LAS VEGAS – The No. 4 seed San Diego State women’s basketball team faces the No. 2 Wyoming in Mountain West championship Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. This is the second straight season the Aztecs have played in the championship game and seventh time overall, which is tied for the most in Mountain West history (New Mexico & Utah).
Aztec Tidbits
- San Diego State is seeking its third Mountain West tournament championship (2010 & 2012) and fifth conference tournament championship overall. The Aztecs won the WAC tournament championship in 1994 & 1997.
- With a win, the Aztecs would qualify for their 10th NCAA tournament and first since 2012.
- SDSU beat the top seed UNLV 71-59 in the semifinals Monday night, snapping the Rebels streak of three straight tournament championships.
- The Aztecs’ 12-point win was the largest victory over a No. 1 seed in the Mountain West tournament since 2010.
- SDSU became the first team to beat UNLV twice in a season since 2020-21.
- The Aztecs have won seven straight games and 10 of their last 12. During their six-game win streak, they are outscoring teams 72.5-57.5.
- SDSU has had at least 22 wins and finished in the top four of the Mountain West in each of the past three seasons.
- Last night’s win at UNLV was SDSU’s 11th win on the road, a new school record for road wins in a season.
- SDSU is top three in the MW in four defensive statistical categories: 3-point percentage allowed (1st, 29.2%), points allowed (2nd, 60.2), field goal percentage allowed (2nd, 38.7%), and turnovers forced (3rd, 16.0).
- The Aztecs have held their opponent under 40% shooting in 19 games (17-2) and under 60 points 15 times (14-1).
- On the other side of the ball, SDSU is averaging 69.3 points per game, their most since the 1994-95 season.
- 10 Aztecs average at least 10 minutes per game and 12 different players have scored in double digits.
- All five starters average between 7.5 and 11.0 points per game. SDSU is 19-2 when three or more players score in double-digits.
- The Aztecs are eighth in the nation in bench points per game (27.8). There have been 31 games where a bench player has scored 10+ points off the bench, which is the fifth most in Mountain West history.
- SDSU’s free throw percentage of 75.1% is the second best in school history, only trailing last year’s 75.6%.
- 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 12 of their last 13 games.
- The Aztecs are 20-3 (.870) when scoring 60 or more points. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, they are 58-10 (.853) when they score 60 or more and 37-6 (.860) 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 152 games overall and 12 Mountain West tournament 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 20 times, the most on the team.
- Sheffey became the first player with three different games with 15+ points against UNLV in the same season since T Moe for Nevada in 2017-18.
- 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 23-23 all-time in the tournament.
- SDSU is 2-4 in the championship game. Their seven championship game appearances is tied for the most in conference history.
- San Diego State is 4-8 against the No. 2 seed.
- SDSU is 4-2 against Wyoming in the tournament
- 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 the championship game in each of the last two seasons for the first time since 2012-13.
- 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 (Wyoming)
- The Cowgirls are 22-10 on the year.
- They went 14-4 in conference and finished in second place.
- They are 4-1 on a neutral floor.
- They are ranked No. 78 in the NET, second best in the Mountain West.
- They shoot 46.1% from the field, tops in the Mountain West.
- They hold opponents to 58.4 points, the fewest in the conference.
- Allyson Fertig won Mountain West Player of the Year. She averages 19.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while shooting 58.8% from the field.
- Head coach Heather Ezell is in her third season as head coach after spending the previous seven years as an assistant at Wyoming.
Series History
- The Cowgirls lead the all-time series 39-31.
- The Aztecs have won just three of their last 15 games vs. Wyoming.
- The Cowgirls won both games in the regular season.