Perczynski Leads the Aztecs to Victory

San Diego State forward Paula Perczynski lives for women’s basketball games like the one played at Peterson Gym against Arizona State Wednesday night.

The Western Collegiate Athletic Assn. opener for both teams featured 61 fouls--just the kind of action suited to Perczynski’s aggressive style of play.

With bodies sprawling all over the court and sloppy play the keynote of the game, Perczynski came off the bench to score 10 points and make the critical plays in the 14th-ranked Aztecs’ 78-65 win over the Sun Devils.

SDSU improved its mark to 12-3 overall, while ASU fell to 6-5.

“I felt pretty good out there tonight,” Perczynski said. “I changed my shoes because my other ones were bothering my feet. Then, when I was out there, I couldn’t feel my feet, so I just said, ‘Let’s go for it.’

“When a ball is loose on the floor I know I can get the ball, so why not give it your best shot?”

Against the Sun Devils, Perczynski’s best shots came at key times as the Aztecs won a game in which they never trailed.

In the first half, Perczynski was instrumental in helping SDSU shut out Arizona State’s leading scorer Judi Rathbun.

Playing a tight man-to-man defense, Perczynski helped to limit Rathbun (who came in with a 17.4-point average) to just one shot from the field, which the Aztec sophomore blocked.

In the second half, Perczynski contributed two key offensive rebounds that led to free throws and then, after grabbing a loose ball, raced the length of the court for a layup that gave SDSU a commanding 65-54 lead with 3:38 remaining.

“It was a tremendous effort by Paula tonight,” Aztec Coach Earnest Riggins said. “She’s beginning to put it all together right know. We knew she could shoot and rebound, but her floor play is improving all the time.”

With star forward Tina Hutchinson sitting out Wednesday night’s game, Perczynski’s performance came at a good time for the Aztecs, Especially since center Toni Wallace was hit in the chin midway through the first half and reaggravated a jaw injury that she had suffered in a Dec. 15 loss to Southern Illinois.

Wallace sat out the remainder of the first half, but returned in the second to help SDSU take control of the offensive boards and pull away.

“It’s a little sore right know,” Wallace said after the game. “When I got hit in the chin it kind of pushed both jaw (bones) up. I’ll have to see how it feels (today).”

SDSU, which led 34-29 at halftime, had seen its lead trimmed to three, 44-41, with 13:53 remaining, when Wallace and forward Shelda Arceneaux (17 rebounds) went to work underneath and gave the Aztecs control.

First, Arceneaux scored on a rebound basket. Then after Wallace scored off an offensive rebound, Dee Dee Duncan--who led SDSU with 19 points--hit from the corner and Arceneaux scored again from inside to give SDSU a 52-41 cushion with 10:15 left.

With the lead, the Aztecs turned to their tenacious defense to protect the margin.

Arizona State shot 35% from the field in the game, while Rathbun was completely shut down and did not score a field goal in the entire contest.

“We played a man defense most of the game and I guess that was the reason for all of the fouls,” Riggins said. “We played very aggressive defense.”

It was a style that couldn’t have benefitted Perczynski’s play any better.