Above the rim: SDSU tips off MW play on winning note

Photo caption: Elzie Harrington has the ball for SDSU in Saturday’s game against Fresno State. Photo by Andy Bartotto

Like football, San Diego State University’s men’s basketball team is playing its final season in the Mountain West Conference before the Aztecs move over to the Pac-12. It appears early on that the SDSU men’s hoops team is looking to go out in style — possibly with a conference championship.

The Aztecs improved to 5-0 in MW play, 11-4, overall, following Saturday’s 71-54 home court win over Fresno State.
SDSU tipped off conference play Dec. 17 with an 81-58 win over Air Force and followed that with an 81-68 win over San Jose State on Dec. 30, a110-107 triple overtime win over Boise State on Jan. 3 and a 73-68 win at Nevada on Jan. 6.

The Aztecs never trailed in Saturday’s game nor was it ever tied. Fresno State missed on its first seven shots as the Aztecs limited the Central Valley visitors to 20.6 percent shooting in the first half while blowing out to a 20-10 lead and extending it to 28 points in the seconc half.

Magoon Gwath led the hosts with 18 points while tacking on eight rebounds, two blocks, one assist and one steal. Reese Dixon-Waters added 13 points, nine rebounds and one assist. Miles Byrd had 10 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals.

“Overall, we’re getting better, and that’s all I want to see,” SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher said. “Whatever is in the past is in the past. We played a good, competitive schedule. Aztec basketball, over the history I’ve been here with Steve Fisher and now here as the head coach, and my staff, always get better as the year goes on. I think that’s standard for San Diego State. Our goal is to get better, whatever that means on both ends of the floor. We have to find a way to get better. We do that, we’ll have the season we want to have.”

The Aztecs absorbed a 68-45 ‘loss to No. 1 Arizona in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series Dec. 20 in Phoenix. But are 5-0 since then, including a 121-59 non-conference win over visiting Whittier on Dec. 22.

“I think we’ve been growing a lot, especially in the defensive end and our attention to detail with little things like rebounding not gambling as much, and playing together as a team,” Dixon-Waters said. “I think everybody has progressed, everybody really got into their role, and everybody started playing.”

Photos by Andy Bartotto

Community College Basketball Log

Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Standings

Men’s Basketball
Conference/Overall
San Diego City 4-0 11-5
Miramar 4-1 9-8
Palomar 3-1 11-5
MiraCosta 3-2 8-9
Southwestern 2-2 6-10
Cuyamaca 2-3 6-11
Grossmont 1-3 3-12
San Diego Mesa 1-4 6-11
Imperial Valley 0-4 0-16

Statistical Leaders
Points/Game
S. Edmond (SWC) 23.8
C. Washington (Miramar) 18.5
I. Pomare (Palomar) 17.9
D. Griffin (SD City) 17.3
C. Hollis (IV) 15.4

Rebounds/Game
I. Pomare (Palomar) 9-4
T. Snider (MC) 8.6
C. Hollis (IV) 7.5
D. Griffin (SD City) 6.7
J. Dallas (SD Mesa) 6.5

Field Goal PCT
D. Griffin (SD City) 55.2
C. Hyde (SD City) 54.2
J. White (Pal) 54.1
M. Elliott (SD Mesa) 53.6
A. Reavis (GR) 53.2

Three-point PCT
I. Aquino (CUY) 42.2
D. Simpson (Miramar) 41.1
I. Snider (MC) 39.7
B. Hollins (Pal) 39.4

Free-Throw PCT
S. Mews (GR) 85.7
I. Martinez (GR) 84.7
D. Edmond (SWC) 82.8
C. Washington (Miramar) 82.0
C. Hyde (SD City) 80.5

Women’s Basketball
Conference/Overall
Miramar 2-0 17-0
Palomar 2-0 11-6
San Diego City 2-0 10-8
Southwestern 0-1 6-9
Imperial Valley 0-1 4-12
San Diego Mesa 0-2 8-10
Cuyamaca 0-2 2-12

Statistical Leaders
Points Per Game
S. Lundquist (SD Mesa) 21.2
A. Mason (SWC) 19.1
D. Blake (SD City) 16.4
T. Trujillo (Pal) 15.9
A. Perry (SWC) 14.8

Rebounds Per Game
K. Flournoy (Pal) 12.9
D. Blake (SD City) 12.1
V. Marquez (SD Mesa) 9.6
A. Daniels (SD City) 8.6
C. Scott (MC) 8.3

Field Goal PCT
K. Waters (MC) 58.8
H. Hinojos (MC) 46.6
A. Anderson (MC) 46.5
I. Seals (Pal) 44.4
S. Lundquist (SD Mesa) 43.9

Three-Point PCT
C. Powell (MC) 41.0
M. Hinojos (MC) 36.0
N. Henderson (CUY) 32.8
A. Mason (SWC) 32.4
C. Dagnino (MC) 30.8

Free-Throw PCT
A. Anderson (MC) 84.0
R. Davis (Pal) 80.0
A. Mason (SWC) 76.7
A. Perry (SWC) 74.7
I. Seals (Pal) 73.4