SAN DIEGO ---- After the San Diego State men's basketball team blew a 10-point lead in the final half-minute against Nevada-Las Vegas and lost in overtime 16 days ago, Brandon Heath made a promise in response to questions about the possibility of such a devastating defeat being the type that could prompt a downward spiral.
"I won't let us go into the tank," the team's sophomore guard vowed.
Competitive instincts aside, the Aztecs have been swimming in defeats since that painful game against the Rebels. Saturday's 78-61 loss to visiting New Mexico made it four straight defeats, a skid that began with the dubious collapse against UNLV that was featured as the No. 1 story on ESPN's "SportsCenter."
"Any time you lose, it's disappointing," Heath said after Saturday's loss. "We should've won a couple games ---- like at Colorado State and at Wyoming. We let those games slip away also.
"We can't let this haunt us. We still have Air Force, we still go to Utah and we still have the conference tournament. We have to keep a positive edge about us. Anything can happen."
The Aztecs (10-15, 4-8 Mountain West Conference) might be playing short-handed tonight when they host Air Force (16-11, 7-5). Sophomore forward Marcus Slaughter has a sprained left big toe, and his availability will be determined sometime today.
Bothering Slaughter more than his ailing toe is the Aztecs' recent skid. After beginning conference play with two road victories, San Diego State has lost eight of 10, and the two victories came against teams (Brigham Young and Colorado State) with a combined league mark of 6-20.
"You get tired of losing," Slaughter said. "It's not fun at all. Nobody likes to lose. It's going to take some time. We're young and we still have years ahead of us.
"But this season is still not over. There's a lot of things that can happen. When you go to the conference tournament, anything can happen."
Tonight's game is the final home contest for the team's seniors ---- frontcourt players Chris Walton, Chris Manker and Jared Ines and guard Tommy Johnson. The four will be honored prior to the game, as will student assistant coach Travis Hanour, who quit playing last month after a string of injuries.
None of the players will leave with memorable statistics.
Walton and Johnson were highly publicized recruits, and their career scoring averages ---- Walton at 5.1, Johnson at 3.4 ---- never met the hype in which they entered the program. Walton is the son of Hall of Famer Bill Walton and Johnson was the Los Angeles City Player of the Year as a high school senior.
Hanour (Arizona) and Manker (Oregon State) transferred in prior to the 2002-03 season. Ines was a walk-on who has played nine minutes this season.
The other senior the Aztecs expected to have this season was point guard Wesley Stokes, but he didn't play at all after being ruled academically ineligible.
Heath pledged to send the seniors out on a winning note, and Aztecs coach Steve Fisher hopes his players will respond with an inspired effort.
"I hope so," Fisher said. "It will be our last home game and we have a group of seniors who've physically had things they had to deal with. Chris Walton was our first recruit. He's a fifth-year senior and we're hopeful we will come in with the kind of excitement, incentive and effort needed to play against Air Force."
"I won't let us go into the tank," the team's sophomore guard vowed.
Competitive instincts aside, the Aztecs have been swimming in defeats since that painful game against the Rebels. Saturday's 78-61 loss to visiting New Mexico made it four straight defeats, a skid that began with the dubious collapse against UNLV that was featured as the No. 1 story on ESPN's "SportsCenter."
"Any time you lose, it's disappointing," Heath said after Saturday's loss. "We should've won a couple games ---- like at Colorado State and at Wyoming. We let those games slip away also.
"We can't let this haunt us. We still have Air Force, we still go to Utah and we still have the conference tournament. We have to keep a positive edge about us. Anything can happen."
The Aztecs (10-15, 4-8 Mountain West Conference) might be playing short-handed tonight when they host Air Force (16-11, 7-5). Sophomore forward Marcus Slaughter has a sprained left big toe, and his availability will be determined sometime today.
Bothering Slaughter more than his ailing toe is the Aztecs' recent skid. After beginning conference play with two road victories, San Diego State has lost eight of 10, and the two victories came against teams (Brigham Young and Colorado State) with a combined league mark of 6-20.
"You get tired of losing," Slaughter said. "It's not fun at all. Nobody likes to lose. It's going to take some time. We're young and we still have years ahead of us.
"But this season is still not over. There's a lot of things that can happen. When you go to the conference tournament, anything can happen."
Tonight's game is the final home contest for the team's seniors ---- frontcourt players Chris Walton, Chris Manker and Jared Ines and guard Tommy Johnson. The four will be honored prior to the game, as will student assistant coach Travis Hanour, who quit playing last month after a string of injuries.
None of the players will leave with memorable statistics.
Walton and Johnson were highly publicized recruits, and their career scoring averages ---- Walton at 5.1, Johnson at 3.4 ---- never met the hype in which they entered the program. Walton is the son of Hall of Famer Bill Walton and Johnson was the Los Angeles City Player of the Year as a high school senior.
Hanour (Arizona) and Manker (Oregon State) transferred in prior to the 2002-03 season. Ines was a walk-on who has played nine minutes this season.
The other senior the Aztecs expected to have this season was point guard Wesley Stokes, but he didn't play at all after being ruled academically ineligible.
Heath pledged to send the seniors out on a winning note, and Aztecs coach Steve Fisher hopes his players will respond with an inspired effort.
"I hope so," Fisher said. "It will be our last home game and we have a group of seniors who've physically had things they had to deal with. Chris Walton was our first recruit. He's a fifth-year senior and we're hopeful we will come in with the kind of excitement, incentive and effort needed to play against Air Force."
