COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The San Diego State women’s basketball team (25-4, 19-1) closed out the regular season with a 74-57 win at Air Force 13-17, 7-13) Tuesday evening. The Aztecs finished the season with 19 Mountain West wins, the most in conference history.
SDSU overcame a slow start and turnover problems with hot shooting, especially from three to win for the 21st time in the last 22 games.
“We didn’t start out the best, but I’m really proud of what we were able to do in the second half,” Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson said after the game. “Air Force plays a physical brand of basketball and I thought we responded. Nat Martinez had a fantastic second half, hitting shots but also playing great defense.”
Martinez scored 22 points, with 19 of those coming in the second half, and had five threes and six rebounds. Naomi Panganiban provided the scoring in the first half where she scored 11 of her 15. Nala Williams also finished in double-digits, finishing with 13 points and six assists. The trio of guards were 10-for-16 from three.
The Falcons scored the first seven points of the game and led 13-6 before the Aztecs held them without a field goal for over a seven-minute stretch as part of a 13-1 run.
SDSU caught fire from three in the second half and put together another run to push their lead to double-digits.
The Aztecs outrebounded the Falcons 35-28 and held Air Force to 36% shooting.
Air Force’s Milahnie Perry scored 26 points and became Air Force’s all-time leading scorer.
STAT OF THE GAME I
The Aztecs were 11-for-17 from three (64.7%).
STAT OF THE GAME II
SDSU shot 58% from the field and 67% from three in the second half.
THE NOTE
The Aztecs finished the regular season 14-1 at home and 10-1 on the road. SDSU is one of four programs to have one loss or fewer at home and on the road (UConn, UCLA and South Carolina)
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“We’ve worked hard and we’ve had a great group of girls over the last two years that have helped push this program back to where it was.” Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson on winning 25 games in back-to-back seasons
UP NEXT
The Aztecs are the No. 1 seed for the Mountain West Tournament and will play the winner of the No. 8 vs. No. 9 seed Sunday at noon in Las Vegas.