SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s basketball team hosts Boise State Saturday at 1 p.m. for their Mountain West home opener. The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.

 

Aztec Tidbits

SDSU opened up conference play with a 63-53 win at Fresno State Wednesday night.
Four Aztecs scored in double-digits and SDSU held the Bulldogs to 29% shooting from the field.
SDSU won at Kansas State 64-53 last Wednesday, their first road win against a power conference team since Dec. 2, 2018 (Arizona). It was the Aztecs’ first true road game of the year.
In that game, Nat Martinez scored 22 points, which helped her win Mountain West Player of the Week, and Naomi Panganiban scored 20. It was the first time SDSU had two players score 20 or more points since Dec. 30, 2023 (Jada Lewis and Abby Prohaska vs. Colorado State).
The win is considered a “Quad Two” win and SDSU’s NET ranking has risen 57 spots since their win at Kansas State. They are No. 97 (as of Thursday), the second highest in the Mountain West.
SDSU has won both their road games this year and are 12-4 on the road since the beginning of last year. They are 18-7 in road or neutral games in that span.
The Aztecs lead the Mountain West in made three-pointers per game (8.4). They have made more three-pointers than their opponent in every game but one.
SDSU is second in the Mountain West in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.02), turnovers per game (13.2), and turnover margin (+3.90).
Nine Aztecs have already had a double-digit scoring game, and four players have scored 20 or more points.
SDSU was picked to finish second in the MW Preseason poll, their highest preseason selection since 2012-13.
SDSU has 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.
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).
This is the first time in program history SDSU doesn’t return any scholarship upperclassman (who played last year).
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.
SDSU has set a program record for attendance in each of the past two seasons and are on pace to break that mark again this season.

 

The Win at Kansas State (64-53, Dec. 10)…

Was the first road win against a power conference school since 2018 (Arizona).
Was the first win against a Big 12 team (at the time of the game) since 2010 (Texas in the NCAA Tournament).
SDSU held Kansas State to 53 points, the fewest allowed vs. a power conference team since Nov. 26, 2011 (51, Washington).
The Aztecs had 14 steals, the most against a power conference school since Nov. 21, 2009 (Arizona, also 14).
SDSU held the Wildcats to 33.3% shooting from the field, the lowest allowed against a school from a power conference since Nov. 20, 2012 (USC, 32.1%).

 

Trending…

The Aztecs are 7-0 when they have more assists than their opponent.
SDSU has trailed at the end of the first quarter in seven of their 10 games but are 4-3 in those games.
Since the beginning of last year, SDSU is 26-2 when three or more players score in double-digits.
Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, the Aztecs are 65-11 (.855) when they score 60 or more and 42-6 (.875) when they score 70 or more.
Since the beginning of the 2022-23 season, SDSU is 41-13 (.759) in home games.

 

Player Notes

Nat Martinez (Sophomore, Guard, San Leandro, Calif.)

Nat Martinez won Mountain West Player of the Week after scoring 22 points at Kansas State. She tied a career-high with six three-pointers.
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.
In her last four games, she is averaging 17.5 points per game and shooting 45.1% from three. She was shooting 17.2% from three across her first six games.
She is second in the Mountain West in free throw percentage (86.8%). She is 83.2% from the line in her career.
She shot 41.9% from three last year, the fifth best in a single season in program history.
She was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team a year ago.

 

Naomi Panganiban (Sophomore, Guard, San Diego, Calif.)

Naomi Panganiban scored a season-high 20 points at Kansas State last week.
She has scored 10 or more points a team-high eight times this season.
Across her last four games, she is averaging 16.5 points per game and shooting 47% from three.
Panganiban was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Team.
Last year, she was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team and to the Mountain West All-Tournament Team.
Her 10.3 points per game led all Mountain West true freshmen last season.
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.

 

Nala Williams (Senior, Guard, Long Beach, Calif.)

Nala Williams’ 2.13 assist-to-turnover ratio is first in the Mountain West.
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.
In her career, she has 1,574 points, 546 rebounds, 372 assists and 321 steals in 102 games.
Her 321 career steals are the fifth most in the nation across all divisions among active players.
She has scored in double-digits in 77 of her 101 career games and has scored 20 or more 30 times. Her career-high is 42.
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.
She helped 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.

 

CJ Latta (Sophomore, Guard, Paul, Idaho)

CJ Latta scored a season-high 11 points at Fresno State Wednesday.
She was 3-for-3 from three.
She is shooting 45.4% from three across her last three games.

 

Bailey Barnhard (Sophomore, Forward, San Diego, Calif.)

Bailey Barnhard leads the team in total rebounds, offensive rebounds and blocks.
She scored a career-high 13 points and tied a career-high with eight rebounds vs. Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 22).

 

Kennedy Lee (RS Junior, Forward, Louisville, Ky.)

Kennedy Lee set career highs for points (24) and three-pointers (7) vs. CSUN (11-13).
Her seven made 3-pointers tied for the 2nd most ever made by an Aztec.
She became the first Aztec to make seven threes in a game since Jan. 15, 2022 (Mallory Adams).
She became the fifth Aztec to make seven threes in a game under head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson (13th season).

 

Opponent Notebook (Boise State)

The Broncos are 9-3 on the year and 0-1 on the road.
They went 18-15 last year and 7-11 in the Mountain West.
They lost at New Mexico 70-63 in their conference opener.
They lead the Mountain West in points per game (72.4), assists per game (16.8) and three-point percentage (39%, 11th in the nation).
They have three veterans who average double-digit scoring led by Tatum Thompson’s 15.3 points per game.
Natalie Pasco averages 14.8 points per game and shoots 48.5% from three (14th in the nation).
Head coach Gordy Presnell is in his 20th season at Boise State. He is one of five active coaches with at least 750 career wins.

 

Series History

San Diego State leads the all-time series 15-14
The Aztecs are 10-4 vs. the Broncos at home.
SDSU has won the last three meetings and five of the last seven.