It’s The Pit’s as SDSU Loses to New Mexico

Selected scenes from The Pit--or, formally, University Arena--where San Diego State lost, 91-69, to New Mexico Saturday night:

--As the SDSU basketball team takes the floor a couple of minutes before game-time, the New Mexico pep band greets the Aztecs with a boisterous rendition of the “Looney Tunes” theme.

--Minutes later, the public address announcer says: “The University of New Mexico would like to welcome San Diego State players, coaches and administrators.” The crowd says: “Go home.”

--Then, the pre-game introductions. The announcer is so caught up in recognizing New Mexico seniors playing their final game in The Pit that he forgets to introduce SDSU point guard Rodney Jones. Whoops.

Rough night? By the end of it, SDSU was feeling like the pits in The Pit. New Mexico won its fifth in a row before 18,025 screaming, hooting, red-clad maniacs. Standing room only? The Pit officially seats 17,126.

“You get a big crowd like that, and it gives their guys all kinds of confidence,” SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg said. “The crowd didn’t intimidate us. We were too short of troops.”

The Aztecs are suiting up just nine players these days, and Brandenburg thought that a tough 70-55 loss at Texas-El Paso two nights earlier left them fatigued.

“I think the major contributor to this was too many minutes on Thursday with too few players,” he said. “Obviously, it’s very discouraging. But if we have inside of us what I think is down there, I think we’ll bounce back and fight this thing.”

The loss was the most lopsided of the WAC season for SDSU (13-15, 4-10). The Aztecs have now lost four in a row, and four of five since center Marty Dow’s foot surgery.

New Mexico (15-11, 7-7) avenged a 78-62 loss in San Diego earlier this season.

The formula for this one was simple: The Aztecs spent the first half worrying about New Mexico’s standout 7-foot-2 center Luc Longley, and that opened things up enough for guard Rob Robbins to explode for 15 points. Then, in the second half, SDSU gave some attention to Robbins, and that enabled Longley to break loose. That, and the fact that New Mexico was able to kick its fast-break into gear, finished off the Aztecs.

After getting just four points in the first half, Longley finished with 18. He also had game-highs of 14 rebounds and six blocks, as well as five steals.

It was a tough night to be inside, as SDSU’s Neal Steinly (6-11)--Dow’s replacement--and Shawn Jamison (6-8) found out.

Steinly on Longley: “He’s a monster.”

Said Longley: “I wasn’t being double-teamed quite as much in the second half. There was more one-on-one because they had to cover Robbins.”

Robbins, the nation’s leading free-throw shooter, finished with a season-high 24 points--also a game high. He was six of six from the free throw line. Forward Rob Newton had a career-high 14.

Jamison led SDSU with 19 points, and Michael Hudson added 16. Michael Best had five steals.

The Aztecs made just 43% of their shots (28 for 65), a couple of percentage points behind their average this season (45%), but better than what New Mexico has been allowing in The Pit. Entering the game, the Lobos had limited opponents to 39% shooting in The Pit. SDSU once again had trouble from the free throw line, making 50% (10 of 20) of their attempts. But in the first half, SDSU made just 22% (two of nine).

It was apparent from the beginning that things weren’t going to be easy for the Aztecs. New Mexico jumped out to a 9-2 lead, but SDSU was able to chip away and score seven consecutive points--including two Steinly field goals--to make it 9-9.

But Robbins hit three baskets and Newton got inside for two more as New Mexico went on a 10-2 run.

It was 19-11, and SDSU played catch-up the rest of the way. New Mexico’s biggest lead was 13 just before halftime. The Lobos led at the half, 40-29.

Things weren’t any easier for SDSU off the court. The most unusual moment in the first half occurred with 5:53 left when Brandenburg turned livid with a New Mexico student manager sitting behind the SDSU bench. The student, Kip Walker, is assigned to be the visiting team’s manager. But he got a little wound up, stood several times to cheer New Mexico, and finally Brandenburg had heard enough. He said a few words to Walker and then walked to the scorer’s table and asked official scorer Ken Prestwich to move him away from the bench. He was accommodated.

“He was supposed to be part of the game management,” Brandenburg said. “He was there hollering and waving his hands to get the crowd going. I didn’t need a cheerleader in my ear.”

Walker said after the game that, yes, maybe he did get a bit carried away.

“Looking back on it, I guess I was wrong,” Walker said. “That is the courtesy bench. I guess I just got carried away by the spur of the moment.”

Ah, The Pit.