There would be no blowout for the Aztecs Thursday, but after a slow start, San Diego State pulled away in the second half at Viejas Arena to earn a 74-60 victory over Stanford.
Head coach Brian Dutcher said he was worried about Stanford and called it a good win, but he wasn’t satisfied.
“We have to get better in several areas,” he said.
The Aztecs were coming off a runaway 91-57 win over lower division Saint Katherine going into the Stanford game. Though the buckets rained down Tuesday, drought-like conditions prevailed against the Cardinal as the Aztecs struggled to make baskets.
Nearly halfway through the first period, they had made only 30% of their field goals, with the Stanford defense at times forcing them to make shots in the final seconds of their possessions.
After the Cardinal had taken a 10-5 lead, momentum started to turn when guard Miles Byrd hit a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to tighten the game at 10-8 with 12 minutes to go in the half.
The Aztecs would soon tie it at 10, and then Stanford took the lead. A Lamont Butler three tied the game again at 13 and his layup four minutes later tied the game again at 21.
Stanford responded again, but guard Micah Parrish hit a corner three to cut the lead to 26-25.
Another Byrd three gave SDSU a 30-28 lead, only for Stanford to knot it up again.
Then guard Darrion Trammell picked a good time to score his first points of the game, sinking two free throws before driving to the basket for two points at the buzzer to give the Aztecs a 34-32 lead at the half.
The second half was a different story for the Aztecs. They came out with renewed energy, going 6 for 6 on field goals to start the half.
The offensive burst featured some stellar play from Jaedon LeDee, who opened with a Jaedon jam to give SDSU a 47-35 lead that forced Stanford to call a quick timeout.
It didn’t help. LeDee then blocked a shot at the basket from Stanford’s 7-1 forward Maxime Raynaud that drew a roar from the crowd.
From there, the Aztecs continued building their lead, until consecutive three-pointers
from forward Jay Pal pushed it to 60-45.
From there, San Diego State never lost their double-digit lead and Butler, who led the team with 18 points, added his third three of the game as an exclamation point.
Butler, who had been in a slump, said he has been putting in a lot of time the gym trying to regain his shot.
“I just felt comfortable, and credit to my teammates for finding me,” he said.
Defense was also a big factor as the Aztecs had nine steals on the game, while benefitting from 16 turnovers by Stanford.
“We do a good job pressuring at home,” Dutcher said.
Stanford fell to 5-5, while the Aztecs’ win leaves them at 10-2 on the season, with one game remaining before Mountain West play begins.
But that game is a doozy – a big matchup on the road Dec. 29 against perennial powerhouse Gonzaga.
“We love the challenge,” said Butler. “Gonzaga is a really good team.”
Game notes
There were 10 lead changes and 9 ties … The Aztecs remain undefeated at home, which is no surprise. Since the beginning of the 2009-10 season, SDSU has the seventh best home record in the nation at 204-25 … The Aztecs and the Cardinal met for only the sixth time, with Stanford leading the series 4-1 … Pal, who suffered a broken nose in Tuesday’s game, played wearing a clear face guard Thursday … Getting in the holiday spirit, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus led the “I believe that we will win” chants in The Show’s student section … Dutcher held his infant granddaughter during the post-game press conference, joking that she’s coachable.
