On Girls & Women in Sports Day, San Diego State’s women’s basketball team (17-3, 11-0 MW) took a commanding win over the Nevada Wolfpack (7-14, 3-8 MW) and improve to 11-0 in conference play. The win also marked the Aztecs’ 13th straight win.
“We’re playing from a different vantage point,” said head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson. “Everybody is coming after us to break this winning streak, so we have to be prepared for everyone’s best shot.”
Saturday’s game also commemorated the 16th Anniversary of the Aztecs’ 2009-10 Sweet 16 Team. Members of the historic team were present and offered their advice to the Aztecs before the game.
“A big part of their message was ‘you guys all matter, the whole team matters, you don’t just win with one person, and you win with the group,’” Terry-Hutson said. “That kind of echoes our message.”
The Aztecs took the advice and started the game with a hot 10-2 run. They scored on their first five possessions, with guard Nala Williams leading the way with seven points in the quarter to help the Aztecs maintain a 5-point lead in the first, 19-14
Despite Williams continuing to score throughout the second quarter, the Wolfpack were able to make it a one-possession game. Nevada forward Kendra Hicks made a 3-pointer to keep them within three points at halftime, 30-27.
SDSU dominated coming out of the half. They started forcing turnovers on the defensive end and turned it on offensively with 23. They came out of the third quarter with a double-digit lead, 53-41.
Forward Kennedy Lee examines the front court. Soleil Dam/Her Sports SD
The dominance continued in the fourth quarter as the Aztecs led by as many as 19 points. Guard Naomi Panganiban led both teams in scoring with 16 points as SDSU was able to secure a sweet victory in front of their historic Sweet 16 team.
“We wanted to dedicate today’s game and also let them know that that’s what we’re trying to get to,” Terry-Hutson said.
Next Up
The Aztecs will play their next two games on the road against Grand Canyon and San Jose State. Both games will be streaming on Mountain West Network. They will return to Viejas Arena on Feb. 11 for their second matchup against Colorado State, the team they beat on Wednesday by 2. Purchase tickets for the rematch here.
