Aztecs Rate a Big Zero in January : Basketball: SDSU’s 76-63 loss to Colorado State leaves the team without a victory for the month.

In the latest college basketball power ratings this week in USA Today, San Diego State is ranked 214th. The Aztecs are behind Colgate (not the toothpaste), American (not the nationality) and Brown (not the color).

A few more losses and they will soon fall behind Howard (not Richie Cunningham’s father).

The Aztecs completed an oh-for-January swing Thursday by losing at Colorado State, 76-63, in front of 7,108 in Moby Arena.

The Rams (10-10, 4-2) have now won three of their past four and are making a claim to be the most surprising team in the Western Athletic Conference.

It was the 11th consecutive loss for the Aztecs, winless since Dec. 20. In six WAC games, SDSU (2-16, 0-6) has yet to lose by fewer than 10 points.

Perhaps that was one reason why Coach Jim Brandenburg used his 10th lineup of the season, starting Tony Clark at forward instead of Courtie Miller--who responded with a team-high 17 points.

Still, the Aztecs were done in by two things. Joe McNaull got into early foul trouble and, hold your breath . . . another scoring drought.

They made only one field goal in the final 8 minutes 50 seconds of the first half--none in a 7:19 span--and watched a two-point Colorado State lead turn into a nine-point advantage.

“It becomes difficult to score when you have turnover after turnover,” said Clark, who scored 11 points on four-of-eight shooting--and three of five from three-point range.

“When you’re not getting up a number of shots, you have fewer chances to score. We have the same number of shots as turnovers, and that’s not helping.”

Actually, the Aztecs had the same number of field goals as turnovers in the first half.

Nine.

“What happens then is that you end up scoring 56 points at the end of the game,” Clark said. “It’s difficult to score if you don’t shoot.

“It’s one of those cause-and-effect things.”

As for McNaull, he had three fouls in the first half and was called for his fourth with 16:32 to play. He ended up playing only 20 minutes, long enough to get five points and seven rebounds.

“I was just getting caught behind my man,” said McNaull, whose assignment was Ram junior Doug Larson. “They were taking it right at me. I was just picking up some stupid fouls.”

Said Brandenburg: “Larson is very clever if you let him catch the ball. We let him catch it in the low post too much, and then he starts spinning and faking and driving rather than playing solid.

“And we were going for the slam rejections when all you have to do is force a bad shot.”

Larson ended up with 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Colorado State senior forward Lynn Tryon had 18 points.

“Once again, and I know this is repetitive all the time, but all the guys making plays for them, Tryon and Larson, were all older guys,” Brandenburg said. “And our younger guys were having trouble.”

With McNaull watching much of the game from the bench, Colorado State outrebounded SDSU, 41-32.

Clark figured that also hurt SDSU’s shooting.

“The fact that we usually only get one shot at the basket doesn’t help,” Clark said.

The Aztecs, who shot 46% for the game, shot only 36% in the first half but made 15 of 27 second-half shots (55.6%).

They were awful from the free-throw line, though, making a season-low nine of 17.

“The whole game, man?” Clark said. “Picture that.”

Tryon’s twisting, turning, NBA-range three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half put Colorado State ahead by nine, 31-22, and the closest SDSU came in the second half was seven, 35-28, when Clark made a three-pointer with 17:23 left.

After that, Colorado State successfully mixed a man-to-man and zone defense to go on an 11-2 run, eventually increasing its lead to 20.

“We didn’t guard well inside,” Brandenburg said. “They kept getting shot after shot inside. And we just didn’t sustain ourselves offensively.”

Ram Coach Stew Morrill was just happy to get through the night.

“That game really concerned me,” he said. “San Diego State has got some people. They’re a capable basketball team.”

Capable of what, he didn’t say.