Last time I checked, a Ram can’t reach the height of a Bird. Forward Miles Byrd tested that theory following a steal, meeting a Colorado State defender at the rim for a contact dunk in transition to headline his career high night.
Byrd terrorized the Rams from start to finish, ending the game with 25 points, six rebounds and seven steals, setting his new career high in points and steals. Byrd’s seven steals are tied for the most by an Aztec since joining the Mountain West conference in 1999.
“I love flying around defensively,” said Byrd on his historic defensive night. “Its our identity here, I’ve made that my identity as well. We work really hard every day… I feel like the past two years I’ve been a defensive guy, I was glad to show it.”
The San Diego State Aztecs (11-4, 4-2 MW) got back into the win column Tuesday night in Viejas Arena, defeating the Colorado State Rams (10-7, 4-2 MW) by a score of 75-60.
This contest was the Aztecs third in a seven-day span, which started last Wednesday in a 67-38 win over Air Force. The win was followed by a 48-62 defeat on Saturday at The Pit against New Mexico. The Lobos, No. 1 in the Mountain West and No. 14 in the country in scoring, were held 23.4 points below their season average by the stout SDSU defense.
Byrd commented on the grueling stretch
“Conference play is always going to be a grind,” he said. “As a group we do a good job of, every single time we’re in the gym, we’re close knit and working hard. At the end of the day we’re all talented hoopers who love coming out on the court.”
Through the first five minutes the Rams controlled the pace and held a 11-8 lead. CSU, who entered the game shooting an average of 32% from beyond the arc, started the game three for six from three-point range. Much of the credit goes to guard Jalen Lake and his two three pointers on four attempts.
Coming out of the timeout, guard Wayne McKinney III and forward Pharaoh Compton energized the building, recording a combined eight unanswered points to regain a 14-11 lead. The 8-0 stretch for the Scarlet and Black was their biggest run of the first half.
The Viejas Arena crowd showed their love for transfer guard Kimo Ferrari when he entered the game with nine minutes remaining in the first half, and he repaid them with an energetic corner three to take a 23-18 lead. Ferrari, a graduate student from Brown University, had just 11 points on the season entering the game, but has quickly become a fan favorite.
The two conference rivals seemed to be on a trajectory for a dead even first half, with both teams posting similar stat lines across the board. A shovel pass from Taj DeGourville to a trailing Byrd for a left wing three broke the game open, extending the SDSU lead to seven and forcing a Rams timeout.
DeGourville went right back to Byrd, finding him in an advantageous matchup on the left wing. Byrd did the rest, getting his defender to bite on a hesitation, then side stepping to the top of the key for his third three-pointer of the first half.
Like I’ve said all season, if you buy a ticket to see the San Diego State Aztecs play in Viejas Arena, you will see a Byrd high flying highlight. With three minutes remaining, Byrd stripped his defender and glided down the court, meeting a Rams defender at the rim for a left-handed contact dunk.
Head Coach Brian Dutcher praised Byrd’s production against the Rams
“He’s a great leader, anybody that watches him play can tell he’s unafraid,” he said. “When his shots go in we’re really good… We run plays specifically for Byrd to get him open, we try to find ways to get him the ball when he’s rolling.”
When the dust settled, thanks to a bank shot three-pointer from guard BJ Davis, SDSU went into the locker room with a 35-29 lead at the break. The California kids came out guns blazing in the first half, with Byrd serving his typical duties in the form of a 15 point and four steal stat line, while McKinney III contributed seven points and one assist off the bench.
Following a quiet first half, guard Nick Boyd got the second half started with an-and-one layup. Boyd then went from scorer to facilitator in the blink of an eye, roping a cross court pass to Byrd for a right wing three and adding onto the nine point lead. Byrd did the same, finding forward Magoon Gwath unguarded on the low block for a two-hand slam.
When it’s your night, it’s your night. A deep three hitting the backboard and falling in told the tale for Byrd’s performance, pushing him over the 20 point mark. McKinney III followed suit, capitalizing off a Byrd steal and weaving his way to the paint for a layup that set the lead at 54-37.
Faced with a 17 point deficit, the Rams switched into a zone on defense. Center Jared Coleman-Jones immediately picked it apart, throwing a lob to Compton on the strong side block, then stepping out and connecting on a mid range the following possession.
There was an active thief in the arena, as Byrd jumped a passing lane for his seventh steal and threw down his second breakaway dunk to go up by 15.
“It’s gotten to the point where I don’t leave my wallet in the locker room because he’s stealing so much,” joked Dutcher on Byrd’s active hands.
SDSU maintained their lead throughout the last five minutes, cruising to the finish line and securing their fourth conference win.
Outside of Byrd, McKinney III and Davis had quality nights on the Mesa. McKinney III recorded nine points with one steal and one assist, while Davis gave SDSU 12 points and three rebounds. Gwath also played well, coming just shy of a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds
Colorado State guard Nique Clifford was held in check by the SDSU defense. Coming off a 22 point, seven assist, five rebound and four steal game, Clifford recorded just 11 points with six turnovers in the contest.
Byrd spoke on his assignment of defending the dynamic guard.
“He’s a very good player, we knew what it was coming into the game,” he said. “I love playing against the best competition, I feel like that’s when I play my best. I’m more worried about going to Colorado State, I know he’s gonna be coming back stronger.”
The Scarlet and Black will get some rest before searching for their third consecutive home win against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 5 p.m. in Viejas Arena.
