Women: San Diego State at New Mexico
Saturday, 2 p.m., the Pit. Radio: 610 AM/95.9 FM, themw.com (streaming)
What you need to know about San Diego State:
The Aztecs continue to find success with smothering defense and efficient play on offense. They lead the Mountain West in scoring defense (55.4 points allowed per game) and rank second in steals (10.5 per game) and forced turnovers (19.3 per game). Ramos remains a leader and frequently gets the ball in key situations, but point guard Avinger is the catalyst on both ends of the court. She leads SDSU in scoring, ranks fourth in the MWC in assists and is second in steals (2.2 per game). The Aztecs have been hot and cold on offense, sometimes in the course of a single game. They scored 23 points in the fourth quarter Monday at Boise State but managed just four in the second quarter of a 62-57 loss. Still, SDSU is quite capable of getting on a roll and shoots accurately (34%) if not frequently from 3-point range. Staples, who recently returned from injury, provides a solid inside-outside scoring punch.
What you need to know about New Mexico:
The Lobos will look for a quick bounce-back after Thursday night’s 93-75 loss to Mountain West-leading UNLV. UNM played well enough offensively but ran into a buzz saw against the hot-shooting Rebels and will need to regain some of the defensive form it established in the previous three games (all wins). San Diego State is not as explosive as UNLV but has size inside and quality guards who can knock down open 3-pointers. Containing Avinger, who sets the tone for SDSU with drives to the basket, will be key for UNM. Offensively, the Lobos have had success attacking the basket recently as MWC foes typically crowd UNM at the 3-point arc. Reus, Brown, Augmon and both Duff sisters made things happen with aggressive play against UNLV. Look for the Lobos to try to get McGruder involved early after her second scoreless game of the season (both coming against UNLV). McGruder had a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) at SDSU on Jan. 19.