Aztecs Lose 3 Players, Win Game : Suspensions Can’t Slow Down SDSU in 88-59 Victory

The real shaking up in San Diego State’s 88-59 victory over Hardin-Simmons Tuesday night in the first round of the McDonald’s basketball tournament came before the game.

That was when SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg announced he had indefinitely suspended three freshmen reserve players and that he had changed his starting lineup for the first time this season.

That provided the only drama in what was the Aztecs’ easiest win of the season as they broke a 2-game losing streak in front of 4,299 at the San Diego Sports Arena.

The Aztecs will play No. 19-ranked Tennessee (5-1) tonight in the championship game at 8:30. Tennessee advanced with a 111-99 victory over Alabama Birmingham in the highest-scoring game in tournament history.

Hardin-Simmons (3-5) will play Alabama Birmingham (5-2) in the consolation game at 6:30.

The Aztecs won despite playing with a depleted bench, caused by Brandenburg’s suspensions of forward/center Dana Jackson, center Alex Sund and forward Eeric White. The three were the Aztecs’ top frontcourt reserves and all, except Sund, had played in SDSU’s first 5 games. Sund appeared in 4 games.

Brandenburg would not detail the reasons for the suspension, but said the offenses were related. Brandenburg said some of the suspended players might return for tonight’s final against Tennessee.

The players were not in uniform and could not be reached for comment.

The missing freshman were just part of the changes. Senior forward Shawn Bell was absent from the starting lineup for the first time this season because, he said, he was late for a practice. Tony Ross, a two-year starter and the team’s leading scorer the previous two seasons, made his first start this season at off-guard and off-guard Michael Best was moved to small forward.

The moves paid off as both Ross and Bell responded with season highs. Ross scored 20 points and Bell had 16 points.

The absence of the three freshman mattered little, however, against Hardin-Simmons, a team that has yet to defeat a Division I team this season.

The Cowboys were all but helpless from the start, falling behind, 11-0, in the first 6 minutes. Although Hardin-Simmons did draw to within 16-12 with 8:37 left in the half, the Aztecs scored the next 14 points to lead, 30-12, 6 minutes later.

The Cowboys did themselves no favors by shooting 9.7% (3 for 31) in the half and setting themselves up for the worst shooting performance in the tournament’s 13-year history.

They ended up shooting 29.2% (19 of 65), breaking the record for shooting futility of 31.8%, set by La Salle against the Aztecs in 1980.

The night’s other game saw the setting of a different kind of record.

The 210 combined points by Tennessee and Alabama Birmingham broke the record of 208 set in Washington’s 114-94 victory over La Salle in 1976.

Tennessee led by as many as 24 points at 73-49 with 15:20 left to play. But Alabama Birmingham, with the help of an effective zone press, rallied and pulled to within 91-86 with 5:40 remaining.

Tenneesse responded with a 13-3 run to take a 104-89 lead and put the Blazers away with 2:17 left.

All five Tennessee starters scored in double figures, led by forward Dyron Nix’s 29 points and center Doug Roth’s 22. The Volunteers made 17 steals--7 of them by guard Clarence Swearengen, who tied the tournament record first set by SDSU’s Tony Gwynn in 1978.

Reginald Turner scored 25 for the Blazers.

The victory was Tennessee Coach Don DeVoe’s first over Alabama Birmingham in 3 tries in a series that might be on of the most far-flung in college basketball. The teams previosly played in Alaska and Hawaii.