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Aztecs Clinch Share Of Regular Season MWC Title SDSU downs Lobos at The Pit behind Heath's eight 3-pointers and 32 points.
Feb. 25, 2006
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Brandon Heath hit a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored a season-high 32 points Saturday as San Diego State beat New Mexico 73-66 to clinch at least a share of the Mountain West Conference regular season title. San Diego State (19-8, 12-3 MWC) took control when Heath scored 17 points - including five 3s - in the first six minutes of the second half. Back-to-back 3s by Heath gave the Aztecs the lead for good at 37-32 with 18:38 left and when Heath again went back-to-back with 3s, San Diego State had a 55-43 lead with 13:33 left. New Mexico (16-11, 7-7 MWC) got a terrific first half effort from forward Joel Box to forge a 31-31 tie at the break. Box had 14 points and 10 rebounds in the game's first 15 minutes but scored only 3 points in the second half. He finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Heath hit 10 of 19 shots, was 8-for-13 on 3-pointers and had a team-high six assists. The Lobos, unable to stop Heath, stayed within range behind Kellen Walter's three 3-pointers in the second half. But while Walter hit four of seven 3s, the rest of the Lobos were going 2 of 18 in the game from behind the arc. New Mexico scored seven straight points to cut the Aztecs' lead to 55-50 on a 3-pointer by Walter with 9:39 left. San Diego State countered with an offensive rebound basket by Mohamed Abukar and a dunk by Marcus Slaughter moments after a 3-pointer by Walter rimmed out that would have cut the Aztecs' lead to four points. San Diego State, a program that has consistently struggled over the last three decades, had not shared or won a conference title since 1978. Slaughter had a double-double for the Aztecs with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Abukar scored 15 points.
Walter and Mark Walters each scored 12 points for New Mexico. Walters, the team's leading scorer, hit just 4 of 17 shots and was 1-for-8 on 3-point shots. |
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