LAS VEGAS – The No. 4 seed San Diego State women’s basketball team faces the No. 1 seed UNLV in the semifinals of the Mountain West tournament Tuesday at 5 p.m. This is the third straight season the Aztecs and Rebels have met in the tournament. The two teams split their two regular season games with the home team winning each time.
Aztec Tidbits
- The Aztecs beat New Mexico 63-53 in the quarterfinals Monday. They scored 40 points in the paint and forced 23 turnovers.
- SDSU has reached the Mountain West tournament semifinals in each of the past three seasons and made the championship game last year, their first time making it since 2013.
- The Aztecs have won six straight games and nine of their last 11. During their six-game win streak, they are outscoring teams 72.7-57.2.
- SDSU has had at least 22 wins and finished in the top four of the Mountain West in each of the past three seasons.
- The Aztecs are 10-3 on the road, their best record on the road since 2012-13 (also 10-3).
- SDSU is top three in the MW in five defensive statistical categories: 3-point percentage allowed (1st, 29.4%), points allowed (2nd, 60.2), field goal percentage allowed (2nd, 38.7%), steals (3rd, 7.9) and turnovers forced (3rd, 16.3).
- The Aztecs have held their opponent under 40% shooting in 18 games (16-2) and under 60 points 14 times (13-1).
- On the other side of the ball, SDSU is averaging 69.3 points per game, their most since the 1994-95 season.
- The Aztecs lead the Mountain West in made free throws per game (12.6). The Aztecs are 16-1 when they make more free throws than their opponent.
- The Aztecs have had more points in the paint than their opponent in 11 of their last 12 games.
- SDSU is 11th in the nation in bench points per game (28.0). 40.4% of the Aztecs scoring comes from their bench.
- 10 Aztecs average at least 10 minutes per game and 12 different players have scored in double digits.
- All five starters average between 7.6 and 10.8 points per game. SDSU is 18-2 when three or more players score in double-digits.
- The Aztecs are 19-3 when scoring 60 or more points. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, they are 57-10 (.851) when they score 60 or more and 36-6 (.857) when they score 70 or more.
- For the second season in a row, SDSU set a program record for attendance.
- SDSU’s 11 non-conference wins were their most since the 1983-84 team that went 13-0.
- The Aztecs have six players in their 4th year or later, five of them in the 5th year or later (Clark, Fiso, Green, Quezada and Villalobos).
- SDSU was one of 21 schools (6%) that didn’t lose any players to the transfer portal in the offseason.
- The Aztecs began the season 8-0, their best start since the 1988-89 season when SDSU started 14-0.
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 37-12 (.755) in home games.
Player Notes
- Kim Villalobos has played in a school record 151 games.
- Villalobos leads the team in steals (1.4 per game) She is averaging 2.2 steals per game over her last six games.
- Villalobos is one of seven players in the nation with at least 1,200 points, 800 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks in her career.
- Villalobos is in the top ten in SDSU history in games (1st), rebounds (5th) and blocks (9th).
- Adryana Quezada is one of four players nationally to have over 1,600 points & 800 rebounds while shooting at least 50% from the field and 75% from the line.
- Both Villalobos and Quezada were named the Mountain West All-Tournament Team last year.
- Veronica Sheffey averaged 12.6 points per game in conference play. She shot 46% from the field and 46% from three (11-for-24).
- Sheffey has scored in double-digits 19 times, the most on the team.
- Sheffey was 59-69 (86%) from the line during conference play, fourth in the Mountain West.
- Erin Houpt is the only player in the nation to shoot at least 40% from three and 90% from the line in her career.
- Houpt is 93.0% (174-187) from the line in her career, the second best in the nation (minimum 150 made). She is 41-for-44 (93.2%) this season
- Houpt’s 42.4% career three-point percentage is eighth in the nation (minimum 150 made).
- Houpt is shooting 47.8% (32-for-67) from three this season, which would be a school record (minimum 50 attempts).
- Naomi Panganiban and Nat Martinez have both won three Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards, a school record
- The Aztecs have won a conference-best six Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards. Combined with the men’s program, SDSU has won the award 13 times, the next closest is CSU with six.
- Martinez is shooting 42.7% from three on the year.
- Cali Clark is fourth in the nation among active players in rebounds per minute (minimum 100 games). She was second in the nation last year.
- In Clark’s 109 games at Colorado State, she had double-digits rebounds six times and one double-double. This season she has 10 games with 10 or more rebounds and seven double-doubles.
- Clark is third in the Mountain West in rebounds and fourth in blocks.
- Clark collected her 800th career rebound vs. New Mexico Monday. Her, Villalobos and Quezada all have over 800 career rebounds.
Mountain West Tournament Notes
- The Aztecs are 22-23 all-time in the tournament.
- SDSU is 6-2 in the semifinals.
- The Aztecs have won at least one game in four straight tournaments.
- SDSU has made it to the semifinals in each of the last three seasons and made it to the championship game last year for the first time since 2013.
- The Aztecs are 0-5 all-time against the No. 1 seed
- The Aztecs have been knocked out by UNLV, the eventual champion, in each of the last two tournaments.
- This is SDSU’s first time ever being the No. 4 seed. The only other seed the Aztecs have never been is No. 11.
Opponent Notebook (UNLV)
- The Rebels are 25-6 and went 16-2 in conference play.
- They have won the last four Mountain West regular season championships and three tournament championships.
- They are 16-1 at home.
- They lead the league in points scored (75.5) per game.
- They have five players averaging double digits, led by Amarachi Kimpson’s 14.4 per game.
- Head coach Lindy La Rocque (5th season) has led the Rebels to back-to-back 30 win seasons.
Series History
- The Rebels lead the all-time series 42-30. They have the best winning percentage vs. the Aztecs of any Mountain West team.
- SDSU is 10-28 vs. UNLV on the road. The Aztecs have lost 13 straight at UNLV.
- The Aztecs beat the Rebels 59-58 Jan. 25 after coming back from a 10-point second half deficit. Veronica Sheffey hit a buzzer beater to win the game.
- UNLV has won 16 of the last 17 meetings.