SDSU Looks for First Road Win in WAC

San Diego State has knocked a couple of teams from the top of the Western Athletic Conference, but the Aztecs now find themselves in their most vulnerable position.

On the road against weak teams.

The Aztecs will attempt to win their first WAC road game when they begin a two-game trip against seventh-place Colorado State tonight at 6:30 (PST). The trip concludes Friday night against the Air Force Academy, which is tied for last place.

Though it sounds like a relatively easy journey, recent history suggests otherwise. The last time SDSU played on the road, Hawaii broke a 13-game losing streak by defeating the Aztecs in overtime, 83-80.

Midway through the WAC season, SDSU is 5-0 at home and 0-3 on the road. The Aztecs are tied for fourth with New Mexico, one game behind co-leaders Texas El Paso and Brigham Young.

“I think 12-4 will win the conference,” said Smokey Gaines, SDSU coach. “I think you have to win all of your home games and at least four on the road. We lost at Hawaii, where we figured to win, and we lost at Utah and BYU. That put us down a little bit.”

The Aztecs have shown they can beat the best in the WAC at home. Within a nine-day span, SDSU knocked Texas El Paso and Wyoming out of first place by beating them in San Diego.

But SDSU’s only win away from home this season was against Florida, 63-62. That game was played in Las Vegas.

Aztec Notes SDSU is 6-12 overall. Colorado State is 3-5 in the WAC and 7-12 overall. The Rams have lost four straight, including two at home, since upsetting New Mexico in Ft. Collins, 65-58. . . . Anthony Watson has scored 64 points in SDSU’s last two games. Watson has 1,443 career points, and needs 43 to pass Tony Pinkins for second place on the school’s all-time scoring list. Michael Cage, who now plays for the Clippers, holds the school record of 1,846 points. . . . Rich Strong, a 6-9 center, is third on Colorado State’s all-time scoring and rebounding lists. He had 17 points and 11 rebounds when the Rams played in San Diego on Jan. 4.