‘85 Aztecs Go Down in History : SDSU Routed by Nevada Las Vegas in Rebel Roundup

May the 1923-24 San Diego State basketball team rest in peace.

No longer does it possess the worst start in Aztec history. The 1985-86 team owns that dishonor.

SDSU suffered its seventh straight loss Friday night to 12th-ranked Nevada Las Vegas, 105-85, in the first round of the Rebel Roundup. In Friday’s other tournament game, Iona defeated Florida, 71-70, on a basket by Bob Coleman with three seconds remaining.

The Aztecs will meet Florida (4-2) in the consolation game at 6:30 tonight, and UNLV (7-1) will play Iona (3-5) for the championship at 9.

When SDSU met UNLV on Friday, the scenario was much different than the last time the teams played nine months ago.

At the time, SDSU was 23-8 and was playing in the first round of the 1984-85 NCAA Tournament. UNLV won, 85-80.

Though the Aztecs have two returning guards from last season, they have little else that resembles the NCAA Tournament team. Injuries have caused the team to be in shambles.

The latest victim, center Steffond Johnson, will undergo a bone scan on his back today, team trainer Carlynn Smith said. Johnson will be out at least four weeks with a disc injury.

Without Johnson, the burden inside has fallen heavily upon 6-foot 8-inch senior John Martens. He is the Aztecs’ only experienced big man.

“John has been hampered by injuries all through college,” Coach Smokey Gaines said. “He’s not ready to play 30 minutes a game, but we’ve had to play him 30 minutes out of necessity.”

SDSU’s first forward off the bench against UNLV was Dave DesRochers, a reserve offensive tackle on the football team this year. Apparently, DesRochers will play more for the basketball team than he did for the football team.

Six minutes into Friday’s game, DesRochers replaced Kevin Brown with the score tied, 17-17. When DesRochers was removed with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half, SDSU trailed, 37-25.

However, the collapse could not be blamed on DesRochers. During a four-minute stretch, DesRochers scored SDSU’s only points on two free throws and a field goal.

DesRochers had given SDSU its last lead of the game, 23-22, on two free throws with 11:46 left in the half. UNLV scored 15 of the next 17 points, taking a 37-25 lead with nine minutes left in the half.

Jarvis Basnight, who had a previous career-high of nine points, scored 10 of the Rebels’ points during that streak.

The Aztecs played three reserve freshmen (Tracy Dildy, Johnny Scruggs and Jeff Bobin), DesRochers and guard Anthony Watson while UNLV ran away with the game midway through the half.

SDSU and UNLV play the same style of game--nonstop running. At the outset, the Aztecs were able to keep up with the pace.

They led four times during the half and were tied another time. But the closest SDSU got after UNLV’s run midway through the half was seven points, 42-35.

Officials controlled the game throughout the half, calling 32 fouls. SDSU, which was plagued early in the season by poor free throw shooting, made 21 of 24 free throws in the half. The Rebels made 18 of 23 free throws.

As usual, the Aztecs took a beating on the boards. Through the half, they were outrebounded, 23-11.

UNLV led at halftime, 60-47. The Rebels turned the game into a rout by scoring the first nine points of the second half.