San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec




San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913

The Daily Aztec

MEN’S BASKETBALL: Aztecs move to 9-0 for first time ever

Senior forward Malcolm Thomas piled up eight points, six rebounds and four assists as No. 14 SDSU moved to 9-0 this season. Antonio Zaragoza / Photo Editor

By Edward Lewis, Sports Editor

San Diego State arguably played its worst half of the season last night against Cal. It also arguably played its best half of the season.

And when it was all said and done, SDSU picked up yet another win, moving to 9-0 for the first time in school history after it blew out Cal 77-57 in Berkeley.

“Before the game started, I looked around and I was like, ‘It feels kind of empty compared to what we’ve been in,'” senior guard D.J. Gay said to AM 600 KOGO after the game. “So we came out kind of slow and played their game. But in the second half, we picked up as usual and pounced on them.”

The Aztecs’ first half consisted of 20 minutes of awful offense. SDSU shot 31.4 percent from the floor, were out-rebounded 28-19 and threw up at least four air balls. But luckily for the Aztecs, Cal was just as bad, if not worse in the first half, and SDSU headed into the locker room up 28-26 at the break.

Then the second half started, and so did the Aztecs’ patented second-half runs. SDSU used a 15-2 run and a 12-0 run to pull away from the Bears. The Aztecs made a staggering 70.8 percent of their field goals, turned the ball over just five times and outscored Pac-10 Cal 49-31 in the final 20 minutes.

“We have that spurtability to get on that run and get 10 points in a row and we did that again tonight,” head coach Steve Fisher said after the win. “It was a really good win for us in a hostile place against a good team.”

Sophomore forward Kawhi Leonard logged a game-high 20 points, sophomore guard James Rahon added 15 points and forward Billy White posted 10 points, four assists and a steal last night. But the MVP went to Gay, who didn’t score a point in the first half, yet finished with 14. He hit clutch 3-pointer after clutch 3-pointer in the final 20 minutes and made sure SDSU stayed undefeated this season.

“We watched a lot of film on them and they looked like a very good team that could shoot the ball really well,” Gay said. “Tonight, we played good defense and got fortunate they didn’t hit any. It was a good game for us, and we lived up to it.”

The Aztecs will try to move to an unprecedented 10-0 this season when they take on crosstown rival USD at 7 p.m. Saturday at Viejas Arena.

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San Diego State University’s Independent Student Newspaper Since 1913
MEN’S BASKETBALL: Aztecs move to 9-0 for first time ever