James Burns: Survival mode -- Spinardi heading to NCAA Tournament with SDSU

Survive and advance.

Nervous bracketeers sitting in a pile of fingernails -- their brackets crumpled, ripped and taped back together again.

A bench mob on bended knee along the sideline, praying a last-second shot rims out.

Just survive and advance.

From Rhode Island to the shores of San Diego, those words are being echoed around college campuses, sportsbooks and big arenas.

The hunt for a men's and women's national basketball championship is on, and in single-elimination tournaments like these, games are competed at the edge of a cliff. One false step, one lapse in judgment, one gamble gone awry and...

See ya!

The game, your season and, for some, your career go tumbling over the cliff like Wile E. Coyote.

So, everyone now, repeat after me: "Survive and advance."

Better yet, repeat after San Diego State guard Kim Spinardi, who has been in survival mode since leaving the Golden Valley girls basketball program an all-timer.

Her career highlights still make the tiny hairs on the back of Matt Thissen's neck stand up.

The former Golden Valley girls basketball coach groomed many a star, but very few burned brighter than Spinardi.

She was the Central California Conference MVP as a senior, a four-year starter and the program's record-holder in 3-pointers made in a season and career assists.

"The first thing that stood out was her basketball IQ. She was one of those players that go it. She understood," Thissen said. "Whether it was drawing up something during a timeout or strategy or situation, quite often you have to re-explain or double check.

"With Kim, that was never the case."

Of course not.

Spinardi was a college basketball junkie who loved this time of the year. She began watching selection shows and NCAA Tournament games in the sixth grade -- the way today's youth might soak up the Jonas Brothers.

She was also a cold-blooded finisher, and together those two traits led to imaginative finishes that mirrored college's most memorable buzzer-beaters.

Valparaiso's Bryce Drew and "The Shot": With 5 seconds left in a tie game with Merced, Spinardi, then a sophomore, gathered pass near halfcourt on the fly. Like Drew. She took two dribbles and let fly with a 40-footer.

Swish. Just like Drew.

"Still have it on tape if you wanna watch it," Thissen said.

Christian Laettner's turnaround jumper to beat Kentucky: As a junior, playing the role of Grant Hill, Spinardi tossed a pass the length of the court to Christie Bryant. Bryant's bucket was good, sending the game vs. Merced into overtime. GV eventually won with a tip-in.

"Got that one on tape, too," Thissen chimed.

Yes, Spinardi had basketball by the tail, an unrivaled star in this part of the Valley. Then she became a part of coach Beth Burns' first recruiting class at San Diego State and everything changed.

Her role.

Her expectations.

Her career arc.

Spinardi was a star among superstars, scraping and clawing for minutes off the bench. Four years later, Spinardi is still coming off the bench. Still scraping and clawing for minutes.

She's an Energizer Bunny; a consummate team player, counted on for bursts of energy and streaks of efficiency not points and assists.

And she's OK with that.

For the second straight year, the Lady Aztecs are dancing. No. 11 SDSU takes on sixth-seeded Texas in Austin in a first-round game on Sunday.

"We came here to turn the program around, so I've done everything I wanted to accomplish," Spinardi said. "We've been the regular-season champions. Went to the NCAA Tournament last year. This year we won the Mountain West tournament and got the automatic bid.

"There's nothing more that you could ask to accomplish as a team. It's been a great experience, but...

"It hasn't been easy."

While Spinardi the Team Player has flourished, Spinardi the Star Player has been humbled.

From the beginning, the Division-I game was an eye-opening experience.

She admits she was overwhelmed by the level of play and sheer depth in talent as a freshman.

It took her almost a year-and-a-half to feel comfortable in San Diego State's defensive system.

And all those hours. Between practices and games, meetings and film, basketball had become a part-time job.

But it's been worth it.

Largely because the obstacles and adversity have sculpted her resolve and will. But mostly because of moments like this:

Spinardi stood atop a ladder at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, eye level with the rim, head in the clouds.

In the crowd gathered around the goal were her teammates and coaches, a smothering fan base and her biggest fans, parents Ed and Karen Spinardi.

With a black Mountain West champions cap, and a smile as wide as the Rio Grande, Spinardi took her place in college basketball history.

Snip! Snip!

Off came a piece of the net.

Up went the arms.

"I couldn't have asked for a better picture. Since the sixth grade, I've been watching the NCAA Tournament and watching people cut down nets," she said. "To finally do it in my last year, it was an unbelievable feeling."

She and her Aztecs will get one more chance to cut down the nets, beginning this weekend in Austin.

And though they'll be longshots to make it to San Antonio -- the site of the women's national championship -- Spinardi has the right mind set.

Survive and advance.

Just survive and advance.

James Burns is managing editor/sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.