Guard Nala Williams blocked a 3-point attempt by Colorado State’s Lexus Bargesser with two seconds to play Wednesday night to preserve the Aztecs’ 64-61 Mountain West win over the Rams at Viejas Arena.
San Diego State (19-4, 13-1) got 15 points from Kaelyn Hamilton off the bench and 14 apiece from Williams and Naomi Panganiban to complete a season sweep of Colorado State (18-7, 9-5). Williams gave San Diego State a six-point lead with a jumpshot with 58 seconds to play,
While the Aztecs were winning, UNLV (17-7, 11-3) lost to Wyoming 82-72 to fall two full games behind the Aztecs. San Diego State hosts UNLV next Wednesday night at Viejas Arena.
Bargesser was 4-of-5 from 3-point range before having her game-tying attempt blocked by Williams, who was both the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season while at Cal State Dominguez Hills. Williams also had five rebounds, two blocks and three assists against Colorado State.
San Diego State outrebounded Colorado State 38-26. Reserve forward Maria Konstantinidou, who gave the Aztecs a six-point lead with a jumpshot with 2:35 to play, led the Aztecs with seven rebounds and also had two blocks.
The Aztecs shot 44% (23-for-52) from the floor and were 7-for-19 on 3-point attempts. Colorado State was 5-for-19 on 3s.
Toreros, Tritons play Thursday
Both UC San Diego and the University of San Diego will play women’s college basketball games on Thursday night — one with hopes of maintaining a successful season and the other trying to salvage a rough one.
First-place UC San Diego (17-6, 12–1) will travel to UC Davis (17-7, 10-3) in a key Big West Conference game that’s scheduled for 6 p.m. The Aggies handed the Tritons their only conference loss of the season so far, winning 66-62 at LionTree Arena on Jan. 22.
The Tritons sit one game ahead of UC Irvine and two ahead of Davis in the conference standings.
UCSD is led by forward Erin Condron, who set a UCSD Division I program record with 32 points and 14 made free throws in last week’s win over Long Beach State.
Meanwhile, USD (9-17, 3-10) will host Gonzaga (18-7, 10-2) in a West Coast Conference game at Jenny Craig Pavilion. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
The Bulldogs won by 45 points — 87-42 — when the teams met last month in Spokane, Wash.
USD is led by Kylie Ray, who ranks fourth in the WCC with 16.3 points per game and is shooting a league-best 90% from the free-throw line. The granddaughter of former UCLA coach Jim Harrick, Ray shoots exactly 36% from both the field and 3-point range.
The Toreros have a new weapon for their rematch vs. Gonzaga. Freshman guard Olivia Owens scored 51 points, grabbed 25 rebounds and dished 13 assists in two games last week. She was named the WCC’s Freshman of the Week for her efforts.