New Mexico State Gets Fullerton’s Attention

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 hangs from the rafters of the Pan American Center, a harpooned and bloodied fake shark that commemorates the Aggies’ upset of Nevada Las Vegas less than two weeks ago.

Cal State Fullerton will not be so honored after its 75-58 loss to New Mexico State on Saturday in front of 11,791. It was too easy.

Instead, the Aggies (15-2) are bent on getting what they just missed last season, an invitation to the NCAA tournament. And they wouldn’t mind a national ranking as well.

If Fullerton Coach John Sneed had a vote after 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 New Mexico State’s Michael New dunked off an alley-oop pass from Randy Brown. About 20 seconds later, Keith Hill made a three-point shot. Fullerton’s Cedric Ceballos managed to score on a tip-in, but the Titans could not slow the Aggies.

New Mexico State’s Reggie Jordan scored on an offensive rebound and the Aggies stole the ball, but missed two easy shots. New, who grabbed 15 rebounds and scored 11 points, followed with a dunk. Fullerton committed a turnover and Brown hit a three-point basket. The score was 12-2, with less than three minutes gone.

By halftime, Fullerton (9-7, 3-4) 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 11. 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 remarkably athletic talent and their ire after having their undefeated Big West Conference record spoiled in a 72-56 loss to Cal State Long Beach on Monday.

The loss to the 49ers may have cost Coach Neil McCarthy’s team its first national ranking since the end of the 1975 season. The loss also knocked the Aggies into a first-place tie in the Big West with UNLV. Each has one loss.

The Aggies other loss was to Texas El Paso.

Last season, the Aggies had a 21-11 record, the school’s first 20-win season in 10 years. But two of those victories were against non-Division I teams, which helped keep the Aggies out of the NCAA tournament.

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

This season they again have two non-Division I opponents. Their loss to Long Beach at the end of a three-game, four-day trip might cost them.

The possibility of a ranking seems postponed, at best.

“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.”

Fullerton’s loss, its seventh in 10 road games, ends a stretch in which the Titans played nine of 11 on the road.