There’s nothing better in sports than the “vet” setting up the “rook.” Guard Nick Boyd did just that to close out the first half as he weaved through the defense and found forward Pharaoh Compton for a contact alley-oop. The high-flying Compton nearly cleared the defender as he threw down the dunk, sending the crowd into hysteria.
Compton wasn’t the only Aztec reaching new heights, as San Diego State (18-6, 11-4 MW) rode the high of their 40 bench points to handily defeat Fresno State, 83-60 (5-22, 1-15 MW) Tuesday in Viejas Arena. The victory came on a night when Boyd reached the 1,000 career collegiate point milestone in the midst of a brilliant performance.
Head Coach Brian Dutcher raved postgame about his bench’s production.
“The bench of ours has always been a strength, it was strong again tonight,” he said. “Whether it was [Miles] Heide and Pharaoh [Compton] dunking the ball, or Taj [DeGourville] or Kimo [Ferrari] or Wayne [McKinney] making shots and making plays. Our depth is helping us this time of the year.”
The Scarlet and Black have now won 12 straight games against the Bulldogs and are 10-0 on the season when allowing 60 or fewer points.
Guard Nick Boyd picked up where he left off, after setting a career-high with 24 points last game, he laced his first three-point attempt of the night for the game’s first basket.
As expected, the Bulldogs played a heavy dose of zone, primarily a 1-3-1 set. Forward Magoon Gwath was unfazed, finding the soft spot in the zone and connecting on a free-throw-line jump shot, giving the Aztecs a 7-2 lead.
“They were in the same zone all game, but we prepped well for it,” said guard Wayne McKinney III. “We knew what they were gonna come out with, we were able to execute and get the dub.”
The resume of the 2025 SDSU defense is stacked, as they currently rank No. 1 in block percentage, No. 2 in effective field goal percentage defense, No. 5 in 2-point percentage defense and No. 16 in 3-point percentage defense according to Kenpom. The resume was on display early, pressuring Fresno into committing eight turnovers in the first eight minutes.
The Viejas crowd witnessed another flash of the Aztecs’ future as the true freshman duo of guard Taj DeGourville and Compton connected on an alley-oop dunk. The highlight play rewarded their team with a 19-10 lead as Compton energized the crowd striding back down the court.
Needing shooting to space out the Bulldogs’ zone defense, head coach Brian Dutcher opted for sharpshooting guard Kimo Ferrari. The fan-favorite Ferrari executed his role to a tee, canning a corner three-pointer before the Bulldogs could adjust to the 46% three-point shooters presence.
Following the basket, Ferrari recovered a loose ball and found forward Miles Byrd, a top 10 finalist in the nation for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Julius Erving Award, striding down the court for his first field goal of the game.
In the midst of an Aztec avalanche, the 1,000 career point partners connected, as Boyd tossed a scoop pass to McKinney for a right-wing three-pointer. The three-pointer set the SDSU run at a 13-2 difference over a three-minute span, and extended their lead to 19 with four minutes remaining in the first half.
Boyd, feeding off his hot hand, tallied 13 points and six assists in the first half as his team went to the locker room with a 43-23 lead.
McKinney, seeing an increased role with guard BJ Davis battling an illness, came out guns blazing to start the second half. The guard bottomed a three-pointer before setting up Byrd for an alley-oop on the ensuing possession then adding on two more points at free throw line moments later.
Dutcher’s coaching philosophy was exemplified midway through the second half, as the Aztecs, who were leading by nearly 30, hustled for four straight offensive rebounds in a possession that ended in a Compton layup.
The Aztecs cruised the rest of the way, keeping their foot on the gas en route to their eleventh conference win.
Bulldogs Forward Elijah Price, coming off 15 points and 12 rebounds in his last contest, managed just five points and one rebound on the night.
With the conference tournament in less than a month, Boyd is peaking at the perfect time, ending with 19 points and seven assists on 8-for-12 shooting.
“He’s getting much better around the basket,” said Dutcher. “He’s done a good job making adjustments the coaching staff has suggested for his game. If it continues we’ll be good, and if it doesn’t we’ll struggle.”
The second member of the backcourt, McKinney, had a productive night on the Mesa as well. The transfer finished with 15 points, two assists and two rebounds.
Gwath, the 3x Mountain West Frosh of the Week, continued his elite play with 14 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
SDSU will get a quick change of pace, hitting the road to play Utah State, who ranks No. 2 in the conference. The star-studded matchup is set to tip-off on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.
“Selection Sunday is coming up and we want to hear our name called,” said McKinney. “We’ve dialed in and are doing whatever it takes to win.”
