SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s basketball team (2-0) beat North Texas (1-1) 73-57 in front of over 5,000 fans inside Viejas Arena Thursday.
The game was tied at halftime and then the Mean Green began the second half on a 9-0 run. The Aztecs responded with a dominating 31-7 run to close out the quarter and win their 15th straight game at home.
“What a great win against a very good North Texas team,” Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson said after the game. “We really came to play today, and our toughness was on full display.”
In the second half, when the Aztecs pulled away, they shot 48% from the floor while holding North Texas to 24% shooting.
Natalia Martinez led the Aztecs with a career-high 25 points, shooting 7-for-11 from the floor and 5-for-9 from three.
“Natalia has been able to get us in a flow,” Terry-Hutson praised. “She has been a coach on the floor and is communicating at a high level. She’s doing all the things we need from a point guard all while learning how to step into that role.”
Freshman Dionne Madjo had her length and athleticism on full display, scoring 15 points, grabbing nine rebounds and adding three blocks.
“Dionne is one of the most athletic kids we have, and she is incredibly strong and can dominate the glass on both ends,” Terry-Hutson said. “She just loves the game and works really hard.”
Eva DeChent added 10 points and Nayli Padilla, who made her first start as an Aztec, had a career-high eight rebounds.
After the Mean Green’s 9-0 run to start the third, SDSU didn’t allow North Texas to make a field goal for the next nine minutes while simultaneously catching fire on the offensive end, pouring in 31 points in a span of 7:30 that was sparked by a three three-pointers from Martinez.
“I want to highlight the defensive group of Alayna [Kraus], Natalia [Martinez], Alyssa [Jackson], Dionne [Madjo] and Bailey [Barnhard],” Terry-Hutson explained. “I challenged them to get better on the defensive end, and the plus-minus of that group was outstanding. They were the five that started that run and it was just really good basketball.”
STAT OF THE GAME
The Aztecs were 10-for-13 from the floor and scored 31 points across the final 7:30 of the third quarter.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
“Our women deserve the support that was in the arena today. They work just as hard and are just as talented [as the men], and we’ve had a lot of success over the last couple years. So, to have the arena rocking like that, to give us a true home court advantage, was awesome.” Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson on the atmosphere of Field Trip Day
THE NOTE
This was Natalia Martinez’s seventh career 20+ scoring game.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs host UTSA Sunday at 1 p.m. The Roadrunners won the American Tournament last year and were picked to finish second in their conference this year.