Western Athletic Conference Tournament : This Time, Wyoming Has Left Brandenburg Behind

The game was like a final reminder for Jim Brandenburg of how far he has come in one year since he left Wyoming for San Diego State.

Last year, the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament was the start of a trip that took his Wyoming team into the round of 16 in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament.

Thursday afternoon, it was the end of his first losing season in 12 years as a college head coach. To make the circle complete, it was the Cowboys who eliminated San Diego State.

Junior guard Reggie Fox scored 19 points, and Wyoming beat the Aztecs, 83-76, before 9,450 fans at the Marriott Center on the Brigham Young University campus.

Wyoming (24-5) will play Colorado State (18-11) in the first semifinal game tonight at 6:05 PST.

The Aztecs (12-17) headed back to San Diego, their season ended by a Wyoming team they outshot and out-rebounded but could not outplay.

The Aztecs were undone by 15 turnovers, 10 in the first half.

“If we could have taken care of the basketball a little better on the offensive end, the game might have gone a different way,” Brandenburg said. “Our guys gave an effort. I can’t fault them for that.”

Mitch McMullen, who had trouble in the Aztecs’ earlier games at higher elevations, matched his season high with 24 points and made 8 of 11 shots. Sophomore guard Tony Ross added 18 points on 6 three-point baskets, and senior forward Rodney Hawkins had 16 points and 8 rebounds.

Wyoming did not run away from San Diego as it did two weeks ago in an 85-59 rout at Laramie, Wyo. The Cowboys never got more than 12 points ahead.

Fennis Dembo scored 18 points, but he was 2 for 7 in the first half, had a shot blocked and blew a two-on-none fast break when he pulled back on a dunk attempt, rolling his layup off the rim.

But the weaknesses that Brandenburg fought against all season--particularly poor ball-handling and a lack of depth--betrayed his team again.

Aztec reserve center Neal Steinly was sick with the flu and did not dress, and three starters fouled out--point guard Bryan Williams, forward Sam Johnson and Hawkins. McMullen played the last 13:17 with four fouls.

If there was relief that the losingest season in his coaching career was over, Brandenburg showed none. “I never could get used to the losing,” he said. “It never happened to me before, and I don’t want it to happen again.”

Texas El Paso 74, New Mexico 61--After trailing, 57-56, the Miners outscored the Lobos, 18-4, in the final 7:19. Senior forward Chris Sandle had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and guard Tim Hardaway had 20 points for the Miners (22-8). Junior forward Charlie Thomas led New Mexico (20-13) with 17 points and 8 rebounds.

Colorado State 78, Utah 68--Colorado State junior forward Pat Durham scored 27 points and was perfect on 11 free throws as the sixth-seeded Rams beat the third-seeded Utes (19-10) for the first time in three games this season. The Rams (18-11) shot 60%, making 24 of 40 attempts.

Brigham Young 76, Hawaii 74--The last-place Rainbows (4-25) had two shots in the last 10 seconds that would have tied the game but both rolled off the rim, and so did two tip shots after the second miss. Jeff Chatman had 21 points and 12 rebounds for No. 17 BYU (25-4).