The San Diego State Aztecs fought hard but couldn’t overcome a dominant second-half surge by No. 3/4 Gonzaga, falling 80-67 on Monday night at Viejas Arena. This was Brian Dutcher’s first loss at home to a top-25 team in his eight-year tenure as head coach, as the Aztecs dropped to 2-1 on the season.
“That was a good early season basketball game for us. We wanted to win, and we’re used to winning games like this. We ran into a really good Gonzaga team with a lot of experience, and that paid off for them,” Dutcher said in his opening statement.
Dutcher acknowledged that Gonzaga’s depth and experience proved critical.
“Gonzaga’s Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike were dynamic. Ike did a good job in the paint, and Nembhard fed him. Ike should take Nembhard out to dinner every night because he makes his life easy,” he said.
While SDSU stayed within striking distance for much of the game, they were ultimately undone at the free-throw line, where Gonzaga owned a 27-13 advantage. Despite an impressive performance from senior transfer Nick Boyd, who finished with a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds, the Aztecs couldn’t counter Gonzaga’s size, depth and free-throw efficiency.
This defeat also snapped SDSU’s remarkable 22-2 record in its last 24 home games and was just the second time under Dutcher that the Aztecs had lost a home game by more than 13 points, with the previous instances coming against top-ranked opponents like Kansas and Brigham Young.
From the opening tip, Gonzaga controlled the pace. SDSU never held a lead and only managed to tie the game twice in the first half. The first tie came at 14:20 when sophomore guard Wayne McKinney III sparked a quick 6-0 run off the bench to tie the game at 12. However, the Zags quickly responded with an 8-0 run of their own, and by halftime, they had extended their lead to nine points, 39-30.
Gonzaga’s standout performance came from senior forward Graham Ike, who matched Boyd’s 23 points and added nine rebounds. Ike struggled with foul trouble in the first half but erupted after the break, scoring 20 of his 23 points in the second half to help Gonzaga pull away. Ryan Nembhard was also a key contributor, finishing with a double-double — 19 points and 10 assists.
The Aztecs came out of the locker room with renewed energy, starting the second half on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to just two points, 39-37. However, Ike’s scoring spree and Nembhard’s playmaking quickly erased any momentum SDSU had gained.
“We got the score down to nine points a couple of times and got Gonzaga to miss, and then we couldn’t finish with the rebound,” Dutcher said. “They got an and-one and I think we could have gotten it to six points. We didn’t quite get within striking distance where they felt our crowd, which was sensational tonight.”
The Aztecs battled hard, but Gonzaga’s size advantage in the paint and ability to get to the free-throw line kept them at arm’s length.
In the game’s final 10 minutes, SDSU’s offense went cold. The Aztecs shot just 2-of-9 from the field in the closing stretch, allowing Gonzaga to maintain its lead and eventually pull away for the 13-point victory. SDSU finished the night shooting just 37.7% from the field (23-of-61) and 32.0% from three-point range (8-of-25).
While Boyd’s scoring output was the high point for SDSU, freshman guard BJ Davis also had a strong showing with 15 points, and McKinney III chipped in 11.
(Jamie Sanchez)
“It’s tough to keep yourself composed throughout that whole process,” Davis said, reflecting on his team’s struggle to overcome Gonzaga’s dominance. “It’s a very hard thing to do, especially with a team like Gonzaga. It feels like there are no weak links out there. They were able to come up in crucial moments and make crucial plays. That’s something that we have to learn from.”
Davis, who has quickly become a key contributor to SDSU, also emphasized the importance of learning from the experience.
“For me, the biggest takeaway from tonight is that it’s the little things like the hand checks that I was getting called for. [Ryan] Nembhard is an experienced guard. It’s good for me to be matched up against somebody like that. I can go back and watch it over and over and see the things that I can do, or I should have done, and apply it to the next game.”
The Aztecs lacked the offensive contributions they needed from others to complement Boyd’s effort, and Gonzaga made them pay with their depth and efficiency. Boyd also noted the challenges of facing a team like Gonzaga early in the season.
“Playing Gonzaga is very valuable. I love the group that I’m playing with. We just got together, but that’s no excuse for not being successful. San Diego State has been doing this for a long time, winning a lot of big-time games, and we just have to get better. I love this group. I love how we compete. The sky’s the limit.”
The game marked a significant challenge for the Aztecs, who now have a quick turnaround as they head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival. SDSU’s first matchup in the three-game event is a showdown against No. 14/13 Creighton on Tuesday, Nov. 26 at 11 a.m. PST. Despite the loss, the Aztecs know they’ll have to shake off the defeat and focus on the road ahead.
Boyd echoed the team’s mentality. “We have to learn from that, and we have to learn fast because we have Creighton coming up.”
