New Mexico State Sends UCI to the Floor, 70-66

New Mexico State installed a new $55,000 parquet floor in the Pan American Center this week, but neither team on the court Thursday night bore any resemblance to the Boston Celtics.

New Mexico State came away with a 70-66 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory over UC Irvine in a game that was, well, less than artistic.

Said Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan: “Both teams appeared to be more than a little bit sluggish.”

Aggie Coach Neil McCarthy: “They can’t all be masterpieces, but we’ll take the win.”

New Mexico State (8-7, 13-13) has won six of its last seven games and is alone in second place in the PCAA behind No. 1-ranked Nevada Las Vegas. The Anteaters (7-9, 12-13) have dropped five of the last six and are in eighth place.

Irvine’s top two scorers--guard Scott Brooks (averaging 23 points a game) and center Wayne Engelstad (averaging 16)--looked more like they were playing on Parkay than parquet. They combined for only 13 points and together made just 4 of 24 shots.

Brooks, who leads the conference in three-point baskets per game (3.9), left his Larry Bird impersonation in Irvine. He was 2 of 8 from outside the three-point stripe and finished with eight points.

And Engelstad, UCI’s Mr. Inside, didn’t remind anyone of Kevin McHale. He was 1 of 12 from the floor.

The Aggies weren’t exactly awe-inspiring either, but they rallied from a two-point halftime deficit and never trailed after the opening seconds of the second half, despite a six-minute drought when they didn’t get a basket.

“They made those six three-pointers in the first half,” McCarthy said, “and I told the guys at halftime, ‘We know we can beat them. They’re just two points ahead and we haven’t made one three-pointer.’ ”

Guard Kenny Travis, who led the Aggies with 17 points, changed that by hitting a 20-footer 37 seconds into the second half. Then forward Jeff McCool hit a three-pointer 30 seconds later.

Just like that, the Aggies were ahead, 43-39. They kept the momentum and stretched it to a nine-point lead with 13:17 to play.

“That really hurt us,” Mulligan said, “but when the guys who’ve been carrying us (Brooks and Engelstad) have games like they did tonight, we’re in trouble.

“It didn’t seem like Scott was looking for his shot much after halftime and Engelstad . . . well, let’s just say I thought he could have played better.”

Mulligan could point to a couple of positives, though. Joe Buchanan, returning from an undiagnosed stomach ailment that had sidelined him for 10 games, played 21 minutes and scored 10 points. And junior forward Frank Woods played one of his best games of the season, scoring 21 points and hitting 9 of 13 from the floor.

Woods put Irvine in a position to get back in the game, scoring five straight points in a two-minute span that cut the Aggie lead from 66-59 to 66-64 with 2:36 to play. But he was called for traveling twice in the final two minutes and New Mexico State held on for the victory.