SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s basketball team plays at Utah State Saturday at noon PT. The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network and Chris Ello will have the call on the Aztec Radio Network.
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU has won seven games in a row and are coming off an 87-69 win over Grand Canyon Wednesday. The Aztecs scored a record 37 points in the opening quarter on 13-for-16 shooting (7-7 on threes).
- Five different Aztecs scored in double-digits, the first time SDSU has done that since the Mountain West Tournament semifinals vs. UNLV.
- The Aztecs were a perfect 13-for-13 from the line, which was the fourth time in school history SDSU didn’t miss a free throw while attempting at least 10.
- Six of their seven wins during their win streak have been by double-digits and SDSU has an average margin of victory of 14 during that stretch.
- This is the fourth straight season the Aztecs have had a winning streak of six games or more.
- Dating back to last year, SDSU has won their last 13 games against Mountain West opponents, their longest streak since the 2012-13 season.
- SDSU has won all three of their road games this year and are 13-4 on the road since the beginning of last year. They are 19-7 in road or neutral games in that span.
- The Aztecs are shooting 48.9% on two-pointers and have an effective field goal percentage of 50.1%, both of which would be the program’s best in the Mountain West era (since 1999).
- SDSU averages just 12.9 turnovers per game, which would be the best in school history. Additionally, their assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.09 would be the best since the 1983-84 season.
- The Aztecs are making a Mountain West-best 8.8 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 one game.
- SDSU is shooting 48.2% from the floor and 41.4% from three in their five Mountain West games. Their opponents are shooting just 34.0% from the field and 27.1% from three.
- Defensively, the Aztecs have held their opponents to 37.2% shooting from the field, which is the second best in the conference. SDSU is 10-0 when holding their opponent under 70 points.
- The Aztecs have a NET ranking of 81, their highest of the season and the second best in the Mountain West.
- This is the second straight season the Aztecs have won at least 11 of their first 14 games (12-2 last year).
- 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.
- 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 10-0 when they hold their opponent under 70 points. They have held their opponents under 40% shooting nine times and are 9-0 in those games.
- The Aztecs are 10-1 when they score 60 or more points.
- SDSU is 10-0 when they have more assists than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are 8-0 when they outrebound their opponent.
- SDSU is 8-1 when they have more steals than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are averaging 70.7 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 28-2 when three or more players score in double-digits (7-0 this year).
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs are 69-11 (.863) when they score 60 or more and 45-6 (.882) when they score 70 or more.
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 44-13 (.772) in home games.
Player Notes
Bailey Barnhard (Sophomore, Forward, San Diego, Calif.)
- Bailey Barnhard leads the team in field goal percentage (58.5%) and is second in scoring in conference play (11.0 ppg).
- She scored a career-high 21 points on 10-for-14 shooting at Wyoming last Saturday.
Naomi Panganiban (Sophomore, Guard, San Diego, Calif.)
- Naomi Panganiban has scored 10 or more points in all but three games, the most on the team.
- In conference play, she is shooting 49.1% 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.
Nat Martinez (Sophomore, Guard, San Leandro, Calif.)
- Nat Martinez is third in the Mountain West among qualified players in free throw percentage (85.4%).
- She won Mountain West Player of the Week after scoring 22 points at Kansas State prior to the holiday break. She tied a career-high with six three-pointers.
- 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.
Nala Williams (Senior, Guard, Long Beach, Calif.)
- Nala Williams’ 2.13 assist-to-turnover ratio is first in the Mountain West among qualified players.
- In her career, she has 1,612 points, 564 rebounds, 387 assists and 328 steals in 106 games.
- Her 328 career steals are the sixth most in the nation across all divisions among active players.
- She has scored in double-digits in 82 of her 106 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.
Kennedy Lee (RS Junior, Forward, Louisville, Ky.)
- Kennedy Lee had 18 points and a season-high nine rebounds vs. Grand Canyon Wednesday.
- She is leading the team in rebounding during conference play (6.2).
- She set career highs for points (24) and three-pointers (7) vs. CSUN (11-13).
- Her seven made 3-pointers tied for the second most ever made by an Aztec.
Opponent Notebook (Utah State)
- The Aggies are 6-8 on the year, 2-3 in the Mountain West and 5-1 on the road.
- They are 10th in conference in field goal percentage (38.1%) and 11th in rebound margin (-5.1).
- Aaliyah Gayles leads the team with 13.5 points per game. Marina Asensio also averages double-digits with 10.8 points per game.
- CJ Latta played for Utah State last year.
- USU assistant coach Jasmine Hotchkins-Parker was SDSU’s Director of Operations last year.
- Head coach Wesley Brooks is in his season at Utah State.
Series History
- The Aztecs lead the all-time series 17-7 and won the last eight meetings.
- SDSU is 8-4 vs. Utah State on the road.
- SDSU has won each of the last five games by double-digits while averaging 81.6 points per game.