Women's Basketball

Let the Madness Begin! Aztecs at LSU Saturday

The 14th seeded San Diego State women’s basketball team plays at the No. 3 seed LSU Saturday at 7:15 p.m. PT in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

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Let the Madness Begin! Aztecs at LSU SaturdayLet the Madness Begin! Aztecs at LSU Saturday

SAN DIEGO – The 14th seeded San Diego State women’s basketball team plays at the No. 3 seed LSU Saturday at 7:15 p.m. PT in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

 

Aztec Tidbits

  • This is San Diego State’s 10th NCAA appearance overall and first since 2012.
  • The Aztecs played at LSU the last time they were in the tournament, losing 64-56 in the first round. Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson was on that staff.
  • San Diego State won the Mountain West Tournament as the No. 4 seed, beating the No. 1 seed UNLV in the semis and the No. 2 seed Wyoming in triple overtime in the championship game.
  • This was SDSU’s third Mountain West tournament title (also 2010 & 2012) and fifth conference tournament championship overall (1994 & 1997 in the WAC).
  • San Diego State’s 25 wins are their most since the 2012-13 season (27).
  • SDSU’s 70 victories over the last three seasons match its most in a three-season span in school history (94-96).
  • The Aztecs have won eight games in a row and 11 of their last 13. This is SDSU’s second eight game win streak of the season after they began the season 8-0.
  • During their eight-game win streak, they are outscoring teams by 13.6 points per game 72.4-58.8.
  • SDSU is 15-4 (.789) in road and neutral games. The 15 wins away from home is a program record and their 10 true road wins ties a program best.
  • SDSU is top three in the Mountain West in five defensive statistical categories: 3-point percentage allowed (1st, 29.3%), points allowed (2nd, 60.4), field goal percentage allowed (2nd, 38.3%), turnovers forced (3rd, 16.3) and steals per game (3rd, 8.1).
  • The Aztecs have held their opponent under 40% shooting in 20 games (18-2) and under 60 points 15 times (14-1).
  • On the other side of the ball, SDSU is averaging 69.4 points per game, their most since the 1994-95 season, while shooting 43.6%, their second best in the Mountain West era (since 1999).
  • All five starters average between 7.0 and 12.0 points per game. SDSU is 20-2 when three or more players score in double-digits.
  • The Aztecs are 11th in the nation in bench points per game (27.1). 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 has had more points in the paint than their opponent in 13 of their last 14 games. The Aztecs are 18-3 when they win the points in the paint battle.
  • The Aztecs are 21-3 (.875) when scoring 60 or more points. Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, they are 59-10 (.855) when they score 60 or more and 38-6 (.864) when they score 70 or more.
  • SDSU has six players in their 4th year or later, five of them in the 5th year or later (Clark, Fiso, Green, Quezada and Villalobos).
  • The Aztecs were one of 21 schools (6%) that didn’t lose any players to the transfer portal in the offseason.
  • SDSU’s free throw percentage of 75.4% 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 (12.7). The Aztecs are 17-1 when they make more free throws than their opponent.
  • 10 Aztecs average at least 10 minutes per game and 12 different players have scored in double digits.
  • 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’ 12-point win was the largest victory over a No. 1 seed in the Mountain West tournament since 2010.
  • SDSU is the first team to beat UNLV twice in a season since 2020-21.
  • The Aztecs forced Wyoming to commit a season-high 25 turnovers in the Mountain West championship game.
  • Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 37-12 (.755) in home games.

 

Player Notes

  • Veronica Sheffey was named to the All-Mountain West Team and the Mountain West Tournament MVP.
  • Sheffey averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game and had just five turnovers in 115 minutes in the tournament.
  • In the championship game, Sheffey had career-high 24 points, six rebounds and five assists and was 9-for-10 from the line while playing 51 minutes. She scored 10 of her 24 points in the overtimes.
  • Since the beginning of MW play, Sheffey is averaging 13.0 points and is 44% from three and 87% from the line (72-for-83).
  • Sheffey has scored in double-digits 21 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 2017-18 (T Moe, Nevada),
  • Kim Villalobos has played in a school record 153 games. In the next game, she will tie Adam Seiko from the SDSU men’s program for most games played by an Aztec regardless of gender.
  • Villalobos leads the team in steals (1.4 per game) and has over 200 in her career.
  • Villalobos is one of nine players in the nation with at least 1,300 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 (T-8th).
  • Villalobos has scored in double-digits 16 times, tied for second on the team (Panganiban).
  • Naomi Panganiban was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team and to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team.
  • Panganiban averaged 12.3 points in the Mountain West Tournament and scored 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting in 46 minutes in the championship game.
  • Panganiban has scored in double-digits in six of the last eight games.
  • Panganiban was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week three times, tied with Nat Martinez for the school record.
  • Panganiban has scored in double-digits 16 times, tied for second on the team (Villalobos).
  • 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.
  • Quezada has scored 10+ points 78 times in her career and 40 times as an Aztec.
  • Cali Clark is fourth in the nation among active players in rebounds per minute in a career (minimum 100 games). She was second in the nation last year.
  • In the Mountain West Championship game, Clark held Wyoming’s Allyson Fertig, the Mountain West Player of the Year, to 6-for-15 shooting and forced her into eight turnovers.
  • In that game, Clark played 49 minutes and became the only Division I player this century to have a conference tournament game with at least 17 rebounds, six steals and three blocks.
  • Clark also became the first Aztec since at least 1999-00 to record at least 10 points, 15 rebounds and 5 steals against a Division I opponent and was the first player in Mountain West history to have a game with at least 15 rebounds, six steals and two blocks.
  • Clark is third in the Mountain West in rebounds and fourth in blocks.
  • In her 109 games at Colorado State, Clark had double-digits rebounds six times and one double-double. This season she has 11 games with 10 or more rebounds and eight double-doubles.
  • 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 shooting 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 42.3% career three-point percentage is eighth in the nation (minimum 150 made).
  • Houpt is shooting 47.1% (32-for-68) from three this season, which would be a school record (minimum 50 attempts).
  • Nat Martinez was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team.
  • Martinez was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week three times, tied with Naomi Panganiban for the school record.
  • Martinez is shooting 42.2% from three on the year, which would be fourth best in school history.

 

NCAA Tournament History

  • The Aztecs are 6-9 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
  • This is their first appearance since 2012 when they lost at LSU as a No. 12 seed 64-56.
  • This is San Diego State’s third time playing in Louisiana. They played at Louisiana Tech in the 1985 Midwest Regional Semifinals.
  • SDSU’s last win in the NCAA Tournament was in 2010 when they went to the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed, upsetting No. 6 Texas and No. 3 West Virginia before losing to No. 2 Duke 66-58.
  • The Aztecs also won a game in the tournament the previous year (2009) when they beat No. 7 DePaul as a 10 seed.
  • SDSU’s No. 14 seed is the lowest seed they’ve ever received.

 

Opponent Notebook (LSU)

  • The Tigers are 28-5 and ranked No. 10 in the country.
  • They went 12-4 in the SEC.
  • They are 17-1 at home.
  • They are the only team in the nation with three players with over 500 points on the season (Flau’Jae Johnson, Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams).
  • Morrow leads the nation in rebounding.
  • Head coach Kim Mulkey is in her fourth season at LSU. She has over 700 career victories and has won three national championships.
  • This is just the second meeting all-time with LSU with both meetings occurring in the NCAA tournament.