Lobos near low in loss to Aztecs

SAN DIEGO — A week removed from a face-plant that helped knock San Diego State out of The Associated Press top 25, Jamaal Franklin made sure the Aztecs were focused and ready against No. 15 New Mexico.

So much so that they routed the Lobos 55-34 on Saturday, New Mexico’s worst loss in the shot-clock era.

JJ O’Brien had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Franklin scored 10 points while leading San Diego State’s defense.

San Diego State (16-4, 42) dealt the Lobos (17-3, 4-1) their first conference loss and snapped New Mexico’s fourgame winning streak.

New Mexico’s 34 points were its fewest since scoring 32 on Jan. 31, 1976, at Utah. The Lobos shot 25 percent (11 of 44), their lowest mark since at least 1965.

“As good as we were as a team, I have to start with Jamaal,” San Diego State Coach Steve Fisher said. “For those that only look at a stat line, you don’t appreciate what he brings to this team. He’s the soul of our program. He willed everybody to be ready.”

A week earlier, San Diego State scored only nine points in the first half of a 58-45 loss at Wyoming.

“It’s exciting. We needed that one,” Franklin said. “It was a really big win and New Mexico is a really good team. Like Coach Fisher always stresses, you can’t win this league if you don’t win home games. I feel like this was a big home win.”

San Diego State shot only 40.4 percent (23 of 57) but outrebounded the Lobos 41-26.

Kendall Williams had 14 points for the Lobos, whose 34 points tied for the second-fewest in a Mountain West game since the league began play in 1999-2000. Air Force scored 34 against San Diego State on Feb. 7, 2009. The MWC record for fewest points is 33, set by Air Force against Brigham Young on Feb. 3, 2003.

San Diego State’s 21-point margin of victory tied for its highest against a nationally ranked opponent, 62-41 against then-No. 15 Air Force on Feb. 6, 2007.

New Mexico’s previous season lows of 46 points and 31.8 percent shooting came in its last loss, 60-46 at Saint Louis on Dec. 31.