Broncos Head To San Diego To Wrap MW Opening Week

Boise State (10-2, 1-0 MW) at San Diego State (5-6, 0-0 MW)
Saturday, Jan. 5 • 2 p.m. MT
San Diego, Calif. • Viejas Arena
Series: San Diego State leads, 8-6
Last Meeting: Boise State 64, San Diego State 53 - Boise, Idaho
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BOISE, Idaho - Boise State aims to close the opening week of Mountain West play 2-0 as it travels to San Diego State for a 2 p.m. MT Saturday tip.

LAST TIME OUT
Boise State opened Mountain West play, and defense of its regular-season title, with a 72-64 victory over Wyoming Wednesday. The Broncos hit 10 3-pointers in the contest, and limited the Cowgirls, who entered the game hitting over 40 percent of their 3-balls, to just six in 19 attempts.

Riley Lupfer led all players with 22 points, including four triples, while sophomore forward Tess Amundsen made an impactful return from a six-game injury absence. Amundsen, in 10 minutes of action, scored 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting (2-for-3 from deep) and registered a team-best +17.

Braydey Hodgins hit a pair of dagger 3-pointers over the final 3:34 to help the Broncos squelch Wyoming's comeback hopes, and Jayde Christopher passed out six assists to go with nine points.

WHO'S NEXT
San Diego State (5-6, 0-0 MW) opens its Mountain West slate with Saturday's home contest against the Broncos. The Aztecs, who had a bye in the first round of conference games, last saw action on Dec. 21 in a 63-58 home loss to UC Santa Barbara.

San Diego State opened the campaign 4-1, but has dropped five of its last six heading into Saturday's matchup.

The Aztecs are led by the play of Sophia Ramos (15.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and Naje Murray (13.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg), who lead a quartet of players averaging double figures in scoring.

LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS
Boise State swept last year's series from San Diego State, beating the Aztecs, 86-70, in San Diego (Jan. 13) then taking a 64-53 decision in Boise on Feb. 27.

In the first meeting, the Broncos outscored the Aztecs, 50-27, in the second half to overcome a seven-point halftime deficit. Riley Lupfer hit seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points to lead the way.

In the return matchup, Lupfer led four Broncos in double figures with 16 points, as Boise State held the Aztecs to just eight points in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

PRESNELL GOES FOR WIN NO. 650
Saturday could mark a milestone for Boise State head coach Gordy Presnell, as a win would be the 650th of his illustrious career. Hitting the 650-win mark would make Presnell the 16th active Division I women's basketball head coach, and the 24th active NCAA (all levels) women's basketball coach to do so.

Entering Saturday's contest at San Diego State, Presnell, in his 32nd season as a head coach, owns an overall record of 649-296. He is 253-169 at Boise State, now in his 14th season at the Bronco helm (2005-Present), and went 396-127 in 18 seasons at Seattle Pacific (1987-2005).

TURNING THE TIDE AGAINST THE AZTECS
Despite San Diego State holding an 8-6 edge in the all-time series against Boise State, the Broncos have taken control of late, winning five of the last six meetings.

The Aztecs won seven of the first eight meetings, but, a 64-58 Bronco win on Feb. 28, 2015, opened Boise State's 5-1 stretch.

LUPFER MAKES THE EARLY CASE
Junior guard Riley Lupfer began her campaign for Mountain West Player of the Year in resounding fashion Wednesday, scoring a game-high 22 points, hitting four 3-pointers, and registering a +16 in the 72-64 win over Wyoming.

Lupfer, voted the Preseason Mountain West Player of the Year in early November, recorded her 10th-career 20-point game Wednesday, and the ninth against a Mountain West opponent. Over 37 career conference regular-season contests, Lupfer averages 13.2 points per game, is shooting 47.9 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from 3-point range, with 108 made threes.

WELCOME BACK, TESS
Sophomore forward Tess Amundsen returned from a six-game injury absence Wednesday against Wyoming. It was like she hadn't missed a beat, as Amundsen, in just 10 minutes of action off the bench, scored 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting (2-for-3 from deep) and posted a team-best +17.

Amundsen has become a thorn in the side of the Cowgirls, as it happens. In three career games against Wyoming, she is averaging 9.0 points a game on 64.3-percent shooting (9-for-14), including a 62.5-percent mark (5-for-8) from 3-point range.

JAY-CHRIS MIX TAPE
Redshirt junior point guard Jayde Christopher continues to put on a show for Bronco fans, cutting and dishing her way to nine points and a game-high six assists in Wednesday's win over Wyoming.

Christopher has already passed out 66 assists through 12 games this season, and average of 5.50 a game, and has had at least six assists in six contests. Should she maintain her current pace, she would be well in range to threaten the Boise State single-season assists mark of 192, set by Yaiza Rodriguez in 2016-17.

HODGINS TOSSIN' DAGGERS
Junior guard Braydey Hodgins continued her breakout 2018-19 campaign in Wednesday's in over Wyoming, scoring eight points and fighting her way to a career-high eight rebounds.

The 5-foot-8 Hodgins has been making a name for herself with a willingness to mix it up inside with bigger players, averaging 3.8 rebounds a game, as well as with her clutch shooting down the stretch of games.

After scoring 16 second-half points and hitting the game-icing free throws in Dec. 16's 73-69 win at Washington, Hodgins again saved her best for late Wednesday, squelching Wyoming's comeback hopes with a pair of dagger 3-pointers in the final 3:34.

This season, Hodgins is averaging a career-best 10.4 points per game, and shooting 43.9 percent from 3-point range. She's scored in double figures five times, and was named the 2018 Husky Classic MVP after averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 50.0 percent (9-for-18) from 3-point range and 52.4 percent overall over wins against Saint Francis (Pa.) and Washington.

CITY OF THREES BACK
Boise State has been bringing back the "City of Threes" label of late, as the Broncos have hit 41 3-pointers over the last four games, including 10 in Jan. 2's win over Wyoming.

The Broncos have dropped double-digit triples in three of the last four games, with a high of 14 in Dec. 16's win at Washington. So far this season, Boise State has hit 110 triples at a 37.7-percent rate, led by 32 from Riley Lupfer and 25 from Braydey Hodgins.

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Players Mentioned

Tess Amundsen

Jayde Christopher

Braydey Hodgins

Riley Lupfer

Yaiza Rodriguez