Titans Left Cooling Their Heels in Loss to New Mexico State

Somewhere in New Mexico State’s arena, the third-place trophy from the 1970 Final Four rests in dignity.

But the trophy held in current esteem, a harpooned and bloodied fake shark that commemorates the Aggies’ upset of Nevada Las Vegas less than two weeks ago, dangles from the rafters of the Pan American Center.

Cal State Fullerton won’t likely be so honored after its 75-58 loss to New Mexico State Saturday in front of 11,791. It was too easy--and over too fast--for New Mexico State to dwell on the victory.

Instead, the Aggies (15-2) are bent on getting what they missed last season: an invitation to the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. tournament. They wouldn’t mind a national ranking as well.

If Fullerton Coach John Sneed had a vote after watching New Mexico State leap to a 28-8 lead, the Aggies would get it.

“They came out hot as fire,” Sneed said. “Every possession--on the boards, the three-pointer. They’ve got one vote for the top 20 here. They really do.”

The game wasn’t 37 seconds old when Michael New dunked off an alley-oop pass from Randy Brown. About 20 seconds later, Keith Hill buried a three-pointer from the left of the key. Fullerton’s Cedric Ceballos managed a tip-in, but the Titans could hardly slow the Aggies.

Reggie Jordan scored on an offensive rebound. New Mexico State got a steal and missed two easy shots, but then New, who finished with 11 points, dunked off one of his 15 rebounds. Fullerton turned the ball over on the baseline, and Brown hit a three-point basket on the other end. The score was 12-2 with less than three minutes gone.

“Explosive, that’s a good adjective, I guess,” Sneed said.

Fullerton (9-7 overall, 3-4 in the Big West Conference) struggled offensively against the Aggies’ matchup zone and full-court press, three times enduring scoreless stretches of more than two minutes in the first half.

By halftime, they trailed, 39-22, and had been outshot, 50% to 31%, and outrebounded, 22-13.

Fullerton recovered somewhat in the second half, cutting the lead to 12 and 11.

“I was really proud of the team,” Sneed said. “We got down 21 but cut it to 11 with possession. If the shot goes down, we’re down nine or eight and back in the game.”

They never did.

Ceballos and Mark Hill each scored 19 for the Titans, and David Moody added 13 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs.

The Aggies’ outburst was a tribute to their athletic abilities and balanced talent, and their ire after having an undefeated Big West Conference record spoiled by a 72-56 loss to Cal State Long Beach Monday.

Until Monday, Coach Neil McCarthy’s team was on the brink of being nationally ranked for the first time since the end of the 1975 season. The loss to the 49ers not only put a hold on a national ranking, but also knocked the Aggies out of first place in the conference, leaving them tied with UNLV with one loss each.

The Aggies know that every loss is crucial--their other was to Texas El Paso early in the season.

Last season, the Aggies had a 21-11 record, the school’s first 20-victory season in 10 years. But two of those victories were against non-Division I teams. In the eyes of the NCAA, that made the Aggies a mere 19-11.

New Mexico State had to settle for the National Invitation Tournament, and the Aggies were bounced in the first round by Pepperdine.

This season, with three starters who are transfers and didn’t play last season, they again have two non-Division I opponents. And their loss to Long Beach at the end of a three-game, four-day trip might have cost them a national ranking.

“I don’t think they’ll have us in this week,” McCarthy said. “I think they know where New Mexico is now. I think they know it’s part of the United States. If we win our next four or five, maybe we’ll get in.”

New Mexico State is building a balanced starting five. Each starter--Jordan, New, James Anderson, Brown and Keith Hill--has led the team in scoring at least once. Against Fullerton, Brown had 19, Anderson 16, Jordan 14, New 11 and Hill six. Four of the starters, including Brown, a 6-3 guard, have led in rebounding.

Fullerton’s loss, its seventh in 10 road games this season, finally ends a stretch in which the Titans played nine of 11 on the road. They will now play seven of 11 at home, and don’t have to travel outside California.

“We’re undefeated at home,” guard Wayne Williams said. “I think we’ll do pretty well. We’re all right. We’re going to make a run.”

Titan Notes

Scott Campbell, the high-scoring former La Quinta High School player who is ineligible under Proposition 48 this season, has had little contact with Coach John Sneed in the past two months. Jim Perry, his high school coach, said Campbell has decided to transfer to a community college. Campbell could not be reached for comment. . . . David Moody has established himself as the starting center of late, starting the past six games.