Playing on the road at 10:00 am Pacific Time has certainly not been kind to the San Diego State Aztecs this season. For the second consecutive Saturday, SDSU losses on the road against New Mexico, and now Boise State.

The Broncos led for the majority of the game, even though the Aztecs were right in it. Lamont Butler nailed a three-pointer with one second left to make it a one-point game. If they had more time, I expect that the Aztecs could have come back. However, the Broncos earned a big win at home.

Midway through the second half, coach Brian Dutcher and his squad managed to regain the lead, but the Broncos regained control immediately.

This was a tough loss, but the Aztecs will have their chance to get back at the Broncos at Viejas Arena for the last regular season game.

Boise State improved to 13-5 on the season and 4-1 in the Mountain West. SDSU fell to 15-4 on the year and 4-2 in the conference.

Reese hits from Caldwell to make it a one possession game!
📺: @CBS pic.twitter.com/JvwxGE789C

— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) January 20, 2024

The Aztecs got off to a bit of a rough start against Boise State on the road. SDSU turned the ball over five times in the first few minutes of the contest, which resulted in seven points off turnovers for the Broncos.

The offensive numbers were actually very good for the Aztecs as they shot over 50% for a majority of the first half. They ended the half at 54.5% but were just 1-8 from beyond the arc. However, the Aztecs shot 11-14 from inside the arc, as they had 18 points in the paint to end the half.

The Broncos hit some tough shots in the first period. They finished 6-14 from deep, and a few of those long balls came against some elite defense from the Aztecs. Sometimes, there is just nothing you can do as a defender when shooters are hitting shots in a phone booth.

Jaedon LeDee continued to be the focal point of the Aztec offense and, as you would expect, was doubled on almost every possession. The second he touched the ball in the post, a Broncos defender would come and trap him. SDSU didn’t have much luck scoring in those situations early in the game.

“Big fella dancing to the rack, coast-to-coast!”@Aztec_MBB pic.twitter.com/ofp3yZHoIQ

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) January 20, 2024

The Broncos took a 34-31 lead into the break. LeDee led SDSU with eight points and four boards in 18 first-half minutes.

In the first eight minutes of the second period, SDSU outscored the Broncos by just one point. The Aztecs defense forced the Broncos to continue putting up tough shots, and this time, they were not falling. Boise had a four-minute stretch where they missed six straight field goals and only scored from free throws.

However, that quickly changed as both teams started to hit shots. Reese Waters and Micah Parrish each drained a deep ball, while Darrion Trammell made his presence known with back-to-back shots in the paint.

Roddie Anderson III hit a shot at the rim against Trammell and did the “too small” taunt afterward. Trammell saw it and immediately attacked him at the rim for a layup, forcing a Broncos’ timeout. You could say that Trammell was very much in the Broncos’ heads during the second half.

SDSU regained their first lead since they led 8-5 early in the contest. Boise kept fighting back and regaining the lead, but the Aztecs held a 50-49 advantage with 7:43 remaining in the game.

From that point on, it was all Boise State. They surged on a 9-2 run as O’Mar Stanley nailed his third triple of the game. He entered the weekend shooting just 21% and those three made triples certainly stunned the Aztecs.

LeDee then committed two turnovers on crucial possessions, which resulted in baskets on the other end for the Broncos.

SDSU was running out of time.

By making only four three-pointers to this point, it was going to be difficult for that to turn around. However, Reese Waters and Butler hit those triples to make it close.

Instead, The Broncos held on to their lead as the Aztecs tried their best comeback.

The next game for the Aztecs is on Tuesday, January 23, at home against Wyoming, who are (9-8) on the year.

News & Stats

• LeDee ended with 13 points (4-9) and 8 rebounds
• Waters ended with 10 points and 3 rebounds
• Aztecs ended with just six assists in the loss
• After ending with 20 offensive rebounds against Nevada, SDSU finished with just 8 in the loss.
• Tyson Degenhart finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds

Chris Spiering

Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris is also an athlete and is huge fan of San Diego sports. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and contributes regularly about the Padres.