Women's Basketball

First Place on the Line at UNLV Saturday

The Aztecs play at UNLV Saturday at 2 p.m. in a matchup of the Mountain West’s two unbeaten teams. This is just the second time in league history that two teams have each started conference play 7-0.

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First Place on the Line at UNLV SaturdayFirst Place on the Line at UNLV Saturday

SAN DIEGO – The Aztecs play at UNLV Saturday at 2 p.m. in a matchup of the Mountain West’s two unbeaten teams. This is just the second time in league history that two teams have each started conference play 7-0.

 

Aztec Tidbits

  • SDSU’s 13-3 start is their best since the 1995-96 season (also 13-3).
  • Dating back to last year, the Aztecs have won their last 15 games against Mountain West opponents, the eighth-longest active win streak in DI.
  • In the last 14 games against Mountain West teams, they have not only won but had a higher field goal percentage than their opponent, the third-longest active streak in DI (South Dakota State and UConn).
  • SDSU has won nine games in a row, their longest win streak since the 2012-13 season (17).
  • Seven of their nine wins during their streak have been by double-digits and SDSU has an average margin of victory of 12.9 during that stretch.
  • This is the first time since 2011-12 that SDSU started Mountain West play 7-0. They have never begun conference play 8-0.
  • SDSU is coming off a 73-56 win over New Mexico Wednesday. The Aztecs hit 14 three-pointers, tied for the second most in a game in school history.
  • The Aztecs set a single game attendance record Wednesday with 8,054 fans in attendance, topping the previous program record of 6,906 set last year.
  • SDSU averages just 12.4 turnovers per game, which would be the best in school history and is 16th in the nation. Additionally, their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.14 would be the best since the 1983-84 season.
  • The Aztecs are shooting 49.6% on two-pointers and have an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%, both of which would be the program’s best in the Mountain West era (since 1999). Their overall 43.5% field goal percentage leads the Mountain West.
  • The Aztecs are making a Mountain West-best 9.0 three-pointers per game, which would easily top the program’s previous best of 6.8 per game. SDSU has made more threes than their opponent in all but two games.
  • SDSU is shooting 48.2% from the floor and 40.6% from three in their seven Mountain West games. Their opponents are shooting just 36.0% from the field and 30.7% from three.
  • Defensively, the Aztecs have held their opponents to 37.7% shooting from the field, which is the second best in the conference. SDSU is 11-0 when holding their opponent under 70 points.
  • SDSU has won all four of their road games this year and are 14-4 on the road since the beginning of last year. They are 20-7 in road or neutral games in that span.
  • As of Thursday, the Aztecs have a season-high NET ranking of 77, the second best in the Mountain West.
  • SDSU is the only team in the Mountain West to have five different players have a game with 20+ points in a game this season.
  • The Aztecs have four players averaging double-digits in conference play (Panganiban, Lee, Williams, Barnhard).
  • This is the first time in program history SDSU doesn’t return any scholarship upperclassman (who played last year).
  • The Aztecs have seven newcomers this year, the most ever under head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson (13th season). They added five transfers with four of them coming from Mountain West schools.
  • SDSU was picked to finish second in the MW Preseason poll, their highest preseason selection since 2012-13.
  • The Aztecs have had a winning record in non-conference play in each of the last four years. Since the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs are 36-12 (.750) in non-conference games and 22-5 (.815) in non-conference home games.
  • Entering this year, SDSU had 70 wins over the past three seasons, tied for the most in a three-year span in SDSU history (1994-96).

 

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  • SDSU is 11-0 when they hold their opponent under 70 points. They have held their opponents under 40% shooting 10times and are 10-0 in those games.
  • The Aztecs are 12-1 when they score 60 or more points. They are also 12-1 when they shoot at least 40% from the field.
  • SDSU is 11-0 when they have more assists than their opponent.
  • The Aztecs are 9-0 when they outrebound their opponent.
  • SDSU is 10-1 when they have more points in the paint than their opponent.
  • The Aztecs are averaging 71.0 points per game, which would be their most since the 1993-94 season. Four of SDSU’s top five scoring teams in the Mountain West era (since 1999) have been in the last four years.
  • Since the beginning of last year, SDSU is 30-2 when three or more players score in double-digits (9-0 this year).
  • Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs are 71-11 (.866) when they score 60 or more (12-1 this year) and 47-6 (.887) when they score 70 or more (5-0 this year).
  • Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 45-13 (.776) in home games (8-1 this year).

 

Player Notes

Naomi Panganiban (Sophomore, Guard, San Diego, Calif.)

  • Naomi Panganiban has scored 10 or more points in all but four games, the most on the team.
  • In conference play, she is averaging 14.3 points and shooting 48.1% from the field.
  • She is 26-for-28 on free throws this year (92.9%).
  • She has improved in every statistical category from last year when she was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team and to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team.
  • Panganiban was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Team after leading all Mountain West true freshmen in scoring last season (10.3 ppg)
  • Playing for the Philippine National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup, she tied for the team lead in scoring (13.2 ppg) despite being the youngest on the team.
  • The Philippines clinched a spot in the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament for the first time ever.

 

Kennedy Lee (RS Junior, Forward, Louisville, Ky.)

  • Kennedy Lee had 15 points (five three-pointers) and nine rebounds vs. New Mexico Wednesday
  • leads the team in rebounding during conference play (6.7) and is second in scoring (11.0).
  • Wednesday was the second time this season she has hit five or more threes in a game (7 vs. CSUN, 11-13).
  • Her seven made 3-pointers vs. CSUN tied for the second most ever made by an Aztec.

 

Nala Williams (Senior, Guard, Long Beach, Calif.)

  • Nala Williams’ 2.22 assist-to-turnover ratio is first in the Mountain West among qualified players.
  • Williams is shooting 53.6% from the field and 45% from three in conference play.
  • In her career, she has 1,647 points, 570 rebounds, 396 assists and 331 steals in 108 games.
  • Her 331 career steals are the sixth most in the nation across all divisions among active players.
  • She has scored in double-digits in 84 of her 108 career games and has scored 20 or more 30 times. Her career-high is 42.
  • Against Cal State Bakersfield Nov. 15, she became the first Aztec in the Mountain West era (since 1999) to have at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and three three-pointers in a game.
  • Last year at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Nala Williams was named the DII National Player of the Year and the National Defensive Player of the Year after helping her school go 36-2 and make the national title game.
  • She had 152 steals last year (4.0/game), which was the most in the nation across all divisions. No one else had more than 140 steals and only three other players had 130 or more.

 

Bailey Barnhard (Sophomore, Forward, San Diego, Calif.)

  • Bailey Barnhard leads the team in field goal percentage (56.6%) in conference play while scoring 10.0 points per game.

 

Nat Martinez (Sophomore, Guard, San Leandro, Calif.)

  • Nat Martinez is second in the Mountain West among qualified players in free throw percentage (84.0%).
  • She won Mountain West Player of the Week after scoring 22 points at Kansas State prior to the holiday break.
  • It was her third time scoring 20 or more points against a power conference school, and fifth time overall in her career.
  • In her five games against power conference schools, she is averaging 17.0 points per game shooting 55% from the field and 58% from three.
  • She shot 41.9% from three last year, the fifth best in a single season in program history.
  • She was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team a year ago.

 

Alyssa Jackson (RS Sophomore, Forward, Fairfield, Calif.)

  • She tied a career-high with 11 points vs. New Mexico Wednesday.

 

Opponent Notebook (UNLV)

  • The Rebels are 12-5 on the year, 7-0 in the MW and 7-1 at home.
  • They have won the last four Mountain West regular season championships.
  • They are second in the conference in rebound margin (+3.9).
  • Meadow Roland and Shelbee Brown each have six double-doubles.
  • Roland leads the team in scoring (14.1) while Brown averages a team-high 10.1 rebounds per game.
  • Head coach Lindy La Rocque (6th season) has won Mountain West Coach of the Year three times.

 

Series History

  • The Rebels lead the all-time series 42-31.
  • SDSU is 10-28 all-time at UNLV.
  • The Aztecs won two of the three meetings last year, including a 71-59 win over the Rebels in the Mountain West Tournament semifinals. The Rebels beat SDSU in the championship game the year prior.
  • Prior to last year, UNLV had won 10 straight vs. SDSU.
  • UNLV’s 42 wins vs. SDSU is tied with New Mexico for the most vs. the Aztecs.