SDSU Loses, Keeps Looking to Future

From one locker room to the other, there was an identical theme Tuesday night at Barton Coliseum. One of these days, both coaches said, San Diego State is going to have a good basketball team.

The question of the day: When? For now, there appears to be no answer.

The winless Aztecs suffered their third loss when they fell to undefeated Arkansas, 76-64, before 7,814 fans.

Smokey Gaines, SDSU coach, decided to take his freshman-oriented team on the road this season in pre-conference play to gain experience. But the only positive thus far seems to be what people are saying about the Aztecs.

“Right now, San Diego State is making freshman mistakes,” said Nolan Richardson, Arkansas coach. “They’ll take their lumps for a few games. Once those kids find themselves, they’ll be really good down the stretch. They never quit, and I like that.”

Said Gaines: “Once we get our first win, we’ll do all right. Right now, we’re like a guy in a baseball slump. We are trying to do a lot of things to snap out of it. This is a very young ballclub experiencing growing pains.”

The Aztecs were playing Tuesday without 6-8 senior center Steffond Johnson, who again experienced muscle spasms in his back during an afternoon practice. Johnson said he is uncertain whether he will participate when SDSU plays at Oral Roberts at 5:30 p.m. (PST) today.

Without Johnson, much of the leadership role fell on senior guard Anthony Watson, who scored 16 points before fouling out in the final minute. Watson, the only fourth-year player on the team, expressed disappointment in the season thus far.

“There are certain things I used to do that I can’t do as much now,” he said. “I can’t shoot as much as I would like to. I have to pass the ball more and help set the tempo with a young team.”

The Aztecs committed 26 turnovers to the Razorbacks’ 24 in the fast-paced game. Both coaches blamed “freshman mistakes” for SDSU’s woes.

“Some of our freshmen were too cocky at the beginning,” senior point guard Creon Dorsey said. “They are over it now. I hate to lose, but we’re learning. Things are going to come around sooner or later, hopefully sooner than later.”

After SDSU scored the first five points Tuesday, Arkansas scored the next 15 in a span of 3:40. But, as Richardson said, the Aztecs did not quit after that.

SDSU trailed by 12 points once in the first half and three times early in the second. After the Aztecs trailed, 44-32, they scored 10 unanswered points in a 2 1/2-minute stretch to pull within 44-42 with 13:46 remaining.

When Arkansas led, 46-44, SDSU’s Kevin Brown missed the front end of a one-and-one free-throw opportunity. Watson hit one of two free throws the next time SDSU had the ball, cutting the deficit to 46-45.

The teams traded baskets before Arkansas scored four unanswered points, taking a 56-51 lead with 7:40 remaining.

Following an Aztec timeout, John Martens hit one of two free throws and scored on a field goal, pulling SDSU to 56-54 with 7:12 remaining. But that was as close as the Aztecs would get.

“We could’ve gotten blown out, but we kept fighting back,” Gaines said. “That will help us down the line. Like I have said, nobody expected too much from us.”

SDSU again hurt itself at the free-throw line, missing 13 of 25 attempts. Gaines said if he stops talking about missed free throws, maybe the situation will take care of itself.

Freshman Josh Lowery had the hot hand for SDSU, scoring a team-high 18 points. Lowery, who averaged 25.2 points a game last year in high school, was 9 of 16 from the floor while shooting primarily from beyond 15 feet.

“Man, that kid can shoot,” Richardson said. “We don’t have anyone who can shoot like that, I guarantee you. Anytime you have a shooter like that, you have a chance.”

Aztec Notes Tracy Dildy was booed heavily when he knocked Arkansas’ Mike Ratliff to the floor on an attempted layup. Ratliff could not shoot his free throws because of a sore back, but he later returned. In the second half, Stephan Moore retaliated for Arkansas by kneeing Anthony Watson in the groin. “I think he took advantage of the situation playing at home,” Watson said. “Somebody could be hurt with a cheap shot out there.”