Time Runs Out Too Slowly for Aztecs : WAC tournament: Inability to eat up clock and protect lead late in second half results in 70-64 overtime loss to Air Force and an early end to the basketball season.

Five minutes passed. Then 10. Finally, after about 15 minutes, the door to the San Diego State locker room swung open.

Time was moving about as slowly as the game clock had after SDSU blew a 10-point lead in the last 7:01 of regulation Wednesday night and lost to Air Force, 70-64, in overtime in the eighth-place game of the Western Athletic Conference basketball tournament.

Strewn among the empty soda cups, a WAC tournament program and a rolled up pair of socks in the locker room at the Texas El Paso Special Events Center were the remains of the 1989-90 San Diego State basketball season.

Guard Arthur Massey sat slumped in a chair, wearing his warmup jacket. Swingman Michael Hudson left without a uniform top, dressed only in game shorts, shoes and socks.

Who needed a jersey? The season was finished.

It ended as so many of SDSU’s recent games have, in a flurry of frustration and missed free throws, surprises and turnovers.

The Aztecs had overcome an 11-point deficit and built a 10-point lead of their own, 55-45, with 7:01 left. The next thing they knew, Air Force had a 58-55 lead with 26 seconds left in regulation after scoring 13 consecutive points.

But the Aztecs had the ball. Michael Best inbounded to Massey near the half-court line, and Massey found Hudson open at the top of the three-point arc to the left of the basket. Hudson dribbled and stepped in, then stepped back and let it fly.

Swish. 58-58.

Air Force inbounded to Jeff Bowling, a 5-11 point guard who had driven SDSU crazy all evening. Bowling fired up a running 20-footer that didn’t have a chance.

Overtime.

SDSU guard Rodney Jones had fouled out with 44 seconds left in regulation. Best did midway through the overtime period. Hudson fouled out with 21 seconds to play when he grabbed Bowling hard enough to clear the benches. Technicals were assessed to Hudson and Air Force’s Dale French, who went after Hudson.

The resultant free throws made--four for Air Force, one for the Aztecs--made it 70-63. Bowling had a big part in ultimately deciding this battle of the have-nots, scoring 10 of Air Force’s 12 points in overtime including eight for eight from the line.

Shawn Jamison of SDSU made just eight of 21 free throw attempts. He had two air balls--his fifth and sixth of the season--including one on the front end of a one-and-one with 1:07 left in regulation and SDSU trailing, 56-55. In overtime, he was one for five.

“Sometimes he shoots them well, and sometimes he shoots them poorly,” SDSU Coach Jim Brandenburg said. “It’s a real problem. We’re just going to have to work it out.”

For the game, SDSU was 43% from the field (21 of 49) and 50% from the line (19 of 38).

That was part of the reason why SDSU (13-18, 4-12) lost its seventh game in a row, seventh of eight since center Marty Dow left for the season with a foot injury and 13th in the past 17.

Another reason was Bowling. He’s supposed to pass the ball, leading the WAC in assists with seven per game. He also averaged seven points a game entering the tournament. He scorched SDSU for a game-high 26.

Since Raymond Dudley, the WAC’s leading scorer (21 points a game), scored 20 points but made just seven of 21 field goal attempts, Bowling’s input helped quite a bit. Jamison led SDSU with 20, and Hudson had 15.

SDSU led just once in the first half, by a point. Air Force (11-19, 3-13) took an 11-point lead--the Falcons’ largest of the game--just before halftime. They led, 37-27, with 17:51 to play in regulation, and then SDSU made its move.

Jamison hit a jump-hook. Massey made two free throws, and Jamison dunked. Hudson and Eeric White made layups. Suddenly, it was 37-37.

It didn’t stop there. The Aztecs eventually went ahead, 55-45, with 7:01 to play, and Brandenburg ordered them to slow down the pace.

That was the first sign of trouble. At times this season, the Aztecs attempting to hold the ball and eat up some of the 45-second clock has been akin to waving a lamb chop in front of a wolf.

Air Force bit.

Jones turned the ball over, then missed a three-pointer on SDSU’s next possession. Jamison was called for traveling. SDSU tried to pick the pace back up, but the lead had shrunk to one, 55-54.

“We wanted to spread the court a little,” Jones said. “Slow the tempo. Milk the clock. But we didn’t attack the basket as we had at the beginning.

“We slowed it down with one thing in mind. Milk the clock.”

Brandenburg at first said he didn’t regret momentarily slowing it down.

“Hell, no,” he said. “The thing is, we turned it over and took a bad shot because we didn’t get into the offense. It was not a long period of time.”

But he then seemed to reconsider.

“Obviously, we didn’t win the game, so I would like to have done something different,” he said softly. “I’m not sure what, but something different.”

Air Force will play top-seeded Colorado State (21-7, 11-5) at 8:35 tonight.