LOS ANGELES – The bad news just keeps coming for San Diego State's men's basketball team.
Playing without Kyle Spain (ankle sprain) one day after learning Tim Shelton is finished for the season, the Aztecs last night routed a young Loyola Marymount team 78-56 in a nonconference game.
Actually, it wasn't much of a game.
The Aztecs jumped to a 21-4 lead in less than 10 minutes and never led by less than 12 in the second half while improving to 6-1 – equaling their second-best start in 23 seasons.
Despite being minus two regular forwards, the shorter Aztecs out-rebounded the Lions 35-27.
But SDSU's biggest advantage was in its hand speed, as the Aztecs produced a season-high 19 steals and scored 27 points off the hosts' 25 turnovers.
That and the fact that 6-foot-8 junior forward Ryan Amoroso started each half as though on a mission.
Even though he missed on a slam, Amoroso scored eight of the Aztecs' first 12 points. Then he scored six of their first eight in the second half and finished with 19 to equal his season high.
“Amoroso was the strongest guy on the floor and he showed it,” said SDSU coach Steve Fisher. “Physically, he set the tone in both halves.”
Clearly, Fisher was pleased with the intensity his team displayed in the absence of two key players.
“There are games you have to be sure you are ready to play,” said Fisher. “We started the game and the second half with high emergency and intelligence. We did a pretty good job running the offense early on.”
“I just wanted to go out and be tougher and aggressive early,” said Amoroso, who had three of his seven rebounds and blocked a shot as he helped the Aztecs jump to a 12-2 lead 5:11 into the game.
“Coach always says, 'Play smart aggressive.' In the second half at California (a 77-69 loss Saturday), we didn't play 'smart aggressive' in the second half. And we had lost two main contributors. That can be detrimental.”
It wasn't last night, however.
Fisher believes Spain will be back in the lineup Saturday when the Aztecs host Western Michigan at Cox Arena.
Spain suffered the sprain to the outside of his right ankle Monday in practice. At the time, Fisher expected the junior to be ready to play last night. Instead, Spain watched from the bench with the ankle wrapped in a protective boot.
“I thought with (Tuesday) off he would be OK,” said Fisher. “But it was worse (Tuesday), although he says it feels much better today. I just wanted to make sure after all the injuries he had last year that he'd be OK. I'm optimistic he'll be ready Saturday.”
The Aztecs can't expect to compete in the Mountain West Conference without both Shelton and Spain.
Last night they started two guards plus Lorrenzo Wade and at one point had no one on the floor taller than Wade, a 6-foot-6 swingman. Fortunately for SDSU, the Lions (2-5) – whose only wins have come against Mercer and Presbyterian – fielded a team with only one senior.
Wade backed Amoroso with 18 points, including 11 after the break. Amoroso and freshman Billy White each had seven rebounds, and White led the Aztecs with four steals. Freshman D.J. Gay scored nine of his 11 points on three-pointers.
“Our freshmen aren't playing like freshmen,” Amoroso said.
Bill Center: (619) 293-1851; bill.center@uniontrib.com
