Sophia Ramos, Matt Mitchell named Mountain West Players of the Week

by Kyle Betz and Breven Honda • November 30, 2020

Sports

San Diego State women’s basketball junior guard Sophia Ramos (left) and men’s basketball senior forward Matt Mitchell won the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week awards for the week ending Nov. 29 on Nov. 30, according to a conference-issued press release.

San Diego State women’s basketball junior guard Sophia Ramos and men’s basketball senior forward Matt Mitchell were each named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.

Both awards apply to the first week of the season, which ended on Nov. 29. Both Ramos and Mitchell were able to lead their teams to 1-1 and 2-0 records, respectively.

Here’s what Ramos and Mitchell were able to accomplish the first two games of the season.

Sophia Ramos

Entering the season, Ramos was named to the All-MWC preseason team and after the first week of the season, she is proving why she made the team.

In the South Point Thanksgiving Classic in Las Vegas, SDSU split their two games as Ramos scored 17 points against Washington on Nov. 25. The 5-foot-9 guard also added seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in 38 minutes.

During the second game against Lamar two days later, the San Antonio, Texas native played all 40 minutes and posted 22 points and 12 rebounds, her fifth double-double of her collegiate career.

She also added four assists and three blocks to become the second Aztec in the Mountain West era, joining Paris Johnson to have at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in a game.

In addition, Ramos was practically unguardable as she drew 13 of the team’s 20 fouls against Lamar in the 60-54 victory.

Matt Mitchell

Although he started a majority of his four years at SDSU, Monday’s announcement marks the first time Mitchell has won a Mountain West Player of the Week award.

The 6-foot-6 forward made a statement in his 100th career appearance wearing an Aztec uniform, which also happened to be the SDSU’s season opener against No. 22 UCLA. Mitchell tied a team-high 15 points and notched two rebounds, two assists and two steals en route to a 73-58 win.

Mitchell’s contributions helped the Aztecs claim their sixth win in their last 10 games against ranked opponents.

Against UC Irvine, Mitchell did not have the same scoring production that he did against the Bruins, but still made a substantial impact.

He scored 11 points and added four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Through two games this season, Mitchell is shooting 39.1% from the field, including 36.4% from beyond the arc.

Mitchell leads the Aztecs in scoring (26 points) and steals (four) entering the Aztecs’ third game of the season against St. Katherine’s on Dec. 2.

Despite his efforts, SDSU is still nationally unranked but received 86 votes in the latest AP Top 25 poll, which is second among teams receiving votes (27th overall).

About the Contributors

Kyle Betz, Sports Editor

Kyle Betz is a fourth-year journalism student at SDSU and 2020-21 marks his fourth year reporting for The Daily Aztec. The Lake Forest, Calif. native has covered numerous sports as a writer, editor and media contributor. An avid fan of the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Lakers, Manchester United and Anaheim Ducks, Kyle enjoys watching and attending sporting events, listening to music, going to the beach and spending time with friends and family in his free time.

Breven Honda, Senior Staff Writer

Breven Honda is a fourth-year journalism student at SDSU and in his third year writing for The Daily Aztec. Originally from San Diego, he is a big baseball fan and loves the Padres. He also enjoys basketball, football, golf, volleyball and tennis. Following college, Breven wants to be somewhere in the realm of sports journalism either broadcasting or reporting.