NEW MEXICO USUALLY A RUDE HOST

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Jan 19, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

Air Force freshman Evan Washington has felt the wrath of opposing fans before.

The 6-foot-4 guard from Columbus, Ohio, chuckled this week when recalling a moment from late in a game during his senior season at Reynoldsburg High School. His team was in front and, with Washington icing the game from the foul line, the fans were running out of taunts.

"I was making all my free throws and the (other) school couldn't think of anything to say," said Washington, whose Air Force team plays today at New Mexico. "So they just said my mom was fat or something like that."

Washington's mother, Deane, who played basketball at the University of Cincinnati, had the last laugh.

"She stood up after I made the second free throw and was like, 'I'm not fat, I'm not fat,'" Washington said. "It was funny."

Still, it's unlikely any high school experience could prepare Washington for what he'll encounter today when the Falcons, 10-6 and 2-1 in the Mountain West Conference, face the Lobos (14-4, 1-2). At 4 p.m., the freshman will get his first taste of The Pit -- New Mexico's notorious arena that is one of the more difficult for visiting teams in the nation.

The floor at the 18,018-seat arena is set 37 feet below ground -- hence the name -- and the fans who flock to the complex are loud and seemingly on top of the action. In 1999, Sports Illustrated ranked The Pit 13th in a listing of the top 20 sports venues of the 20th century. New Mexico is 592-141 there, including 10-1 this season.

Former Air Force forward Jacob Burtschi, who graduated last spring, was a favorite target of opposing fans. He called The Pit "an awesome place to play."

"The place gets packed, and it's one of the loudest venues I've ever been to," he said.

Finding a way to deal with such environments is critical, players said.

Burtschi embraced the taunts of opposing fans and " interacted" with them, he said. Senior Tim Anderson said he tries to "flip-flop the emotions of the crowd" and "turn the boos or yelling into cheering." Junior Anwar Johnson said he tries to "block out the crowd and not pay attention to what people are saying to distract me."

Washington said he tries to "feed off" opposing crowds but doesn't take taunts personally "because you know they're going to say anything to get under your skin."

On Wednesday, he and the Falcons won their first game on an opponent's floor this season, beating Wyoming 64-62 in overtime. Now they will try to win at The Pit for the third time ever.

"I've heard many stories about like fans throwing things on the court at The Pit, the student section," Washington said. "It's kind of like Clune (Arena) but just triple the harshness."

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