While the Scarlet and Black faithful have been sounding off about San Diego State’s omission from both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, the responses from the men’s basketball team have been cool and measured.
Their play did all the necessary talking on Saturday afternoon, as they earned a comfortable 72-61 win over the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels before a national broadcast audience on CBS at Viejas Arena.
“We knew it would be a challenge (today) and we got off to the kind of start you want to get off to when you’re playing a good team,” said head coach Brian Dutcher.
The Aztecs (13-2, 2-0 Mountain West) scored the first eight points of the game and opened up an 18-3 lead with seven minutes played, never looking back and did not allow UNLV (7-6, 0-1) to pull even the rest of the way.
Jaedon LeDee posted his seventh double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds with 3 steals — it was the eighth time this season he’s topped the 20-point plateau. Micah Parrish added 14 points, knocking down a pair of triples for his sixth 10-plus point performance in the last eight games, while also swiping three steals.
“I think we were just locked in, we were dialed in,” LeDee said. “I mean, it’s a one o’clock tip. We practice every day at one. So, you know, I think it was just routine.”
For as hot as the SDSU offense started, their defense was every bit as turned up and made the opening minutes absolutely miserable for UNLV. The visitors clanked 10 of their first 11 shots from the field and did not make back-to-back shots until the midway mark of the first half.
The Aztecs had just two stretches all game where they missed more than two shots in a row. The Runnin’ Rebels were held to seven spells of two minutes or more without putting points on the board.
Darrion Trammell noted how both sides of the ball have been developing this season.
“I think we have a lot more offensive firepower this year — we got a lot of new guys as well, so the defense is kind of something that we always have to work on,” Trammell said. “So, it’s up to the guys who have been here to relay that message that defense is gonna carry us to the next level.”
Trammell scored 10 points with 2 steals in nearly 29 minutes of action, taking turns trading off running the point with Lamont Butler, who had a team-best three assists.
It was Trammell’s second start of the season, replacing Reese Waters, who had injured his ankle before the 74-47 win over Fresno State on Wednesday.
“I was prepared for it, I feel like it doesn’t change who I am,” Trammell said. “I have to go out there and be myself whether starting or not, to give the team my best effort.”
Waters played 22 minutes, scoring four points on 2 of 6 shooting, but did not have his characteristic velvety-smooth movement to create shots.
Miles Byrd — who was also limited against the Bulldogs due to turf toe — was one of the most effective players off the bench. He scored seven points on 2 of 3 shooting in almost 16 minutes of play.
“They went a little bit earlier today, so I have an indication but I didn’t want to start someone (Waters) that had missed practice,” Dutcher said. “I was happy to have them both. I thought I might have one, I didn’t think I’d have them both.”
The closest UNLV came was within six points, at 46-40 with 11:52 to play in the second half. SDSU responded with a 3-pointer from Elijah Saunders that sparked an 8-2 run. Then the Aztecs went on a 10-3 run from 7:50 to 4:12 to push the lead back out to 14 points and all but settle it.
With the win, SDSU joins Utah State as the only two-win teams in the Mountain West through the first week of conference play. The Aggies knocked off No. 13 Colorado State, 77-72, at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, led by 20 points and 14 rebounds from Montana State transfer Great Osbor.
Nevada and Boise State are also unbeaten in Mountain West action, having each picked up wins in their lone conference games this week.
The Aztecs next two games will be on the road, beginning with a trip to the Provident Credit Union Event Center to face the San José State Spartans (7-8, 0-2) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
“(SJSU) played for basically three quarters of each game and just couldn’t find a way to get over the hump,” Dutcher said. “So we’ve got to make sure we’re not that team that they find a way to play 40 against (and) we have to play well to win there.”
Whether or not SDSU is ranked for that contest, LeDee and the Aztecs have their minds focused on the most important numbers.
“Everybody’s got their opinion, and you know, what they think of things,” LeDee said. “We’re just gonna keep getting things done, and at the end of the day, wins and all that, that’s all that matters.”
