San Diego State Basketball

San Diego State Basketball Report

By Brad Best

bestbrad4@earthlink.net

January 28th

San Diego State Off to Best MWC Start

The past two seasons the San Diego State Aztecs started conference play 2-0 before dropping the next three games. This year their 2-0 start began with unexpected road victories at BYU and UNLV. On Saturday, the Aztecs yielded to Wyoming in overtime (88-81) and before the final buzzer rang out, you could hear the walls echo, “Here we go again. Same old Aztecs.” But then came Big Monday, with the Aztecs filling the late slot on ESPN against Colorado State.

Late Monday Night

Even though the game was nationally televised, a midnight start time for those on the east coast probably kept most folks from tuning in to see this Mountain West Conference contest. Colorado State has a size advantage against anyone they’ll meet, as they play three seven footers. San Diego State has the edge in team speed and athleticism. Both teams knew what they had to do to win: Force their tempo on their opponent.

The Aztecs started off with a bang, got out in transition, knocked down shots, created turnovers and built a lead. They dictated the pace and led by as many as 15 points. At the halfway point, the Aztecs were up 44-33. In the second half, each team had a big run. Right out of intermission, the Aztecs went on an 8-0 streak and pushed their lead to 19 points. Colorado State called a timeout and went on a 12-0 run to cut the lead to just 7 points. Both teams exchanged blows through much of the second half until Colorado State narrowed the gap to 3 points. But that is as close as it ever got as the Aztecs pushed back, held on and emerged with 84-77 victory.

Career Night for Walton

Senior Chris Walton posted his highest point total of his career by leading the Aztecs with 23 points. He shot 10-11 from the field, including 3-3 from beyond the arc. Walton also had 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a 1 block in 30 minutes of action. The Aztecs are looking for a third consistent scorer behind Marcus Slaughter and Brandon Heath. If Walton can play like this every night, the Aztecs could make some noise in conference play this year.

Against Colorado State, San Diego State actually had four starters in double figures. Slaughter had 18, Heath 15, and John Sharper 11.

In a losing effort, Matt Nelson had his usual stellar performance against San Diego State as he shot 8-11 from the field and 7-10 from the stripe to lead Colorado State with 23 points. Jason Smith contributed 18 points. Guard Michael Morris was guarded tightly by Sharper all night and was limited to 7 points in 31 minutes.

Next Up

The Aztecs travel to Colorado Springs to face a tough test against Air Force on January 29. They finish off the month at The Pit in New Mexico on January 31. The Aztecs are currently tied for second in conference with Air Force and look to extend their newfound success on the road.

End of a Career

Oft-injured Travis Hanour officially ended his collegiate basketball career this week. Doctors recommended he discontinue play and practice due to his ailing knees. Hanour will serve as a student assistant coach for the remainder of the season. He was a high school standout and played his freshman at Arizona.

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