New Scenario for Gaines, but an Old Result: Aztecs Lose, 81-77

Smokey Gaines said he was the same old guy Saturday night, but those who know the San Diego State basketball coach said he was a different man.

According to players and his top assistant coach, Gaines was much more relaxed when the Aztecs played the Air Force Academy. Evidently the burden came off Gaines’ shoulders Friday when he announced that he would step down at season’s end.

Some things may have changed, but one thing did not--SDSU extended its school-record losing streak to 14 games as Air Force won, 81-77, despite a season-high 33 points by Tony Ross.

There was a different atmosphere among some of the 1,475 fans in attendance in the Sports Arena. Those who had worn paper bags over their heads at recent games merely wore dark sunglasses this time--and some even took their glasses off during the second half.

On the SDSU bench, there was also a noticeably different mood concerning the head coach.

“He’s usually intense,” forward Rodney Hawkins said of Gaines. “He was still into the game, but he was more laid-back. The pressure is really off Smokey. It’s on the players for the remainder of the year.”

Gaines’ son, Darryl, also sensed something was different.

“Maybe he was a little more relaxed,” Darryl said. “I can tell when someone is tense. He wasn’t tense. This year, he has usually been tense.”

Though others noticed the change, Smokey Gaines acted as if everything was the same.

“I’m still the coach,” Gaines said. “It’s still the same thing. It’s a thing where, when the season ends, the pressure is off. Right now, I have to coach seven games. It’s still a burden.”

Michael Brunker, SDSU’s No. 1 assistant coach, thought the pressure already was off Gaines.

“It’s over; he’s loose,” Brunker said. “It’s a heavy load off his shoulders. Smokey has always been a warrior, a street fighter. His teams have always reflected his style. He has tried every imaginable coaching technique to get this year’s team to respond to his style. After a while, it becomes an empty feeling.

“This team hardly typifies the type of teams Smokey has had in the past. As things declined this year, he changed his style. He never did that before. He became more comforting, listened to players and went the extra mile. In the past, he was a hard-line kind of guy and players did it his way. Once you step out of character and don’t succeed, you evaluate yourself deep inside. The results are hurting him.”

Some players are still finding the resignation hard to believe.

“It’s a total shock to me,” Josh Lowery said. “I don’t picture Smokey as a quitter. He’s always a guy to fight back. This is just not like him. He must be going through bad times.”

The bad times continued against Air Force. SDSU fell to 0-10 in the WAC and 2-20 overall. The Falcons are 5-5, 12-8.

After trailing most of the game, SDSU outscored Air Force, 14-2, during a second-half run to take a 74-69 lead. Ross made three consecutive three-point shots in that time, making him 6 for 6 in the half. He did not miss from three-point range in the second half until seven seconds remained.

Air Force rebounded and took the lead, 76-75, on a three-point play by Mike Hammond with 1:51 remaining. Gaines thought Hammond was fouled before the shot but he argued to no avail.

Hammond scored again with 58 seconds remaining, giving Air Force a 78-75 lead. After a basket by Lowery, who scored 19 points, Hammond hit two free throws with 22 seconds remaining, making the score 80-77.

The Aztecs called a timeout and designed a three-point play, hoping to get Ross the ball. But Air Force played man-to-man on Ross, who shot an air ball from three-point range with seven seconds remaining.

Ross finished 12 of 21, including 9 of 13 from three-point range. However, the last miss was on his mind afterward.

“I didn’t think I forced any shots,” Ross said. “I was supposed to get two screens on the baseline the last play, and I got one. Maybe I should’ve swung the ball to Josh, but I felt I could hit it.”