SDSU MEN'S BASKETBALL: Without Wade, Aztecs win ugly

SDSU rides strong defense in season opener

By DAN HAYES - Staff Writer   | Saturday, November 15, 2008 7:52 PM PST ∞

San Diego State forward Billy White (32) shoots in the first half against the University of California San Diego Tritons at Cox Arena in San Diego. (Photo by Robert Benson - For the North County Times)

SAN DIEGO ---- The San Diego State men's basketball team's first game without suspended senior Lorrenzo Wade wasn't pretty.

You might find more artistic value in a drawing on a cocktail napkin than in the Aztecs' season opener, a 59-40 victory over UC San Diego in front of 4,674 at Cox Arena on Saturday afternoon.

But no matter how visually unsatisfying SDSU's victory was, it was a necessary step for the team as it searches for an identity without Wade, the captain who is suspended indefinitely for his alleged involvement in a Sept. 21 burglary.

Relying on a strong defensive effort, San Diego State overcame 28 percent shooting in the first half and outscored the pesky Tritons 40-19 in the second half to secure the victory. The Aztecs ---- who also played without senior Ryan Amoroso, who aggravated a back injury in the final exhibition game ---- next host No. 15 Arizona State on Tuesday.

"We played against a well-coached team," SDSU coach Steve Fisher said. "They make you guard for 35 seconds, and I like the way we guarded. But we struggled to make baskets. ... Our size and athleticism wore them down a little in the second half. This was good for us."

While the Aztecs' defense held UCSD ---- which shot 31.5 percent from the field ----scoreless for the game's first 6 minutes, 21 seconds, their offense had difficulty establishing any rhythm. At one point in the first half, SDSU missed nine consecutive shots and a pair of free throws, going scoreless for a stretch of 7:32 and allowing the Tritons to jump ahead 21-13.

Sophomore forward Billy White said the early struggles can be attributed to the Aztecs having to find their way without Wade, who averaged 14.8 points per game last season.

"It's kind of hard," said White, who finished with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds. "People need to learn their roles. But we're doing a pretty good job thus far."

After closing the half on a 6-0 run, the Aztecs did a good job getting the ball inside to White and sophomore Tim Shelton (seven points) in the second half. Fisher said his players also began exercising patience in finding the right shots.

With an inside presence established, SDSU also began to find its shooting range ---- the Aztecs made 4-of-10 3-pointers in the second half. Sophomore guard D.J. Gay led the way outside, scoring eight of his 10 in the second half.

Those factors, combined with an energetic defense and a five-point run by senior Kyle Spain, allowed the Aztecs to grab a 33-26 lead at the 15:24 mark that they didn't relinquish.

"For the most part we played good defensively," said Spain, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half. "Our shots weren't going down, but we were sticking together and we cooperated on defense. ... It's the first game ---- we've got to work on everything."

That includes doing a better job on the boards. Despite a sizable height advantage in the frontcourt, SDSU finished with only two more rebounds (37-35) than its Division II opponent.

Amoroso's absence had something to do with that. Fisher said the senior, who averaged 6.5 rebounds a game last season, missed the team's first six practices after injuring his back and hurt it again during a 92-63 exhibition win over Point Loma Nazarene.

Fisher hopes that Amoroso can return to face the Sun Devils.

"I don't think he could have played today if we had to play him," Fisher said.

Kelvin Kim led UCSD with 11 points.

 

Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at dhayes@nctimes.com.