Against Utah Schools, Aztecs Have No Shot

Jim Brandenburg, San Diego State’s basketball coach, emerged from the Aztec locker room, cracked open his customary post-game soft drink and turned the tables on reporters.

“Can you have a negative shooting percentage?” he asked them.

Good question.

The Aztecs shot blanks again Saturday afternoon during the second half in the University of Utah’s Huntsman Center and lost their second consecutive Western Athletic Conference game, 61-49, before a crowd of 9,793.

SDSU--playing without point guard Rodney Jones, who sprained an ankle Thursday--was held to its second-lowest point total of the season while losing for the fourth time in five games. The Aztecs (12-11, 4-6) were defeated by the University of Alabama-Birmingham, 91-46, in December.

Dissect this game, and you’ll find yourself looking at a stretch in the second half when SDSU:

--Made just one field goal in 13:10.

--Went 8:54 without a field goal, the only points coming on two free throws by Vern Thompson and one by Shawn Jamison.

--Went 6:47 without scoring.

For utter frustration, it rivaled Thursday’s loss at Brigham Young, when SDSU shot 32% in the second half. And there were no solutions readily available among the dirty towels and empty Coke cans strewn around the steamy, cramped locker room.

“We just need to take time on our shots,” Jamison said.

“We’re not executing offensively,” said swingman Michael Hudson. “We’ll call something and then run something else. I think we’ve got a little selfishness on the team. I hope this game proves you’ve got to play as a team. We can’t win with one or two guys. We’ve got to win with five and play as a team.”

Hudson hit a three-point shot to tie the game, 37-37, with 14:20 left. The Aztecs were scrapping, playing good defense . . . and blissfully unaware that their offense was about to disappear.

When it went, it did so suddenly. After Hudson’s three-pointer, the next Aztec field goal came with 10:04 left--when guard Michael Best stole the ball and made a layup for his only two points. Despite the 4:16 drought, the Aztecs were still in it. Best’s shot brought them to within 42-41.

But the next SDSU field goal came when Jamison hit a seven-foot jumper with 1:10 remaining. By then, SDSU trailed, 57-44.

Utah Coach Joe Cravens said he didn’t change defensive strategy to force SDSU’s cold streak.

“I’m not smart enough to make technical (moves),” he said. “I said, ‘It sure would be nice if you all would pitch a few in and keep them from pitching a few in.’ ”

At halftime, the Aztecs trailed, 29-26, and had connected on 50% of their shots (10 of 20). And they made five of their first eight in the second half before turning frigid. From that point on, they took 15 shots and made just four. They ended up at 39% for the second half (nine for 23) and 44% (19 for 43) for the game.

No, it wasn’t a negative shooting percentage. But it sure wasn’t very positive.

Utah’s 62% shooting (21 for 34) was the highest against the Aztecs all season. Walter Watts, a 6-foot-8 junior center who will spend this summer playing minor league baseball in the Minnesota Twins’ organization, had game highs of 17 points and seven rebounds for the Utes (12-9, 5-5).

Hudson and Jamison--who made six of seven shots--had 14 points apiece for SDSU. Center Marty Dow, who had scored in double figures in all but one WAC game, was held to four.

The loss--combined with Thursday’s defeat at BYU--makes SDSU zero for Utah for the fifth consecutive season. The last time the Aztecs won a regular-season game in the state was in 1985, when they defeated BYU. Their last victory in the Huntsman Center was in 1982.

SDSU landed in Salt Lake City Wednesday afternoon fresh off a victory over Wyoming and at .500 in the WAC. The Aztecs left Saturday night 4-6 in the WAC and with a limping point guard. Jones watched the loss in street clothes.

Utah, it seems, isn’t any kinder to Jones than it is to the rest of the Aztecs. He sprained his right ankle Thursday at BYU. A year ago, he sprained his left ankle at Utah.

The Aztecs are off until Saturday, when they play U.S. International in the San Diego Sports Arena. They get back into WAC competition Feb. 15 when Air Force visits.