By Michael KlitzingAssistant Sports Editor
LAS VEGAS — San Diego State’s 65-52 Mountain West ConferenceTournament loss to New Mexico Wednesday at the Thomas and Mack Centerproved to be the end.
The end of the Aztecs’ dim tournament aspirations.
The end of a disappointing 10-18 season.
The end of Barb Smith’s much-maligned head coaching reign.
All tolled, it is not an ending that sits well with those aroundthe SDSU program.
“I’m satisfied as a person with the relationships I’ve made here,”said guard Claire Swinbank, who played her final game in red andblack against the Lobos. “But as a competitor and as a player, Idon’t see how anyone could be satisfied going out like this.”
It’s not that the loss was out of the ordinary. In fact, for theAztecs, the game proved to be all too ordinary.
SDSU battled hard, but in the end did not have the horses neededto pull off the upset.
“Everybody stayed into it, and we fought the entire game,”Swinbank said. “It just didn’t go our way. But we fought and westayed together.
“We couldn’t ask for much more.”
Said UNM head coach Don Flanagan: “I thought that San Diego Stateplayed a very good game. In the second half, we were just able toslow it down and control their offense a little bit.”
The Lobos clamped down on the perimeter game, forcing the Aztecsto constantly attempt to penetrate inside. Swinbank had moderatesuccess cutting to the hoop, scoring 16 points to pace the squad.
But after trailing by only five at the half (32-27), SDSU’sshooting went cold. The team shot just 33 percent after intermissionas opposed to 52 percent before the break.
UNM benefited from the early foul trouble of Aztecs center AtimOtii. She had to be removed from the game after collecting two foulsjust 2:28 after the opening tip.
Even when she did return, she was rendered ineffective — scoringjust two points before fouling out with 5:02 to play.
The Lobos were able to capitalize on Otii’s absence as centerJordan Adams scored a team-high 16 points. The size disadvantage wasalso apparent in the rebounding. UNM dominated the glass, pullingdown 44 boards to SDSU’s 25.
The Aztecs were able to slightly compensate because of thespirited play of forward Tanisha Knight. The senior came off thebench in her final game as an Aztec, scoring 11 points and pullingseven boards in 25 minutes. She also made her presence felt –tenaciously executing SDSU’s full-court press.
“The last three or four games, T-Knight has come off the bench forus and made something happen,” Smith said. “She was all over theplace for us — forcing turnovers and getting steals.”
Behind the play of Knight and Swinbank, the Aztecs tried to climbback into the game late, as Swinbank hit a turnaround jumped to cutthe lead to 50-45. UNM, however, put the game away by converting itslate free-throw chances.
For the Lobos, this is only the beginning. They advance to faceBYU, Friday at noon.
For SDSU, this is the end — in more ways than one.
