West and ninth in the nation in three-point percentage this year.
• SDSU is 17-2 when scoring 60 or more points and 17-0 when their opponent is held under 60.
• In their 29 games, SDSU has had fewer turnovers than their opponent 22 times.
• SDSU has had more steals than their opponent in all but six games and their 10.0 swipes per game is 33rd in the country.
• 15 of SDSU's 21 wins have been by double-digits and eight have been by at least 20 points.
• The Aztecs have held their opponent under 50 points nine times and under 40 percent shooting 17 times.
• SDSU is 14-2 at home this season, their best home record since 2011-12. They have an average margin of victory of 16.8 points at home this year.
• The Aztecs' 10-3 non-conference winning percentage was their best since the 1995-96 season (10-2, .833). According to the NET, SDSU played the second-hardest non-conference schedule in the Mountain West.
• Including SDSU, five Mountain West teams are in the top 115 of the NET. The Aztecs are ranked No. 95, third in the conference.
• Six Aztecs had at least a 3.50 GPA in the 2022 fall semester, including Sarah Barcello and Sophia Ramos who each had perfect 4.0s in their Master of Education program.
Player Notes
• Asia Avinger (Cerritos, Calif.) is second in the Mountain West in steals per game (2.3) in conference play.
• Sarah Barcello's (Phoenix, Ariz.) is shooting 43 percent from three in conference play.
• Alex Crain (McKinney, Texas) is shooting 38 percent from three in conference play. Her eight points last Thursday vs. Colorado State was her most in a game since Jan. 5 vs. Nevada.
• Yummy Morris (North Little Rock, Ark.) has scored in double-digits in eight of the last nine games.
• 47.0% of Khylee Pepe's (Long Beach, Calif.) rebounds are on the offensive end, by far the most on the team.
• Abby Prohaska (Liberty Township, Ohio) has led the Aztecs in scoring six times, tied for the second most on the team.
• In addition to being second in program history in points and assists, Sophia Ramos' (San Antonio, Texas) is also second in made field goals, made three-pointers and made free throws.
• Mercedes Staples (Centerville, Utah) surpassed 900 career points last Saturday. A transfer from Minnesota, 794 of her 901 points have come as an Aztec.
• Kim Villalobos (Los Angeles) is averaging career-highs in points, assists, field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
Opponent Notebook (UNLV)
• The Rebels are 26-2 on the year and 16-0 in the Mountain West.
• They are ranked No. 24 and No. 25 in this week's national polls and No. 52 in the NET.
• They have won 17 games in a row.
• They are 16-0 at home.
• Last year they went 26-7 and were the Mountain West regular season and tournament champions. They lost to Arizona 72-67 in the first round of the NCAA Championship.
• They score 78.0 points per game, the most in the Mountain West
• They also lead the conference in assists per game (15.9) and rebound margin (+7.9).
• Desi-Rae Young, the reigning Mountain West Player of the Year averages 18.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. She shoots 60 percent from the floor, which is 12th in the nation.
• Head coach Lindy La Rocque (3rd season) is the second youngest coach in DI women's basketball. UNLV's 26 wins last year was their most in more than three decades.
All-time Series (UNLV)
• The Rebels lead the all-time series 36-29.
• SDSU is 10-23 against the Rebels at UNLV.
• UNLV has won the last five meetings and 10 of the last 11, including a 76-70 win in San Diego last month.
• Five of the last six meetings have been decided by single-digits.
• The Aztecs' 65 meetings with UNLV is their second most, trailing only New Mexico (73).
• Their first meeting was Feb. 2, 1979, a 78-58 UNLV win in Las Vegas.