BJ Davis scored a career-high 18 points as San Diego State upended No. 21 Creighton 71-53 on Tuesday, the opening day of the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.
In the rematch of two recent NCAA Tournament games – SDSU prevailed in 2023 to put them in the Final Four, while Creighton eliminated them the year before –the Blue Jays struggled to find their offensive rhythm and the Aztecs’ defense generated eight steals. In all, they scored 13 points off turnovers.
SDSU went 30 of 62 (48.3%) while holding Creighton to 21 of 62 (33.8%) shooting from the floor. San Diego State also finished 8 of 17 (47.0%) from 3-point range.
If you missed our win over Creighton, we have you covered! #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/7qloOugBdn
— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) November 26, 2024
Miles Byrd added 16 for the Aztecs (3-1), while Davis grabbed nine rebounds.
Pop Isaacs led Creighton (4-2) with 18 points and added five assists. Jackson McAndrew had a double-double for the Blue Jays with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
The Aztecs, who closed as a 4.5-point underdog at the BetMGM Sportsbook, bounced back from their loss against another nationally ranked team, Gonzaga, with the win.
Davis, who saw limited action as a freshman last season, has been the headliner for the Aztecs so far. He’s now set career and single-game highs in four games this season and is averaging 15.0 points per game.
After falling behind 8-4 early, the Aztecs went on a 21-8 run to open a 25-16 lead, with seven different scorers contributing to the breakout. SDSU never relinquished the lead.
San Diego State got a boost from the bench with reserves outscoring Creighton’s 18-7. Las Vegas-product Pharaoh Compton scored six.
In the lead-up to the festival, Byrd said the Gonzaga game was “a lesson instead of a loss.”
“We have a big guard group and I’m excited to see what it’s going to look like at 100%. I know there is chemistry on the court and the more games we play, the more we will get used to being on that court together.”
The Aztecs face Oregon at 1 p.m. Wednesday – the Ducks went into their Tuesday contest with No. 20 Texas A&M at 5-0 – while Creighton plays Texas A&M. The fest continues through Saturday.
