On Saturday afternoon, the San Diego State men’s basketball team played like they’d been iced out by Elsa herself. Unfortunately, their attempt at a Frozen reboot didn’t end in a Disney-like victory but instead a cold, hard 76-68 loss to UNLV on Steve Fisher Court.
The Aztecs (11-5, 4-3 MW) couldn’t hit in the first half, shooting a frosty 26.9% from the field and an even icier 18.8% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Rebels (11-7, 5-2 MW) made the most of their opponent’s meltdown, building an eight-point halftime lead that SDSU chased in vain for the remainder of the game.
“We have to play well to win, and we didn’t play well enough to win today,” said head coach Brian Dutcher. “That’s some on us and a lot on UNLV. They came off a hard two-game losing streak, got a big win at Utah State, carried that momentum in here, and built a lead. We were not particularly great offensively in the first half. We had a lot of open threes that we missed, so then we started pressing our game.”
If the Aztecs can take solace in anything, it’s the second-half eruption of guard Miles Byrd. Byrd lit up the Rebels for 21 points in the second half, showing the kind of firepower that briefly kept SDSU’s hopes alive. Byrd’s shooting was the spark, but with limited help, the flame never caught.
“We went away from our identity today,” Byrd said postgame. “We weren’t able to get those late stops after bringing the game to four, bringing the game to three, bringing the game to six. We weren’t able to get the stop on the other end like we normally do. That’s always super deflating.”
Nick Boyd added 16 points and five rebounds, and BJ Davis contributed 10 points and four steals. But overall, SDSU’s offense was a mix of missed opportunities, botched open looks and frustration. The Rebels’ defense, to their credit, stood tall when it mattered most.
“We, as a team, made a push too late,” Boyd said. “There are a couple of plays that we could have made as a team that would have put us in a good position while they were on the ropes. UNLV made those plays, and that led to the outcome.”
For the Rebels, the game was a clinic in taking advantage of mistakes. Dedan Thomas Jr. led the charge with 19 points and five assists, while Brooklyn Hicks and Jaden Henley chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Aztecs had their moments, briefly taking the lead in the first half before falling into a scoring drought that felt like it lasted an eternity. By the time they clawed back to within three points in the final 10 minutes, the Rebels had already built enough cushion with timely shots and defensive stops to keep SDSU at bay.
“We had some balls slip out of our hands,” Dutcher said. “We had some layups right at the rim, and when you’re not playing well, you have to make some to build momentum. When you get in there and miss them, you drop your head, but then you have to go back and play at the other end. We didn’t make enough timely plays. We fought our way back, but we didn’t make enough timely plays.”
The loss drops the Scarlet and Black to 4-3 in Mountain West play—an uncomfortable position for a team with postseason aspirations.
“We’ve been pressing too much, getting anxious,” Dutcher said. “That’s something young teams do, but we have to fix it. We need to extend possessions and break down defenses better.”
Next, the Aztecs head to Colorado Springs to face Air Force on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT on CBS Sports Network.
