San Diego State had a lot of work to do Tuesday and the team more than accomplished it, erasing a big Colorado State lead in a 71-55 win.
SDSU in the second half shut down a Ram team that had shot 57% in the first half while rolling to a 44-30 lead. Yet Colorado State could not get anything going in the second half, shooting just 12%, and closing out the game making only one of their last 19 shots.
Head coach Brian Dutcher called the comeback an “incredible effort.”
“We can’t play a better defensive half,” he told San Diego Sports 760.
The Aztecs (19-6, 8-4 Mountain West) opened the scoring with a dunk by Jaedon LeDee, but Colorado State (19-6, 7-5 MW) – especially Josiah Strong – immediately hit them hard from long distance. SDSU could not answer and nearing the five-minute mark, the Rams were up 17-3.
SDSU twice shrank the lead to six, once on hookshot by Ledee with about 10 minutes left in the half, then on a jumper by Lamont Butler with seven minutes left.
But San Diego State was hampered by the loss of LeDee, who left the game shortly after that shot. He stayed on the bench after his second foul with 9:31 left on the clock.
Meanwhile, Colorado State had the final three baskets before the break to take a double digit lead into the locker room.
LeDee told Sports 760 that he realized with the two fouls that he was unlikely to return to the game in the first half. So “for the most part,” he said, “I was just getting my mind ready for the second half.”
And how. The Aztecs jumped out fast when play resumed, scoring the first seven points of the half, five of them from LeDee, including a three-point play after a foul by Patrick Cartier.
They cut the deficit to nine, but Colorado State answered with a quick five points, on a jumper by Nique Clifford and a three-pointer by Isaiah Stevens.
LeDee drew a foul, this time by Clifford, to complete another three-point play. Three LeDee layups later, with SDSU trailing 50-46, Darrion Trammel, off a feed by Micah Parrish, sent a big arcing three in from the corner to pull the Aztecs within one.
San Diego State took its first lead since the opening seconds of the game, 53-52, when Jay Pal made one of two free throws with just under 10 minutes to play.
Strong answered with a layup moments later to give the Rams a brief one-point lead, but Parrish put in one of his own and SDSU would be on top for good.
Soon after Colorado State coach Niko Medved, visibly frustrated, drew a technical, the lead ballooned to 13 with 4:48 to play as Trammell hit another three, part of an 18-1 SDSU run to end the game.
The stats are gaudy: LeDee, who scored just five points in the opening half, finished with 27. The Aztecs, out-rebounded by five in the first half, had 34 in the second to the Rams’ seven. Butler finished with 10 and Pal with seven.
Trammell and Butler, who had his first career double-double, added 11 points each.
Dutcher credited Trammell for his point-guard play and Pal for grabbing rebounds off missed free throws, but in the end the game belonged to LeDee.
“Anyone can see when he’s on he floor he makes a huge difference for us,” he said.
With the home win, San Diego State splits the season series with Colorado State. The Aztecs remain at home, welcoming New Mexico (20-5, 8-4) at 7 p.m. Friday.
