San Diego State Basketball Loses 70-69 Heartbreaker At Grand Canyon

Global Credit Union Arena and nan Grand Canyon student section, The Havocs, proceed to haunt San Diego State. 

The Aztecs erased an 11-point shortage successful nan 2nd half successful nan 7,000-seat bandbox arena and took a precocious lead, but Makiah Williams deed 2 free throws pinch 1.8 seconds near to assistance nan Antelopes to a heartbreaking 70-69 nonaccomplishment connected Wednesday night. 

It was nan first nonaccomplishment successful Mountain West play for SDSU (13-5, 7-1), which saw its seven-game winning streak end. The Aztecs proceed to lead nan MW because it is nan only squad pinch conscionable 1 loss.

SDSU knows first-hand really difficult it is to play successful beforehand of The Havocs, and they had to do truthful without 7-footer Magoon Gwath, who was ruled retired 24 hours earlier owed to a hep injury.

If it’s immoderate consolation, this was nan first and only clip SDSU had to look GCU connected its location level successful MW play. The Aztecs are moving into nan Pac-12 adjacent play while GCU stays successful nan MW. 

Trying to erase a bad memory

The Aztecs almost erased nan bad representation near from Dec. 5, 2023, when, arsenic nan nation’s 25th-ranked team, were upset 79-73 successful beforehand of an overflow crowd astatine GCU. It was nan first-ever triumph for nan Lopes against a Top 25 opponent, starring to nan fans storming nan court. That was nan play aft nan Aztecs reached nan nationalist title crippled earlier losing to UConn.

But nan mojo continued to travel successful favour of nan Lopes, who improved to 3-0 connected their location tribunal against SDSU. The triumph came 4 days aft GCU hit Utah State by 10, knocking nan Aggies retired of a stock of first spot successful nan MW and retired of nan AP Top 25. 

SDSU utilized a 20-7 tally to erase a double-digit deficit. Freshman Tae Simmons had a putback for a 69-68 lead. Miles Byrd came up pinch a turnover and BJ Davis was driving to nan handbasket erstwhile he was tripped. But he missed nan beforehand extremity of a one-and-one pinch 7.7 seconds near and GCU rebounded.

Byrd appeared to artifact a shot, but Simmons was called for a foul connected Makiah Williams, who made some free throws for a 70-69 lead pinch 1.8 seconds left. 

After each squad took a timeout, SDSU had a desperation 3 bang disconnected nan rim.

Freshman Elzie Harrington led nan Aztecs pinch 16 points while Reese Dixon-Waters had 12 and Davis 11.

SDSU led 37-35 astatine halftime aft Taj DeGourville deed a 3-pointer pinch 13 seconds to go, nan Aztecs’ first bucket from down nan arc successful 7 tries. By comparison, GCU was 6 of 12 connected 3-pointers.

SDSU started 2 freshmen successful nan 2nd half, Tae Simmons and Elzie Harrington.

SDSU went up by 5 points connected a 3-pointer by Reese Dixon-Waters, but nan Antelopes began to propulsion away.

Up next

SDSU makes its last MW regular-season travel to Las Vegas to look nan UNLV Runnin’ Rebels connected Saturday astatine 1 p.m., pinch nan crippled airing connected CBS. UNLV is among nan teams staying successful nan MW while SDSU and 4 different schools move into nan rebuilding Pac-12. The Aztecs will make different travel to Las Vegas for nan convention tourney successful March. 

The Aztecs will return to Viejas Arena connected Jan. 28 to look Colorado State. 

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