Aztecs Beat

The San Diego State softball team earned a trip to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship for the fourth time in eight seasons on Sunday. The Aztecs (43-15), who wrapped up their fourth Mountain West Conference regular season title with two victories at UNLV over the weekend, will play California (40-24) Friday (May 16) on the campus of Fresno State at 5 p.m. The Bulldogs (51-11) earned the No. 16 overall seed and will face Sacramento State (32-19) in the other region's pairing at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Foster Family Day at Baseball Game
The SD County Foster Home Licensing program, in conjunction with the San Diego State baseball program, is sponsoring 100 foster family members at the Aztecs' game against nationally-ranked Long Beach State on Tuesday, May 13, at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium. This Foster Family Day at the Game falls during National Foster Care Month during which the organization publicizes its year-round efforts to recruit foster parents.

Aztec Football Tickets On Sale

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State football season tickets for the upcoming 2008 season, featuring games against Mountain West Conference rivals Utah, Air Force, Colorado State and UNLV, are currently on sale at the Aztec Ticket Office. Season tickets for the six-game home schedule start at just $50, as little as $8.33 per game, a savings of 46 percent over individual game pricing. All season ticket prices for the 2008 campaign remain the same as last season.

Aztecs Beat

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - In a game that turned into a roller coaster ride over the final three innings, San Diego State came from behind to defeat Houston, 7-6, Saturday afternoon at Tony Gwynn Stadium. It was a contest that saw SDSU rally late to tie and go ahead, fall behind in the top of the ninth, then score twice in its final at bat to win for the fifth straight time. In the process, the Aztecs improved to 16-10 while the Cougars dropped their second game of the weekend series to fall to 16-9.

Track & Field Wins

The San Diego State track and field team won its second consecutive Cal-Nevada Championships team title, fifth since 2001 and fifth in the last six seasons in which it competed at the event. As a result, head coach Rahn Sheffield was awarded his fifth Cal-Nevada Coach of the Meet award. SDSU finished with 175 points, ahead of preseason No. 6 and second place UCLA, which finished with 124 points.

Tennis Rebounds

Following Friday's heartbreaking defeat to Harvard, the 48th-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team displayed tremendous resiliency on Saturday, posting a big 5-2 victory over No. 64 UC Santa Barbara in a non-conference dual at the UCSB Recreation Center Courts. The Aztecs (10-6) swept through doubles competition and captured four of six singles contests to halt the Gauchos' (9-5) six-match winning streak.

Aztecs Down UCLA

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State broke open a tie game with four runs in the bottom of the seventh and went on to defeat 23rd-ranked UCLA, 6-3, Tuesday evening at Tony Gwynn Stadium. The rally ended what had been a pitchers duel between SDSU starter Shane Kaufman and UCLA reliever Matt Drummond, both of whom pitched well enough to deserve the win, but which neither got. With the win, SDSU improved to 13-10 as it won for the sixth time in its last nine outings. The Bruins, meanwhile, fell to 10-9.

Aztecs Beat

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - The San Diego State women's basketball team returns to the road this week for a pair of games against the conference's top two teams, as the Aztecs travel to Utah on Wednesday, followed three days later by a trip to No. 20 Wyoming on Saturday. SDSU, which plays three of its first four and four of its first six conference games away from home, is still in search of its first Mountain West Conference victory of 2008, but won the final regular season meeting against both schools a year ago.

Aztecs Beat

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - The San Diego State men's basketball team will play host to Utah on Wednesday night, January 16, 8 p.m. at Cox Arena in what will be an important Mountain West Conference game for both schools. The game will feature two of the three squads with unbeaten records in league play with the Aztecs sitting at 2-0 and the Utes having won its lone MWC contest nearly two weeks ago.

Aquatics Team Drops Meet
The San Diego State women's swimming and diving team dropped a 136-96 decision to BYU on Saturday afternoon at the Richards Building Pool. The Cougars improved to 8-0 overall, and 4-0 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Aztecs fell to 5-5 overall, 2-5 MWC.

O'Connell Shines in Hula Bowl
(AP) - San Diego State's Kevin O'Connell was one of the only bright spots for the Kai. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards. California's Robert Jordan had four catches for 84 yards. O'Connell was joined on the Kai squad by fellow Aztecs Nick Osborn and Will Robinson. The Kai avoided a shutout when O'Connell connected with Jordan on a 15-yard TD pass play on fourth-and-long to cut the Aina's lead to 24-7 late in the third quarter. O'Connell found the Hawaii connection on the 12-play, 79-yard scoring drive. He completed passes of 17 and 10 yards to Jason Rivers and a 15-yarder to C.J. Hawthorne.

Coach Fisher's Press Conference Quotes

SDSU Head Coach Steve Fisher MWC Press Conference Transcript

Source: SDSU

Opening comments:
"We are like everyone excited about the beginning of our MWC season. I think our non-conference has proved interesting for all of us and now we look forward to a great competitive league (season). We had some nice non-conference wins which was good to see. New Mexico beating Texas Tech, Utah beating Cal, BYU beating Louisville. Some really, really good wins out of league play and now we are going to beat up on one another. So now we are like everyone, excited and looking forward to it."

Q: How is the loss of Richie Williams going to affect the team:
"He's a three year starting point guard. When you take a critical piece out it always has some impact and yet we feel like we have adequate people who are there. D.J. Gay, a freshman guard, started when Richie didn't play the first three games of the season. Matt Thomas who missed (a majority) of last season with an injury coming off of major back surgery started some as a freshman and sophomore. He had been the odd man out and will get opportunities. Rather than carp about who you don't have, you just have to find a way to make good of who you do have.

Q: You expect Williams to miss four weeks?
"That's what we are hoping for. He broke two bones in that wrist so it's not like we can pick him up and spit on it and he will be ok, he's going to have to miss some time."

Q: Have you had the opportunity to see different teams in the league play?
"We have not done that at all. We are now getting ready for New Mexico. We have had the opportunity to watch UNLV because we have played a couple of teams that they have played but other than that, casually, we have seen a little bit. We watched some this weekend prior to our game against TCU, but we followed only scores and we have not followed or really watched teams. We have been worried about making our way through the non-conference season, but now we will be all about preparing for us for New Mexico. From your point with five new coaches in this league, it will be a change and an adjustment for all of us."

Q: How has Ryan Amoroso played thus far?
"He's done a good job. As you know he sat out last year, he was at San Diego State, after transferring from Marquette . He is a big body which is what we haven't had a lot of and is a nice presence inside. He has been a bit inconsistent with his offensive production, but we really do like Ryan and what he is bringing to the table. We feel that he will bode well for us as we move on into conference play."

Q: Have you seen improvement in (New Mexico's) J.R. Giddens this season?
"I have not watched them play at all so for me to comment other than looking at a stat sheet, I really couldn't. I know what we saw last year and he was a very talented player so I am assuming that, like everyone, he has made progress between his junior year and this year. He was very, very good last year. He's a force. He is a very, very good player."

Aztecs Beat

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - The San Diego State women's basketball team plays away from home for the first time in over a month, as the Aztecs kick off Mountain West Conference action Wednesday at TCU, beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas. The Aztecs, who completed their non-conference campaign with a 9-3 mark, open their league schedule on the road for the third straight season.

San Diego State (11-3 overall; 1-0 MWC) faces its final regular-season non-conference opponent of the season on Wednesday night when the Aztecs play host to Big Sky Conference foe Northern Colorado (7-8, 2-2 BSC).

The San Diego State track and field program was well-represented at the 18th Annual National Pole Vault Summit on Saturday at the Reno Livestock Event Center. SDSU had four current athletes and one former Aztec indoor All-American compete at the yearly event in The Silver State.

Aztecs Down TCU in MWC Opener

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - Lorrenzo Wade scored 18 points as San Diego State held on for a 64-57 win over TCU Saturday night in the Mountain West opener for both teams. The Aztecs held a 19-point halftime lead and still led by the same margin with just over than eight minutes left before TCU mounted a comeback. The Horned Frogs cut the lead to seven three times, but could get no closer.

SDSU Faces Undefeated Sam Houston St.

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State (9-3), which will look to avoid its first two-game losing streak in 11 months, returns from the Christmas holiday break to play host to one of nine unbeaten teams in America, Sam Houston State (10-0), on Friday, December 28, at Cox Arena.

Aztecs to Host Women's Hoops Tourney

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - The San Diego State women's basketball team concludes the 2007 calendar year by playing host to the third annual San Diego Surf `N Slam Classic, Dec. 28 and 30, at Cox Arena. Besides the Aztecs, the tournament also includes Quinnipiac, Seton Hall and Western Michigan. Quinnipiac and SDSU will play the first game on Friday at 2 p.m., followed by the contest between Seton Hall and Western Michigan at 4 p.m. The consolation (2 p.m.) and championship (4 p.m.) games will follow two days later on Sunday.

Arizona Crusies By Aztecs

TUCSON, Arizona (Ticker) -- Nic Wise waited till the second half to make a big splash. Wise scored a season-high 12 points - all in the second half - as No. 19 Arizona cruised past San Diego State, 74-58, on Saturday.

Jordan Hill had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Jerryd Bayless and Chase Budinger scored 15 and 13, respectively, for the Wildcats (9-2), who have won a season-high five straight games. Arizona is playing its best basketball under interim coach Kevin O'Neill at just the right time.

Next Saturday, the Wildcats meet their toughest foe when they travel to No. 2 Memphis, who knocked off No. 4 Georgetown, 85-71, earlier today. The 5-9 Wise, who was scoreless at the half, made his presence felt when the Wildcats needed him most. Hill had given Arizona a 36-26 lead on a dunk just 41 seconds into the second half, but a layup by Billy White cut San Diego State's deficit to 42-38 at the 14:47 mark.

However, the Wildcats outscored the Aztecs, 17-10, over the next 7 1/2 minutes, capped by Wise's second straight 3-pointer. The sophomore, who was 5-of-7 from the floor, then had consecutive baskets to help push the lead out to 70-54 with 2:51 left to put the game away.

The Wildcats, who shot 54 percent (32-of-59), made 19-of-32 (59 percent) from the field in the second half to pull away. Kyle Spain had 20 points and eight rebounds and Ryan Amoroso added 11 and eight for the Aztecs (9-3), who have lost the last six to the Wildcats and have dropped 13 of 14 meetings in the series here.

SDSU-Arizona Game on FSN

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - The San Diego State-Arizona men's basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 22, will be televised on FSN West. The contest, which is being originated by FSN Arizona, will be shown in the San Diego and Los Angeles markets on FSN West beginning at noon PT.

SDSU to Host Special Event

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State will play host to "A Night with the Aztecs" on Thursday, Feb. 21, at Cox Arena beginning at 6 p.m. PT. The event will include live and silent auctions, prizes, food and beverages and special appearances by Aztec legends as well as current student-athletes and coaches. All proceeds will benefit San Diego State student-athlete scholarships for all 18 intercollegiate sports on campus.

USD Meets SDSU in Women's Hoops

SAN DIEGO - The University of San Diego (4-3) will travel across town to meet rival San Diego State University (6-1) on Wednesday in a 7 p.m. non-conference women's basketball game at Cox Arena. SDSU holds the all-time series between the two programs at 24-6, but the Toreros have won five straight against the Aztecs, including a 76-46 win this past season at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.

Aztecs End Long Season With Loss to BYU

SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- It took an extra week, but Brigham Young completed its second straight undefeated season in the Mountain West Conference. Freshman Harvey Unga rushed for three touchdowns and Max Hall passed for three scores as the 21st-ranked Cougars coasted to a 48-27 victory over San Diego State on Saturday. The game was originally scheduled for October 27 but was postponed due to the wildfires in the San Diego area.

"I thought before the season that winning a conference championship was realistic," BYU coach Bronco Mendenhall said. "I can't say I expected to go undefeated." BYU (10-2, 8-0 Mountain West) posted its 16th straight conference victory and extended its overall winning streak to nine games. It is the second-longest current streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Hawaii, which has won 12 in a row.

"Right off the first drive, we saw how easy it was for us to go down and score," Hall said. "I think we knew that every time we had the ball we should be able to go down and score." Despite playing with an ankle injury, Unga rushed for 161 yards on 23 carries - his third straight game with more than 100 yards. Unga also caught a touchdown pass. Hall, who had the best season by a sophomore in Mountain West Conference history, completed 19-of-26 passes for 227 yards. He finished the year with 3,617 passing yards. "I'm proud of our team, our consistency and our ability to overcome adversity," Mendenhall said. "We focused on the task, which was to play better than last year."

After allowing 100 points in its last two games, San Diego State could not slow down the Cougars, who gained more than 500 yards and have not lost since falling at Tulsa, 55-47, on September 15. "They're the ones to beat in the conference," San Diego State coach Chuck Long said of the Cougars. "We are all chasing them. They are a BCS team. They deserve to be there."

The Aztecs (4-8, 3-5) closed to 27-20 on Kevin O'Connell's three-yard TD pass to Lynell Hamilton with 6:49 left in the third quarter. But the Cougars took control with a 12-play, 72-yard march that consumed nearly six minutes. Unga's three-yard TD run capped the drive with 52 seconds left in the third period. "I really liked the way we ran the ball," Mendenhall said. "I think we were physical. I think the game plan worked just the way we planned." Fui Vakapuna's two-yard TD scamper made it 41-20 with 12:17 remaining in the contest. Vakapuna fell just short of the century mark, running for 97 yards on 14 attempts. "Things were working tonight, especially the running game," Hall said. "We didn't throw much but that is perfectly fine for me based on how the game was. The uniform is clean. I didn't take too many hits."

O'Connell completed 33-of-55 passes for 288 yards and also rushed for a pair of scores for the Aztecs. San Diego State allowed 148 points in its last three games, yet Long came away encouraged. "The last three games are not what we would have liked but I think we have laid a solid foundation for the future," Long said.

Photo: BYU's Manase Tonga prepares to stiff-arm an Aztec defender. (NC Sports/Jon Greene)

Photo: Aztec Senior QB Kevin O'Connell takes the snap in his final game. (NC Sports/Jon Greene)

Aztecs Gameday Hoops Preview

Western Michigan (4-3/0-0 MAC) at San Diego State (6-1/0-0 MWC), Saturday, 7:30pm, Cox Arena

SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - San Diego State (6-1 overall), off to its second best start in the last 23 seasons, opens a stretch of six of the next eight games at home on Saturday night against Mid-American member Western Michigan (4-3). The Aztecs are looking to extend an eight-game home court winning streak dating back to Jan. 3, 2007. The streak is tied for the 11th longest homecourt win streak in the 87 seasons of Aztec basketball. A victory on Saturday, would move the streak into a tie for ninth place on the SDSU charts.

On Tuesday night, San Diego State became just the third school in the country to win five road/neutral games (joining Butler and USC), with a 78-56 victory over Loyola Marymount. Despite playing without junior forward Kyle Spain (sprained ankle), the Aztecs never trailed and posted their largest margin of victory in a road game since Nov. 29, 1988.

San Diego State continues to show remarkable balance through seven games. The Aztecs have five players averaging in double figures (including freshman forward Tim Shelton who is out for the season), eight players averaging 5.3 points or more and eight players averaging 22 or more minutes per game.

Western Michigan enters the game with a 4-3 record, including a quality 83-76 victory over 25th-ranked Davidson on Nov. 21. The Broncos have won three of their last four games and return 13 letterwinners, including all five starters, off a team that handed San Diego State its first loss of the 2006-07 season.

Aztec fans are sure to remember last year's game, when SDSU entered the contest with an 8-0 record, only to fall in Kalamazoo, Mich., 84-73. The Aztecs placed five players in double figures, but couldn't overcome 22 turnovers and a 21-13 discrepancy at the free throw line.

MWC Football Roundup

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (MWC) - No. 23 BYU claimed its second straight Mountain West Conference football title with a 17-10 win over in-state rival Utah on Saturday. In other league tilts yesterday, New Mexico topped UNLV (27-6) and TCU defeated San Diego State (45-33). On Friday, Colorado State closed out its season with a 36-28 win over Wyoming.

Trailing 10-9 late in the game, the Cougars (9-2, 7-0 MWC) scored on a 14-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion to make the score 17-10 with 38 seconds left to play. The Utes received the ensuing kick but ran out of time as BYU (9-2, -7-0 MWC) became the second team since Utah in 2003 and 2004 to capture back-to-back Mountain West titles outright. The Cougars have now won 15 consecutuve games over MWC opponents and eight straight overall.

Colorado State (3-9, 2-6 MWC) won consecutive games for the first time this season with its Friday-night victory over Wyoming (5-7, 2-6 MWC). The Rams have now won six straight Border War meetings over the Cowboys in Fort Collins. CSU finishes the season on a two-game win streak while Wyoming closes out the year having lost four in a row.

On Saturday, New Mexico (8-4, 5-3 MWC) defeated UNLV (2-10, 1-7 MWC) in Albuquerque to reach the eight-win mark for just the fourth time since 1965 and the second time in 10 seasons under coach Rocky Long. It marks the ninth eight-win season in the Lobos' 109-year history. The Rebels end the 2007 campaign on an eight-game slide.

TCU (7-5, 4-4 MWC) rolled up 694 yards of total offense while tying an NCAA record with 111 plays in its win over San Diego State (4-7, 3-4 MWC). With the victory, the Horned Frogs clinched their eighth winning campaign in 10 seasons.

BYU and San Diego State will wrap up regular-season action on Saturday, Decmeber 1 at Qualcomm Stadium. The game, originally scheduled to take place October 27, was postponed due to the wildfires in the San Diego area.

Aztecs Beat

Women's Hoops In Thanksgiving Tournament
SAN DIEGO (SDSU) - After a quick stop in San Diego, the Aztec women's basketball team heads back on the road this weekend, when it travels to the four-team Loyola Marymount Ayres Hotel Thanksgiving Tournament, Nov. 23-24. SDSU will face unbeaten Indiana State (2-0) in the first game on Friday at 2 p.m. at Gerston Pavilion, and then will play either Jackson State or host LMU on Saturday at 2 or 4 p.m.

Volleyball Falls in MWC Tournament
Top-seeded Colorado State proved too much for San Diego State as it defeated the Aztecs, 3-0 (30-22, 30-22, 30-19) in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West Conference volleyball tournament Thursday evening at UNLV's Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas. It marked the fifth time in the nine-year history of the championship tourney that the Aztecs were eliminated by CSU. The loss brought an end to SDSU's 2007 campaign as it finished with an overall record of 13-16.