Nov. 4, 2004
Final Stats | Quotes | Notes
SAN DIEGO - Marcus Slaughter scored 20 points and Chris Walton chipped in 17 as the San Diego State men's basketball team made its 2004-2005 season debut with an 82-70 exhibition win over Cal State San Bernardino Wednesday night before 3,016 fans at Cox Arena.
The Aztecs held a 12-point lead at halftime (44-32) and led by as many as 18 points in the second half. San Diego State shot 51.8 percent from the floor, including hitting 14 second-half shots on 23 attempts. Last season, SDSU shot 50 percent or better from the field on just two occasions. SDSU was 7-of-15 from three-point range and got at least one trey from five different players.
San Diego State's starting front line of Slaughter, Walton and Mohamed Camara combined to go 17-of-24 from the floor. Camara joined the other two front-court players as the only other Aztec in double figures with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The junior also added five rebounds and a pair of assists.
Kenneth Sims led the visitors with 16 points.
"I was pleased with the way we performed in the first half," said sixth-year San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher. "We really weren't as sharp in the second half...but that's what these games are about.
"They did some things we hadn't seen," he added. "They trapped us a little bit and we didn't handle the ball the way should have. But this is a good teaching tool."
Along with the strong shooting night, SDSU held a 35-33 rebounding advantage, blocked 10 shots and was credited with 11 steals. Eleven players saw action for the Aztecs and eight of them scored. Trimaine Davis and Chris Manker came off the bench to chip in eight points each. Manker also had five rebounds and four blocked shots.
SDSU took control of the game midway through the first half and was never seriously threatened by a Coyote team that posted a 26-3 record last season. The Aztecs gained control behind the efforts of Slaughter, who hit his first five shots and scored 12 points in the first 10 minutes of the game.
The win was the eighth straight for the Aztecs in exhibition play.