San Diego State women’s basketball lost its third straight game, falling by a score of 62-49 to UNLV on Saturday afternoon at Viejas Arena.
The Aztecs started the game off dry and were held scoreless for the first five minutes.
The Rebels set the tone early and the momentum was with them.
Following a quick layup and three pointer from the Rebels, head coach Stacie Terry called a timeout.
“I thought they looked a little tired, we came out a little sluggish,” she said. “So I called that quick timeout to see if I can get them a little more motivated.”
It worked.
The Aztecs were able to make defensive stops and get the ball rolling in their favor on the offensive end.
After an 8-3 run, the Aztecs quickly turned an eight-point deficit to four as the quarter ended.
SDSU’s defense took over in the second quarter, forcing the Rebels to shoot 28.6 percent from the field. The Aztecs’ offense also contributed to a second quarter takeover as the Aztecs shot for 50 percent.
Sophomore guard Tea Adams completed a buzzer-beater layup right before halftime to give SDSU a 26-25 lead, its first of the game.
The rest of the game was a battle.
The Aztecs turned the ball over 18 times, of which five of those turnovers came from SDSU’s leading scorer, freshman guard Sophia Ramos.
Ramos finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Ramos said she is focusing on limiting her turnovers.
“Right now one of my biggest things I need to work on is cutting down on my turnovers,” she said. “For me it’s not how many points, how many rebounds, how many steals I can get. It’s more I need to find a way to get us more offensive possessions.”
After both teams scored 14 points in the third, the game came down to the fourth quarter.
UNLV outscored the Aztecs 23-9 in the fourth quarter.
Three UNLV players went 100 percent from the three-point line.
In addition to being hot from outside of the arc, UNLV has a six-foot-four center as its leading scorer in Katie Powell.
Ramos said it was hard to defend a team that has good shooters and a strong post under the basket.
“It makes us adjust our defensive principles that we’ve been practicing,” she said.
The Aztecs were able to contain her to shoot for just 6-21 from the field and 1-5 from the three-point line.
Freshman guard Mallory Adams, who led the Aztecs with 15 points and nine rebounds, said the team had their eye on Powell prior to the game.
“We’re really big on knowing our personnel,” she said. “We knew we had to figure out a way to stop her because she dominates games.”
SDSU hosts Utah State on Feb. 27 at Viejas Arena.
Terry reflected on the game and said she has high hopes for the future.
“Even through our losses, i still think that we’re getting better. Our best basketball is ahead of us.”
