SAN DIEGO – SDSU’s women’s basketball team opened their season with a dominant 77-51 win over the Cal State Fullerton Titans. Monday evening’s 26-point victory picks up right where the Aztecs left off last season. 

“It gives me an outlook for what the season could look like and what we can keep building on,” said forward Mayenabasi Akpan. “It was really exciting to see.” 

The Aztecs returned to Viejas Arena after a historic 2025-2026 season, going tying a school record with 27 wins and setting a school record 19 conference victories. The celebratory evening began with the unveiling of the 2026 Mountain West Regular Season Championship banner. 

“We unveiled a banner today, and I turned to the team and said, ‘Okay, let’s go get another one,’” said head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson. 

While SDSU had a promising offseason, there are many questions surrounding point guard Naomi Panganiban, who led the Aztecs in scoring and earned All-Mountain West honors last season. Panganiban suffered an injury during a summer practice, and the team announced it “will sideline her indefinitely.” 

Despite the crucial injury, SDSU immediately set the tone in Monday’s matchup. The Aztecs scored first with an early 3-pointer from guard Eva DeChent. SDSU also remained physical on defense and held the Titans to just three made field goals in the first quarter. With help from forward Bailey Barnhard’s seven first-quarter points, the Aztecs cruised into the second quarter with a 7-point lead. 

In the second quarter, SDSU continued to dominate on both ends of the floor. They finished the half on an 18-3 run and tripled their lead to put the halftime score at 42-21. 

Both teams went back-and-forth throughout the third quarter, but the Titans could not find momentum to make up for the 21-point deficit. With that in mind, Terry-Hutson sat her starting guards, DeChent and Natalia Martinez, for the whole fourth quarter.

Martinez has stepped into a new role as Terry-Hutson moved her from shooting guard to point guard in Panganiban’s absence. 

“I’m asking her to play a position that she hasn’t played since high school,” Terry-Hutson said. “I’m very proud of her setting up other people, still being aggressive and looking for her shots.”

Terry-Hutson went on to empty the bench with about five minutes left in the game. The Aztecs extended their lead further and secured a commanding 77-51 win over Cal State Fullerton.  

Although she sat for the whole fourth quarter, Martinez led the game with a plus-minus rating of 20. The Aztecs also dominated the Titans in all statistical categories, namely points in the paint (52-10), rebounds (47-27) and assists (22-9). SDSU’s newfound size in the front court has created a unique advantage for the upcoming season. 

“What I love most…[is] the fact that we have the tallest team that I’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” Terry-Hutson said. Six players are listed as six feet or taller: Akpan, Bailey Barnhard, Mairead Hearty, Maria Konstantinidou, Kennedy Lee and Dionne Madjo.

SDSU will take on North Texas University on Nov. 5 for the annual Field Trip Game. The game will tip off at 11 a.m. PT at Viejas Arena. You can purchase tickets here or stream the game on the Pac-12 YouTube channel.

Top photo via Soleil Dam/@mediabysoleil