In a game that consisted of six ties and four lead changes, the San Diego State Aztecs (11-13, 5-8 Mountain West Conference) fell to conference rival UNLV (20-4, 12-1 MWC) 67-56 in Las Vegas.
Following their win on Feb. 9 against Nevada in Viejas Arena, the Aztecs were unable to continue their momentum against the Rebels on the road. Senior Sophia Ramos and junior Mallory Adams combined for 32 points, yet this was not enough to stop UNLV.
Despite the big games from Ramos and Adams, other Aztec key players were unable to find their rhythm shooting the basketball. Freshman starting point guard Asia Avinger shot 21% from the field while having only seven points. Senior Mercedes Staples shot 36% from the field with just eight points and missed all of the four 3-pointers she took.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Scarlet and Black struggled to stop UNLV’s high-powered offense. The Rebels shot over 50% from the field and made seven out of their 19 3-pointers.
SDSU’s foul trouble gave UNLV plenty of opportunities at the free-throw line as the Rebels made 19 of their 28 free throw attempts.
Early in the fourth quarter, SDSU was down by double digits with little to no momentum going for them. With timely steals and good buckets on the other end of the court, the Aztecs were able to cut the lead down to two during the mid-fourth quarter. However, their efforts were not enough as UNLV did not allow the Aztecs’ momentum to overwhelm them.
Now 11-13 on the season and 5-8 in conference play, the Aztecs are the eighth-ranked team in the MWC. With only five conference games left, the future for the Scarlet and Black is unknown.
The Aztecs will play at Viejas Arena with another chance to redeem themselves after a tough loss on Feb. 16 when they take on San Jose State. The Spartans are sitting in last place in the Mountain West. SDSU will look to bounce back against SJSU and build a nice winning streak to cap off their back-and-forth season.
