The Aztecs’ Attitude Isn’t Hurting : But Four Players Are as SDSU Takes On Louisiana Tech

Coming into tonight’s NCAA Midwest Regional semifinal game against Louisiana Tech, the biggest plus for San Diego State is that they refuse to allow all the minuses to intimidate them.

“The San Diego State women’s team is on the map now,” Aztec forward Dee Dee Duncan said. “It’s not really a privilege for us to beat a USC, Long Beach or Louisiana Tech anymore. We’re one of them.”

That attitude permeates an Aztec team that is crippled by injuries. However, as long as there are more smiles than crutches, the Aztecs feel ready to take on anyone, even though:

- All-American forward Tina Hutchinson underwent reconstructive surgery on her left knee on March 12, and once again she will be cheering from the end of the bench.

- Reserve forward Inca Harvey tore ligaments in her left ankle while coming down with a rebound in Tuesday’s practice. She is out for the season.

- Starting forward Shelda Arceneaux, who scored the winning basket and had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 6 steals in the Aztecs’ 70-68 first-round NCAA tournament win over Nevada Las Vegas, has torn cartilage in her right knee. She practiced on Thursday afternoon and is expected to be in the starting lineup tonight.

- Starting center Toni Wallace has an injured right shoulder, but she also practiced on Thursday afternoon and is expected to be able to play tonight.

Even in Monroe, where the sky is always overcast and it seems to rain constantly, the 16th-ranked Aztecs (21-8) have found some bright spots.

“We seem to have a new sense of belonging once we got into the NCAA tournament,” Aztec Coach Earnest Riggins said. “Our injury situation seemed to pull the team together.”

If the Aztecs’ attitudes and Thursday’s practice are true indicators, then SDSU also has a looseness that accompanies a team that has gone further than anyone expected it to.

While the Aztecs are building a winning tradition, the Techsters are maintaining one.

As the dominant team in women’s collegiate basketball over the past seven seasons, the Techsters have compiled a record of 232-18 and are trying to make the Final Four for the seventh straight season. They have won two national titles (the AIAW in 1980-81 and the NCAA in 1981-82).

After losing four starters, including Kim Mulkey and Janice Lawrence--both of whom played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning basketball team--some might have thought the Techsters were in for a rebuilding year.

But the third-ranked Techsters are 28-3 this season, which includes an 80-77 loss to UNLV on Feb. 2 in Las Vegas. They are the Midwest Regional’s top seed.

Led by senior guard Pam Gant, who averaged a team-high 24.1 points, the Techsters field a fundamentally sound team that can run and can play a finesse game.

However, for almost every point in Tech’s favor, Riggins has a counterpoint.

“It’s been a few years since they dominated,” Riggins said. “That day is gone. Now, they play like any other team in the NCAA tournament.

“I think the two teams are evenly matched. We may be stronger on the front line, but they may be stronger in the backcourt because Gant is a senior and Penny (Toler) is a freshman.”

Don’t tell that to Toler, who scored 22 points against UNLV and has averaged 23.5 points over the last eight games.

“I don’t know what she (Gant) can do,” Toler said. “She has to show me and make a believer out of me.”

Riggins isn’t quite so brash, but he is confident.

“The more I chart them (Louisiana Tech),” Riggins said, “the more convinced I become that we could beat them.”

Riggins said he would probably put guard Renee Overton on Gant, and might play a box-and-one defense.

Offensively, Riggins said the Aztecs have to hit about 45% of their shots from the field against a team that allowed its opponents to connect on just 37%. Riggins added that he hopes his club hits 80% of its foul shots against a team that commits a lot of fouls.

On the season, the Aztecs shot 69% from the line and 47% from the field.

Numbers filled the notepad that Riggins was studying on the flight to Monroe on Wednesday. Yet, it is the emotional factor that could influence tonight’s game.

As if the Aztecs didn’t have enough to overcome, Techster Coach Sonja Hogg announced on Monday that she is quitting after this year’s NCAA playoffs to go into business.

Hogg’s teams have won 306 and lost 54 in the last 11 years. In the past few seasons, assistant coach Leon Barmore has taken over most of the coaching responsibilities. Barmore will remain as head coach.

Will Hogg’s announcement give her team a lift or add pressure to an already tense situation?

Hogg, who stole the show at Thursday’s press conference, said she “would like to think her decision won’t put more pressure on her team.

“It’s never a good time to make such an announcement, and I would have liked to do it earlier, but I couldn’t for a number of reasons. But I’ll tell you that it wasn’t a psych job.”

Riggins isn’t sure what to make of the situation.

“I’ve been trying to figure out what kind of effect it will have on them,” Riggins said.

Tonight’s doubleheader is being played at Ewing Coliseum on the Northeast Louisiana campus. The 10th-ranked Auburn Tigers (25-5) will face second-ranked Northeast Louisiana (28-1) in tonight’s opener.

Northeast Louisiana defeated SDSU, 89-87 in overtime in the championship game of the Kangaroo Shoot-Out played in San Diego on Jan. 5.

The Lady Indians’ only loss was 79-77 in overtime to Louisiana Tech at the Techsters’ home court in Ruston, which is 30 miles east of Monroe. The Lady Indians avenged the loss with a 80-67 home win over Louisiana Tech later in the season.

“Maybe Louisiana Tech will be looking past SDSU,” Riggins said.

Aztec Notes

Tonight’s game will be broadcast live on Channel 69 at 6:30 (PST). . . . A sellout crowd of 8,000 is expected tonight and Sunday at Ewing Coliseum. . . . The players were generally pleased with the Tartan surface court at Ewing Coliseum. “It gives a lot and helps your knees out,” Aztec forward Shelda Arceneaux said. . . . Last season, Coach Earnest Riggins’ first at the helm of the Aztecs, SDSU defeated Oregon, 70-63 in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the second round, they lost to Cal State Long Beach, 91-73. . . . On Thursday afternoon, Tina Hutchinson was able to lift her leg for the first time since she had reconstructive surgery on her left knee March 12.