Coming off a tough loss and missing their leading scorer, San Diego State rallied during a thrilling finish late Saturday at Viejas Arena to beat UC Irvine 63-62.
“Is there any game more exciting than college basketball?” coach Brian Dutcher asked. “Man, that was exciting.”
The No. 25-ranked Aztecs, coming off a 79-73 road loss to Grand Canyon University, were looking for some home cooking to get back in the win column.
They had to do it without Jaedon LeDee, who is averaging over 22 points a game, but did not play after suffering a sprained elbow.
The Aztecs started slowly, falling behind 8-2 in the opening minutes, forcing their first
timeout. But they clamped down on defense and cut the lead to 11-10 after Reese Waters’ second three-pointer of the game.
The Aztecs used a barrage of early threes to take the lead, including a couple from guard Micah Parrish, who passed the 1,000-point mark on his career in SDSU’s last game.
By the end of the half, the Aztecs had taken their largest lead, seven points. They hiked it to close out the half, going up 33-24.
San Diego State came out on fire in the second half, especially sophomore Elijah Saunders, who scored the first seven points of the half. That bumped San Diego State’s margin to 40-26, forcing the Anteaters to call for a timeout.
But it settled them as UC Irvine went on a 5-0 run to stay within striking distance, thanks to senior guard Pierre Crockrell, who scored on three consecutive possessions.
Later, the Anteaters gained momentum with help from freshman Derin Saran, who downed two straight baskets.
The Aztecs, who had led by as many as 16, saw their margin cut to five points. Some sloppy play, and continued hot shooting by Saran, brought the Anteaters all the way back as they tied the game at 48 with a little over seven minutes to play.
UC Irvine took a two-point lead and would continue to add to it, leaving the Aztecs – they went ice cold, with no field goals for nearly 14 minutes – trailing 57-52.
SDSU rallied – their prowess at the free-throw line kept them in the game – but the Anteaters still had the lead at 62-61 with 31 seconds left.
Jay Pal snagged the rebound after Darrion Trammell, who had just pulled the Aztecs within one with a three, missed another. Pal got the ball to Parrish for a basket with 10.4 seconds left, but after being fouled, he missed the free throw, leaving SDSU with just a one-point lead.
UC Irvine had one last chance, but Justin Hohn missed the potential game winner, prompting the Show to explode with relief.
After the game, Dutcher said the team is still growing. “I like the fact Jaedon didn’t play and we still found a way to win without him,” he said.
The Aztecs don’t have a game for nearly two weeks. They next play Saint Katherine at home on Dec. 19.
“The joy of winning and the joy of competing is so great. Nine days off I’m going to enjoy every minute of it,” Dutcher said.
Meanwhile, new Aztecs football coach Sean Lewis, in attendance at Viejas, received a huge roar from the crowd when he was acknowledged near the end of the first half. Later, at halftime, he was introduced again, took a microphone, and pumped up the crowd.
