By Edward Lewis, Sports Lewis

There was a 20-minute delay before last night’s game because Viejas Arena’s lights wouldn’t come on. Nobody blamed Chase Tapley at the time.

After the game, they could’ve. Because the sophomore guard shot the lights out with the ball.

Tapley started the game 5-for-5, didn’t miss a shot until midway through the second half and finished with a team-high 14 points, leading the No. 17 San Diego State men’s basketball team to a 69-55 victory against Saint Mary’s in front of a sellout crowd of 12,414.

“I got in the flow of the game,” Tapley said. “I just wanted to make the big shots to help the team … The shots were just falling for me tonight.”

Tapley missed his first 3-point attempt of the night at the 12:13 mark of the second half. He grabbed his own rebound, missed the jumper, and then grabbed his own rebound again before he was finally fouled. In the break that ensued, the sold-out crowd gave Tapley a standing ovation — for missing a shot.

“It’s a great feeling to have fans like that,” Tapley said. “They rewarded me for my hustle and I’m grateful for that from my fans.”

In the postgame press conference, senior forward Malcolm Thomas, Tapley and head coach Steve Fisher gushed about the fan support last night. Thomas even said, “I feel like at home we just play better because of our fans.”

And SDSU gave those fans plenty to cheer about all night. The Aztecs trailed for just 23 seconds. They posted 10 monster, highlight-reel blocks. They forced 16 turnovers. And two of their big men, senior forwards Billy White and Brian Carlwell, knocked down big-time 3-pointers in the first half.

But the man that fans should appreciate most, Tapley said, is senior guard D.J. Gay. SDSU’s captain played every minute of last night’s game, and locked down one of the most dangerous basketball players in the country, Mickey McConnell. The St. Mary’s guard scored just two points in 37 minutes. Last year, McConnell lit up the Aztecs for 24 points.

“Give it up to D.J. Gay,” Tapley said. “He played (McConnell) tough for 94 feet. He put his hover hand over him when he was trying to shoot. (D.J.) was the player of the game to me. He locked him up.”

The win moves SDSU to 7-0 for just the second time in Fisher’s 12-year tenure. The Aztecs will take on Wichita State at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Viejas Arena.

“We had a good victory against a good team with a great crowd,” Fisher said. “We moved to 7-0, which is to all our liking.”