San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: SDSU lacks fan support despite big win totals

David J. Olender / Staff Photographer

When a team stays undefeated at home throughout an entire season, most people would assume the team’s home-court advantage includes packed stands and thousands of screaming fans.

But for the San Diego State women’s basketball team, which went 14-0 at home in the regular season last year, the crowd has been all but irrelevant.

Despite finishing tied for first in the Mountain West Conference regular season standings last year, SDSU averaged an attendance of 1,281 (including two NCAA Tournament games), which was good for sixth place (out of nine) in the MWC.

While the Aztecs are just shy of last year’s national average of 1,612 per game, they rank No. 99 of 347 total NCAA Division I teams in terms of average home attendance.

Still, for a team that went undefeated at home last year, beating opponents such as New Mexico, Utah and then-No. 4 Texas, sixth place in attendance stands out when SDSU is at the top of most on-court statistical categories. It’s hard to imagine what more the Aztecs could do to put more fans in the stands.

Now, at 4-3, SDSU has won both its home games and will work toward another undefeated home season when it takes on Pepperdine at 7 p.m. at Viejas Arena.

The Aztecs will have the challenge of defending forward Miranda Ayim who is averaging 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Likely matching up with her will be SDSU’s star junior center Paris Johnson. Johnson is coming off a dominating 17-point, 15-rebound performance against UC Riverside and is one of three Aztecs averaging double-digit scoring this year.

Also scoring higher than 10 points per game are senior guards Jené Morris and Quenese Davis who have 15.4 and 10.1 scoring averages and have combined for 38 steals in games so far this season.

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: SDSU lacks fan support despite big win totals