March 14, 2007

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San Diego State at Missouri State Postgame Notes in PDF Format
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Postgame notes from the San Diego State at Missouri State game

Final Score: San Diego State 74, Missouri State 70
Record: 22-10
Next Game: Second round NIT game at Syracuse on Monday, March 19th

TOP NOTES
* - San Diego State claims its second ever Division I postseason victory (other win was a first round NIT victory over UC Santa Barbara on March 19, 2003).
* - San Diego State claims its first postseason victory off campus of the Division I era and wins a postseason game outside San Diego for the first time since March 9, 1957, when the Aztecs claimed a second-round NCAA Division II win at Regis (Colo.), 81-78.
* - The victory snaps an eight-game losing streak in road/neutral postseason games dating back to the 1957 win.
* - The victory gives San Diego State its 22nd win of the season, the third most in the Division I era trailing only 2005-06 (24) and 1984-85 (23) seasons.
* - Coupled with last season's 24-9 mark, San Diego State has posted consecutive campaigns with at least 22 wins for the first time since 1939-40 and 1940-41 (the first time in 67 seasons).
* - For the eighth time in his career, Brandon Heath made a shot in the final 1:35 of the game to give SDSU a lead it never relinquished or hit a shot to force overtime (made the game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds remaining).

NIT NOTES
* - San Diego State advances to the second round of the NIT for the second time in school history (2003).
* - The Aztecs are 2-2 all-time in the NIT.
* - Steve Fisher improves to 7-2 in the postseason NIT and now owns 27-10 mark in the NCAA and NIT events.

TEAM NOTES
* - San Diego State has won nine of its last 12 games.
* - The Aztecs won a non-conference game in the Central Time Zone for the first time since Jan. 8, 2002, when SDSU defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 82-79. The Aztecs had dropped their last three non-conference Central Time Zone games.Counting conference games (TCU plays in the CT), San Diego State has won three straight games in the CTZ.
* - San Diego State is now 7-3 this season when responding from a loss and have won 17 of their last 21 games following a loss.
* - San Diego State shot 51.9 percent from the field tonight, marking just the second time in its last 15 games the Aztecs have shot above 50 percent from the field. SDSU is 10-0 this season and 49-12 in the Steve Fisher era when shooting at least 50 percent from the floor.
* - The Aztecs held Missouri State to 37.9 percent from the field and improved to 9-2 this season and 53-9 in the Steve Fisher era when holding an opponent to 40 percent or less from the floor.
* - SDSU committed 23 turnovers, one off the season-high of 24 set against Loyola Marymount on Dec. 16, 2006.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Brandon Heath (game-high 26 points, 11-21 FGs, 4-11 3FGs, four rebounds)
As previously mentioned, Heath hit the eighth "clutch shot" of his career (definition can be found above and on page 63 of the media guide)... All other SDSU players combined have made five such shots... He scored in double figures for the 57 straight game and tallied 20 or more points for the 16th time this season and the 54th time in his career... Tonight was the 60th time in 124 career games that he has led SDSU in scoring... He shot above 50 percent from the field and SDSU is now 9-1 this season and 17-3 since the beginning of the 2005-06 season when he connects on at least 50 percent of his attempts... He is averaging 22.7 points in his last seven games... He has made nine three-point field goals in his last two games... Heath now has an SDSU and a Mountain West Conference record 2,174 career points.

Jerome Habel (11 points, game-high 10 rebounds, two blocked shots, two steals)
Habel posted his second career double-double, reaching 10+ rebounds for the fourth time in his career and scoring in double figures for the 16th time... The junior has reached double figures in a career-best tying three straight games... In his last two games he is 11-of-15 from the field... He has 36 points, 25 rebounds and five blocked shots in his last three games.

Mohamed Abukar (15 points, 6-9 FGs, six rebounds)
Abukar scored 15 points, including 13 in the second half... His second half stat line: 13 points on 5-6 FGs and three rebounds... He reached double figures for the seventh straight game, the 27th time this season and the 46th time in his career... The Aztecs improved to 11-3 this season when he shoots 50 percent or better from the floor.

Richie Williams (six points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals)
Williams had another remarkable game... With his five-assist performance, SDSU improves to 15-3 this season when he dishes out at least five assists... Has four or more assists in six straight games (a total of 34 during that stretch)... Has 18 rebounds in the last four games... Has more assists than turnovers in his last six games.