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San Diego State sophomore guard Nat Williams (center) attempts a layup in a 68-59 win against Fresno State, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Viejas Arena (Jamie Sanchez<\/a>)<\/p>\nThe Bulldogs came out fast against the Aztecs from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tried to not let them speed us up,\u201d sophomore guard Kaelyn Hamilton said. \u201cThe pressure makes you go faster. We were kind of just trying to tell each other \u2018Play your game. Dictate how you want to get to the basket or when you want to get to the basket.\u2019 I think that kind of put our minds at ease.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fouls became an early issue for the Aztecs, as all five starters picked up a foul. Martinez exited in the first quarter after committing two fouls within four minutes.<\/p>\n
The Aztecs took an early lead in the first quarter when sophomore guard-forward Alyssa Jackson missed a three-pointer. Still, junior forward Maria Konstantinidou grabbed the rebound and scored on the putback.<\/p>\n
The basket counted, and Konstantinidou got fouled by redshirt junior forward Avery Watkins. Konstantinidou converted the free throw to give the Aztecs a 5-4 lead.<\/p>\n
Sophomore guard Bailey Barnhard missed her jumper but grabbed the rebound and passed the ball out of the paint to senior guard Nala Williams, who hit a three-pointer to give the Aztecs a 14-11 lead.<\/p>\n
In the second quarter, the Bulldogs took a 24-23 lead with three minutes remaining when Long scored on a layup.<\/p>\n
Sophomore guard CJ Latta, one of the Aztecs\u2019 \u201cgame changers,\u201d responded with a three-pointer off an assist from sophomore guard Naomi Panganiban to give SDSU a 26-24 lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe game changers do really affect the game, and we appreciate those giving us a rest and not having a falloff at all,\u201d Martinez said.<\/p>\n
Terry-Hutson felt disappointed with the team\u2019s lack of discipline in the first half.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message prior to the game was \u2018rely on your habits,\u2019 and I thought we reverted in the first half,\u201d Terry-Hutson said. \u201cThe message was we got to get back to the standard that we have set.\u201d<\/p>\n
Martinez sat out the second quarter because of her early fouls but returned in the third, making offensive contributions, including a three-pointer assisted by Williams with five minutes remaining to extend the Aztecs\u2019 lead to 41-35.<\/p>\n
Panganiban closed the third quarter with a jumper, pushing SDSU\u2019s lead to 51-42 with 34 seconds left.<\/p>\n
Although the Bulldogs were making shots, the Aztecs responded in the fourth quarter. As the Aztecs continued to extend their lead, the Bulldogs fell further behind in scoring.<\/p>\n
The Aztecs added two three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, with junior forward Kennedy Lee and Martinez each hitting one.<\/p>\n
SDSU closed out the game when Watkins fouled Panganiban on a fast break. Panganiban made both free throws to seal the 68-59 victory.<\/p>\n
The Aztecs finished the game shooting 41.4% from the field, 26.9% on three-pointers and 72.2% on free throws. The Bulldogs ended with 37% from the field, 18.2% on three-pointers and 63% on free throws.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter an emotional win against UNLV, I thought we started the game really tired,\u201d Terry-Hutson said. \u201c I was just proud of the way that we had some grit to figure it out, because we were exhausted and it was not a pretty game. However, we were able to find a way to get stops and get rebounds when we needed to, and that was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hamilton scored 11 points, the second-highest for the Aztecs, and talked about playing against pressure-heavy opponents.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a very big competitor, and when we\u2019re coming out with games with people who are putting a lot of pressure on us, I think that I thrive in those environments,\u201d Hamilton said.<\/p>\n
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San Diego State senior guard Nala Williams cuts the net after winning the regular season in a 68-59 win against Fresno State, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at Viejas Arena (