BY: Niko Temores

The Aztecs had a brutal collapse in the third quarter, allowing the Tigers to have a chance but not
a victory.

SAN DIEGO- was hot and cold this whole game, not being able to get comfortable at all.
Allowing the red-hot Tigers, who were on a three-game win streak, to take over.

“Staying composed, talking in the huddle, keep running our stuff. You know, don’t let them get
O-boards, stay locked in.” Naomi Panganiban spoke about after the game.

Panganiban started the game hot, going 3-4 at the three-point line with a first-quarter buzzer
beater. Panganiban led the team with 17 points in the national Filipino Heritage game.

“Be able to represent my Filipino culture, my family, and see everybody there,” Panganiban
exclaimed. and hearing the national anthem for the Philippines being played made me a little
emotional.”

Although she was not the only one with double digits, as Kennedy Lee had 14, Nat Martinez
finished with 12, and Nala Williams with 10. Forcing the Tigers to adjust with every new hot
hand.

The Aztecs shot around even from the three-point line and in field goal percentage (FG 45% and
3pt 39%). The head coach, Stacie Terry-Hutson, was displeased with wanting to be more
aggressive from the three-point line.

“I am looking for more people to do that today, and we saw that in spurts from some of our other
people, who I thought Naomi was extremely tough in the first half. I thought Kennedy was better
in the second half, getting offensive rebounds…which I want to get consistently.” Terry-Hutson
said.

The word of the day was tough, Terry-Hutson pointed out, wanting every game to build
something on these players and promising that once every player gains a little bit of this
toughness, this team will become dangerous.

The Aztecs’ win over the Pacific Tigers wraps up their last home non-conference game, as they
head to Kansas State for their next matchup.