SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s basketball team is playing at Colorado State Wednesday at 10 a.m. in a matchup of the Mountain West’s best offense vs the best defense.
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU has won 11 games in a row, and their 15-3 start is their best since the 1995-96 season (also 15-3).
- Dating back to last year, the Aztecs have won their last 17 games against Mountain West opponents, the eighth-longest active win streak against conference opponents in DI.
- SDSU’s 11 game win-streak is their longest since the 2012-13 season (17) and the Aztecs are one of six teams to go undefeated since Thanksgiving.
- Eight of their 11 wins during their streak have been by double-digits and SDSU has an average margin of victory of 14.0 during that stretch.
- This is the first time that SDSU has ever started Mountain West play 9-0.
- The Aztecs are currently predicted as a No. 12 seed in the NCAA tournament by ESPN’s Charlie Creme and the NCAA’s Autumn Johnson. Top 12 seeds avoid playing a true road game in the first road.
- The Aztecs are coming off a 94-66 win over San Jose State. SDSU had a season-high 24 assists and made 14 three-pointers which is tied for the second most in school history and it was the second time in the last three games that the Aztecs made 14 threes.
- SDSU is making a Mountain West-best 9.3 three-pointers per game, which would easily set a program record and is the 11th most in the nation. The Aztecs have made more threes than their opponent in all but three games.
- The Aztecs have made 10 or more threes in a game nine times this year. Prior to this season, the Aztecs had accomplished that just eight times over the past three seasons.
- SDSU is on pace to set school records in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.17) and turnovers per game (12.6).
- The Aztecs are averaging 72.5 points per game, which would be the highest since the 1991-92 season and shooting a Mountain West best 43.9% from the field, which would be the highest since the 1996-97 season.
- SDSU has an average margin of victory of 15.6 points in conference play and are shooting 47.7% from the floor and 41.7% from three.
- The Aztecs are 5-0 on the road this year and are 15-4 on the road since the beginning of last year. They are one of 10 teams in the nation that are undefeated on the road.
- As of Tussday, the Aztecs have a NET ranking of 74, the best in the Mountain West.
- SDSU forced UNLV into 24 turnovers on Jan. 17, tied for the most the Rebels have committed in a game since Nov. 19, 2019
- The Aztecs are 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 set a single game record vs. New Mexico Jan. 14 with 8,054 fans in attendance. SDSU’s average attendance is second in the Mountain West and 12th in the nation among mid-major programs.
- This is the first time in program history SDSU doesn’t return any scholarship upperclassman (who played last year). Six of the Aztecs’ nine rotation players are sophomores.
- 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 13-0 when they hold their opponent under 70 points. They have held their opponents under 40% shooting 11 times and are 11-0 in those games.
- The Aztecs are 14-1 when they score 60 or more points. They are also 14-1 when they shoot at least 40% from the field.
- SDSU is 13-0 when they have more assists than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are 10-0 when they outrebound their opponent.
- SDSU is 11-1 when they have more points in the paint than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are 10-1 when they have more steals than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are averaging 72.5 points per game, which would be their most since the 1991-92 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 73-11 (.869) when they score 60 or more (14-1 this year) and 49-6 (.891) when they score 70 or more (7-0 this year).
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 46-13 (.780) in home games (9-1 this year).
Player Notes
Nala Williams (Senior, Guard, Long Beach, Calif.)
- Nala Williams had 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers vs. San Jose State Saturday to become the first Aztec in the Mountain West era (since 1999) to put up that stat line.
- She won Mountain West Player of the Week after that performance, her eighth time winning a conference player of the week award (7 times with CS Dominguez Hills)
- Her assist-to-turnover ratio rose to 2.50 after that performance, which is the best by an Aztec in the Mountain West era and 18th in the nation among qualified players.
- Williams is shooting 52.1% from the field and 48% from three in conference play.
- In her career, she has 1,680 points, 580 rebounds, 413 assists and 336 steals in 110 games.
- Her 336 career steals are the sixth most in the nation across all divisions among active players.
- She has scored in double-digits in 85 of her 110 career games and has scored 20 or more 31 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.
Kennedy Lee (RS Junior, Forward, Louisville, Ky.)
- Kennedy Lee had her first double-double as an Aztec vs. SJSU Saturday, scoring 12 points and grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds.
- She leads the team in rebounding during conference play (7.1) and is second in scoring (10.6).
- She has two games this year making five or more threes.
- Her seven made 3-pointers vs. CSUN tied for the second most ever made by an Aztec.
Naomi Panganiban (Sophomore, Guard, San Diego, Calif.)
- Naomi Panganiban is averaging 14.3 points and shooting 48% from the field, 39% from three and is 15-for-16 (93.8%) from the line in conference play.
- She leads the team in double-digit scoring games.
- On the year, she is 31-for-34 on free throws (91.2%).
- 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.
Nat Martinez (Sophomore, Guard, San Leandro, Calif.)
- Nat Martinez leads the Mountain West in free throw percentage (86.4%) among qualified players
- 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.
CJ Latta (Sophomore, Guard, Paul, Idaho)
- CJ Latta is 11-for-19 (57.9%) from three in conference play.
Maria Konstantinidou (Junior, Forward, Thessaloniki, Greece)
- Maria Konstantinidou had a season-high eight rebounds vs. SJSU Saturday.
- It was her second straight game having a plus/minus of +19.
Opponent Notebook (Colorado State)
- The Rams are 17-4 on the year, 8-2 in the Mountain West and 9-1 at home.
- Their NET ranking of No. 78 is second in the conference.
- They have the league’s best defense, holding opponents to 55.6 points on 35.8% shooting.
- Indiana transfer Lexus Bargesser leads the team in scoring (15.5).
- Head coach Ryun Williams (14th season) has the most wins in CSU history and has led the Rams to nine 20-win seasons.
Series History
- The Aztecs lead the all-time series 35-34.
- SDSU is 12-21 all-time at CSU.
- The Rams won both matchups last year and kept SDSU under 60 points both times.