Hawaii Shows SDSU What ‘Better’ Means

Before the season, San Diego State was considered by the conference coaches to be one of the up-and-coming teams in the Western Athletic Conference.

The Aztecs, in their second season under veteran Coach Jim Brandenburg, were expected to field their most competitive team in five seasons and possibly break into the upper half of the standings.

But after a 73-60 loss to Hawaii Thursday night in front of 3,261 at the San Diego Sports Arena, it is clear that it is the Rainbows, not the Aztecs, who have solidified a position as one of the conference’s emerging teams.

The victory was Hawaii’s fourth in a row, its longest winning streak in nearly three seasons, and assured the Rainbows of their first winning season since the 1982-83 team finished 17-11. Hawaii (15-9, 8-5 in WAC play) is in third place, only 1 1/2 games behind first-place New Mexico (16-7, 9-3).

The loss was the Aztecs’ ninth in their past 11 games, dropping them into eighth place and setting up a matchup for last place Saturday at Wyoming (11-14, 3-8).

This was a game the Aztecs (10-13, 4-9), despite falling behind 8-0 in the first 4 minutes, had a chance to win, but they threw the opportunity away with a series of turnovers.

“We just stopped executing our offense,” senior forward Shawn Bell said. “We wanted this game real bad. We played hard. But just broke down when it counted.”

The wasted opportunities came after the Aztecs, having drawn as close as three points on eight occasions, drew to within two at 46-44 with 10:06 to play.

But SDSU turned the ball over on five of six possessions--three in a row--during a 3 1/2-minute stretch to give the Rainbows an opening. Hawaii used the breaks to go on a 7-2 run and take a 53-46 lead at 5:54.

“We gave them too many easy baskets off transition,” Brandenburg said. “We didn’t do a good job of getting back at the other end.”

The Aztecs did pull to within six points at 61-55 with 2:26 to play, but the Rainbows scored 12 of the last 17 points on their way to their first sweep of the two-game season series since 1979-80.

Junior forward Terry Houston’s 19 points led five Hawaii players in double figures. Houston also had 10 rebounds.

Junior guard Michael Best had 20 points and 7 rebounds for the Aztecs. Senior center Mitch McMullen had a career-high 14 rebounds and added 9 points, but his effectiveness was limited by foul trouble that kept him on the bench for the final 8:48 of the first half.

McMullen’s difficulties were matched by the troubles of Reggie Cross, Hawaii’s leading scorer and rebounder. Cross, who played only 23 minutes because of foul trouble, was held to six points, 14.3 below his average and only the second time this season he has been held out of double figures.

“Those two guys neutralized each other with all the pushing and banging underneath,” said Riley Wallace, Hawaii’s second-year coach.

The Aztecs, as they have done in several games of late, wasted no time putting themselves behind. They missed their first eight shots from the field and first two from the free throw line in falling behind, 8-0, in the first 4 minutes.

Hawaii made the Aztecs’ comeback task more difficult by applying a soft fullcourt press designed more to keep SDSU from getting comfortably into its offense than to force turnovers. Wallace said the pressure was a reaction to the Aztecs’ loss of point guard Bryan Williams, who was suspended for the season after his arrest last week for petty theft.

Aztec Notes

San Diego State concludes its home schedule next week with nonconference games against Florida International Wednesday and U.S. International Saturday.