San Diego State Plays Gracious Host : Aztecs Give Northern Iowa Rare Win on the Road, 68-66

Eldon Miller, Northern Iowa basketball coach, has wanted a road victory and a consistent starting lineup this season.

Monday night against San Diego State, Miller may have found both, as Northern Iowa defeated the Aztecs 68-66 in front of 1,004 in the Sports Arena.

Miller, in his first season at Northern Iowa after 10 years at Ohio State, may have found a starter in 6-foot 8-inch freshman Jason Reese, who scored seven points.

“I’m hunting, trying to see what is our best team,” Miller said. “That’s the first time Reese and (Greg) McDermott started together.”

McDermott, a 6-8 junior, scored 13 points.

Northern Iowa is 5-5, but 1-4 on the road. San Diego State is 2-8.

The Aztecs, playing in their third game in as many days, missed their first nine shots from the field. SDSU hit 27 of 58 from the field, including 12 of 29 in the second half.

“We missed a lot of layups, that was the key,” Aztec Coach Smokey Gaines said. “I’m not looking for excuses, but we have played three nights in a row, that could have something to do with it. We just couldn’t get things going.”

The Aztecs trailed much of the first half, but appeared as ready for a rally with two minutes remaining in the first half.

Sophomore guard Darryl Gaines stole the ball from Northern Iowa’s Monte Kuhnert and scored on a driving slam, to cut the lead to 30-25.

The Aztecs then scored three straight three-pointers--two by Tracy Dildy and one by Gaines--to take a 34-32 halftime lead.

“I think it gave us a lift going into the second half,” Darryl Gaines said. “We have got a reputation for starting slow in the first and second halfs. But I thought we played well in the second half.”

The Aztecs were controlled on the boards as the Panthers outrebounded SDSU, 43-36.

“This is the best game we have played, defensively,” Miller said.

Both teams handled the ball poorly in the opening minutes of play.

Northern Iowa scored eight straight points to take a 24-14 advantage after Mike Bailey hit an 18-footer from the left baseline.

Northern Iowa’s Maurice Newby led all scorers with 17 points. Juan Espinoza paced the Aztecs with 15.