Aztec Center Paris Johnson Grabbed Just 4 Rebounds -- None in the First half -- of Sunday's Loss at Utah
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — If anything ever seemed like it was a sure thing, that was it. The San Diego State women’s basketball team, with four starters returning from last year’s 24-8 squad that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and the solid preseason favorites to win this year’s Mountain West Conference championship, would return to the postseason this coming March.
Then again, nothing’s ever a sure thing when it comes to San Diego State sports. Really, we all should understand that by now.
What’s difficult to understand is what has happened to the lady Aztecs, who were squashed yet again here Sunday afternoon, 73-55, by the Utah Utes. In losing for the fourth time in five games, SDSU (15-10, 7-6 MWC) dropped into a fourth-place tie with Wyoming and New Mexico, three games behind the league-leading pace set by TCU and BYU with three games to play.
A return to the NCAA Tournament seems quite unlikely now, unless SDSU can rediscover its mojo in time for the MWC Postseason Tournament, which gets underway in 2 1/2 weeks. Almost assured of no better than a third- or fourth-place finish in the regular season standings, the Aztecs will have to win three (and maybe four) games in five days to claim an invite to the Big Dance.
“Once again our energy level just wasn’t where it needed to be for 40 full minutes, and that’s disappointing,” said Coach Beth Burns, who had helped cajole this team from also-ran status just three seasons ago to the level of championship contender and a No. 23-national ranking back in November. “We worked so hard the last couple of seasons to get the respect, but we haven’t worked hard enough to keep it.”
Effort — or lack thereof — is as good a place as any to start when trying to figure out SDSU’s many triviales during this trying, and frankly very discouraging season. Utah (16-9, 7-5) simply appeared to want Sunday’s game more, attacking the rim throughout in order to earn a lopsided 21-6 Continue Reading →
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