San Diego State women’s basketball was unable to begin conference play with a win as they lost to the reigning Mountain West champions Boise State University 69-66 Saturday afternoon at Viejas Arena.
Freshman guard Mallory Adams led the Aztecs with a career-high performance and a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Redshirt junior center Zayn Dornstauder also had a career-high game in rebounds as she finished with eight points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
The Aztecs shot for 34.9 percent from the field and were 1-14 from the three-point line.
Sophomore guard Tea Adams returned to the court after missing four games due to an ankle injury. She had six points and two rebounds but her ankle was still giving her problems.
Head coach Stacie Terry said that today’s game was good for her.
“We love having her back,” she said. “We still have to get her all the way healthy, she’s playing probably at about 75 percent so today was a good opportunity for her to play in live competition. She’s not all the way there but she’s getting close. I like our chances better when she’s on the floor.”
After shooting for 15.6 percent from the field in the first half, the Aztecs were down by nine going into the locker rooms.
Things changed in the second half for the Aztecs, specifically the fourth quarter.
The Aztecs improved their shooting from the field as they shot for 46.2 percent in the third and 61.1 percent in the fourth.
After a stop on the defensive end for the Aztecs, freshman guard Sophia Ramos used her speed to execute a fastbreak layup making it a one-point deficit with a little under four minutes remaining in the game.
Boise responded quickly turning it into a seven-point game.
SDSU refused to give up that easily and after another Ramos layup, the Aztecs were down by two with 13 seconds left to play.
The Aztecs were unable to catch up as they lost by three, but the game said more about the Aztecs than the score did.
Dornstauder said the team needs to start with as much energy as it finishes with.
“We had a lot of energy in the fourth quarter so I think that if we would’ve started with that,” she said. “We would’ve had the advantage opposed to digging ourselves out of a hole and trying to come back the whole game.”
Freshman guard Sophia Ramos finished with 15 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Boise has defeated three out of its last four opponents by more than 30 points.
Adams said the result said a lot about the team.
“We’re not happy that we’re just three points away, but I think it does say that we do have grit,” she said. “We fought back from the hole that we always dig ourselves into. I think it says a lot about our team, we fight back together and we’re not going to give up.”
Dornstauder said other conference teams need to recognize that the Aztecs can battle.
“I think our effort needs to set the tone for the rest of conference play. We all came back, we all fought really hard. I think other teams in our conference need to be aware of it and need to respect it,” she said.
The Aztecs now head to Wyoming to face University of Wyoming on Jan. 9.
