Men’s basketball play in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year, a first in school history

The Aztecs move on to the Sweet 16 after a 24-point halftime lead made it smooth sailing over the Bulldogs to win 85-57

by Roman Aguilar, Sports Editor • March 25, 2024

San Diego State guard Darrion Trammell lays up the ball in the paint over a pair of UNLV defenders earlier this season at Thomas & Mack Center. Trammell had 18 points in the second round win over Yale 85-57 on March 24.

No. 5 seed San Diego State wasted no time to overwhelm 13th-seeded Yale and cruised to an 85-57 win in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night.

Forward Jaedon LeDee had 26 points and nine rebounds in the contest, while guard Darrion Trammell added 18 points.

The Aztecs (26-10, 11-7 Mountain West) were again led by LeDee after his dominant performance from the game prior against UAB. He made nine of 12 shots, a pair of threes, and in combined tournament games, is 20-for-30 shooting.

Some of the from-the-distance shooting that was absent from the tournament opener came back alive in the second round as SDSU notched a season-high 13 three-pointers. Trammell hit four threes against Yale, who had just four shots, and took four shots against UAB.

“First game is definitely always the hardest. Obviously, we go out there and play confident, but I feel like getting that first one under our belt, we come out much more loose and much more confident,” Trammell said. “We were getting open shots. We’ve been putting in the time, putting in the work, and there’s no reason to go out there and be hesitant. So I think we just let it fly tonight.”

The Scarlet and Black were off to a fast start, as they scored the first 10 points of the game, and by halftime led by 24, removing any potential of a March Madness upset.

Guard Bez Mbeng led the Bulldogs (23-10, 11-3 Ivy League) with 12 points, while forward Matt Knowling totaled 11. Guard John Poulakidas wasn’t able to recreate the magic of Yale’s upset win over Auburn in which he had 28 points in the matchup. Poulakidas was scoreless at the half, and missed all five shots leading up to the break. He finished the night with nine points, scoring his first points early in the second half.

SDSU earned a rematch with No. 1 seed and the defending national champion UConn on Thursday in Boston in the Sweet 16. The last time the two teams matched up, the Huskies denied San Diego State a title after beating the Aztecs 76-59 last April in Houston.

“We kind of had a little bitter taste in our mouth last year after they beat us, but we get to play them again and they’re a great team,” LeDee said. “We’ll get back, game plan, and get ready to play ’em in Boston.”

The Aztecs will take on the No. 1 seeded Huskies in the Sweet 16 on Thursday at 4:39 p.m.

About the Contributors

Roman Aguilar, '24-25 Sports Editor, '23 -24 Sports Editor

Roman Aguilar (he/him/his) is a third-year journalism major with a minor in communications from Stockton, California. Since he was little, he loved watching sports and being able to tell a good story out of an exciting game matchup. He joined the Daily Aztec in 2022 as a contributor and staff writer for the sports section, covering a multitude of sports including football, men's basketball, and water polo, before moving on to sports editor. Aguilar is also a blog writer for KCR College Radio, attending concerts and having the opportunity to cover shows and interview artists. When he isn't writing articles related to music or sports, you can see Roman going to local concert shows on a near-weekly basis and watching his favorite horror movies.

Chinedu Nwoffiah, Photographer

Chinedu Nwoffiah (he/him/his) is a fourth-year Communication major specializing in Digital & Social Media Studies. He has always had a passion for sports and storytelling and has been able to enhance his skills throughout his time at The Daily Aztec. Since joining in 2023, he has covered nearly every sport through photography and contributed as a writer, broadcaster, and multimedia specialist for men’s basketball.