SAN DIEGO - The Aztecs host San Diego Christian (2-1) for their home opener Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. The game will be available on the Mountain West Network and their app with Chris Ello on the call.
Aztec Tidbits
• SDSU kicked off the season at No. 2/2 Stanford Monday evening, falling to the Cardinal 86-48.
• It was the first time the Aztecs have faced a top two since Nov. 23, 2014, when they played at No. 2 South Carolina.
• The Aztecs started four players in their fifth year of college (Sarah Barcello, Alex Crain, Yummy Morris and Mercedes Staples and a junior (Kim Villalobos.
• Alex Crain and Meghan Fiso tied for a team-high with nine points. Fiso's four made field goals was a career-high.
• SDSU went 15-16 last year, their most wins since the 2012-13 season.
• The Aztecs received votes in the preseason USA Today Coaches poll.
• San Diego State was predicted to finish in fifth place in the preseason Mountain West poll, which tied for their highest under Head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson.
• SDSU returns three starters (Avinger, Ramos & Staples) seven letterwinners from a year ago. They are bringing back 74% of their scoring and 89% of their assist contributions.
• The Aztecs have six players in their fifth year of college and 10 of their 13 scholarship players are upperclassmen.
• The Aztecs had four players average double-digits points last year and return three of them in 2022-23 (Avinger, Ramos & Staples). That was just the second time in the Mountain West era (1999-present) that the Aztecs had four players averaging 10 or more points.
• Last year, SDSU set a school record by committing just 12.87 turnovers per game.
• SDSU has five newcomers. Transfers Sarah Barcello (Marist), Yummy Morris (TCU), Abby Prohaska (Notre Dame) and Adryana Quezada (Utah State) and freshman Jaida Brooks (PHH Prep). Quezada, an All-Mountain West selection last year, will redshirt the 2022-23 season.
• Other letterwinners returning in 2022-23 are guards Alex Crain and Meghan Fiso and forwards Khylee-Jade Pepe and Kim Villalobos.
• Guard Sophia Ramos (San Antonio, Texas) is returning for her fifth season. An All-Mountain West honorable mention selection last year, she is the only Aztec ever to have at least 1,500 points, 400 assists and 500 rebounds in a career. She enters the year in the top 10 in program history in nine statistical categories, including points (5th), made threes (5th), assists (6th), made free throws (6th) and three-point percentage (10th).
• Point guard Asia Avinger (Cerritos, Calif.) was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman Team after averaging 12.0 points and 3.9 points, which was tops among all MW freshmen.
• Avinger was one of four freshmen in the nation to average at least 11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
• SDSU went 10-5 at home last year, their most home wins and best home winning percentage since the 2012-13 season.
Opponent Notebook (San Diego Christian)
• San Diego Christian is 2-1 on the year.
• This game does not count towards their record.
• They went 9-19 last year.
• They have wins over Lincoln (67-56) and Bethesda (74-46) and lost at Embry-Riddle (78-61).
• They have three players averaging double-digits: Haylie Anderson (19.0), Keren Hogue (15.0) and Jamee Joseph (13.0).
• Hogue brought in nine rebounds in her lone game while Joseph is averaging 7.3 boards a game.
• Elaina Martinez leads the team with 5.0 assists per game.
• They are scoring 67.3 points per game and allowing 60.0.
• They are turning the ball over 22.3 times per game.
• Head coach Anessa Wolfblack is in her first year as San Diego Christian's head coach. She is an alum and has been as an assistant for SDCC for the past four seasons.
Series Notes
• The Aztecs lead the all-time series 2-0.
• They played in 2015 and in 2016.
• SDSU won their first meeting 60-25 and their second 80-70.
Aztecs Host San Diego Christian Wednesday Evening
