SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s basketball team is playing at San Jose State Saturday at 2 p.m.
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU lost at Grand Canyon Wednesday. It was their first conference loss of the year, and it snapped the Aztecs’ 13-game-win streak.
- The Aztecs are 17-4, their best start since the 1993-94 season (18-3).
- Prior to the loss, SDSU had won 19 straight against conference opponents, the longest streak in school history, fourth longest streak in the nation and the fifth longest streak in Mountain West history.
- The Aztecs are currently predicted as a No. 11 seed in the NCAA tournament by ESPN’s Charlie Crème. The top 12 seeds avoid playing a true road game in the first round.
- SDSU is ranked as the No. 10 team in the West, and the top mid-major program, by Jeff Metcalfe.
- The Aztecs are 7-1 on the road this year and are 17-5 on the road since the beginning of last year.
- SDSU is averaging 69.6 points per game, which would be the highest since the 1993-94 season. The Aztecs are shooting 48.4% on two-pointers, also their best since 1993-94.
- The Aztecs are making a Mountain West-best 8.3 three-pointers per game, which would easily set a program record.
- SDSU has 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.
- The Aztecs are second in the Mountain West in field goal percentage offense (43%) and defense (37.9%). They are also second in turnovers per game (13.0) and assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.05)
- As of Thursday, the Aztecs have a NET ranking of 79, the best in the Mountain West.
- SDSU has used the same starting five in every game this season and all five starters have had a game with 20+ points.
- 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.
- Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson is four wins away from 200 in her career. Since the start of the 2022-23 season, she has led the Aztecs to an 87-38 (.696) record and is 42-14 (.750) since the beginning of last year.
- 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.
- This is the first time in program history SDSU didn’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.
- 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).
- SDSU was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Preseason poll, their highest preseason selection since 2012-13.
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- SDSU is 15-1 when they hold their opponent under 70 points. They have held their opponents under 40% shooting 13 times and are 13-0 in those games.
- The Aztecs are 15-1 when they score 60 or more points. They are also 15-1 when they shoot at least 40% from the field.
- SDSU is 16-0 when they have more assists than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are 11-0 when they outrebound their opponent.
- SDSU is 12-1 when they have more points in the paint than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are 10-1 when they have more steals than their opponent.
- SDSU is 13-1 when they have fewer steals than their opponent.
- The Aztecs are averaging 69.6 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 31-2 when three or more players score in double-digits (10-0 this year).
- Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs are 74-11 (.871) when they score 60 or more (15-1 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 47-13 (.783) in home games (10-1 this year).
Player Notes
Nala Williams (Senior, Guard, Long Beach, Calif.)
- Nala Williams’ assist-to-turnover of 2.18 is the best by an Aztec in the Mountain West era (since 1999) and 18th in the nation among qualified players.
- Williams is shooting 47.5% from the field and 45.2% from three in conference play.
- In her career, she has 1,683 points, 594 rebounds, 421 assists and 341 steals in 113 games.
- Her 341 career steals are the sixth most in the nation across all divisions among active players.
- She has scored in double-digits in 86 of her 113 career games and has scored 20 or more 31 times. Her career-high is 42.
- She had 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers vs. San Jose State on Jan. 24 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 (seven times with Cal State Dominguez Hills)
- 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.
Naomi Panganiban (Sophomore, Guard, San Diego, Calif.)
- Naomi Panganiban is 52-for-55 on free throws (94.5%), which would be a school record. She is one made free throw away from meeting the NCAA minimum for national statistic rankings. Her 94.5% would be second in the nation.
- She is 36-for-37 (97.3%) from the line in conference play.
- She leads the team in double-digit scoring games.
- 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 (85.7%) 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 was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team a year ago and shot 41.9% from three, the fifth best in a single season in program history.
Bailey Barnhard (Sophomore, Forward, San Diego, Calif.)
- Bailey Barnhard is shooting 55% from the field and 46.7% (7-for-15) from three in conference play.
Kennedy Lee (RS Junior, Forward, Louisville, Ky.)
- Kennedy Lee 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.
CJ Latta (Sophomore, Guard, Paul, Idaho)
- CJ Latta is 11-for-22 (50%) from three in conference play.
Opponent Notebook (San Jose State)
- The Spartans are 3-20 on the year, 1-11 in the Mountain West and 3-7 at home.
- Their lone conference win was against Nevada (69-57).
- They lead the conference in blocks (4.1 per game).
- Maya Anderson leads the team in scoring (12.9) and rebounding (6.7).
- Head coach Jonas Chatterton is in his first year at SJSU.
Series History
- The Aztecs lead the all-time series 31-11
- SDSU is 12-5 all-time at SJSU
- The Aztecs have won eight of the last nine meetings, outscoring the Spartans by an average margin of 14.0 points over that span.
- SDSU’s 73.8 win percentage against SJSU is their highest against any Mountain West program.