Aztecs dominate second half to defeat Fresno State, 84-62
Credit: Chase Gauthier/The Collegian
Magoon Gwath has breakout game as Aztecs take down Bulldogs on the road in conference opener
The No. 24 San Diego State Aztecs and Fresno State Bulldogs met for the conference opener at Save Mart Arena Wednesday night.
SDSU improved to 5-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, while the Bulldogs fell to 3-5 and 0-1 in conference play.
Magoon Gwath played his best game in an Aztec uniform. He ended with a game-high 25 points and contributed with ten rebounds and two blocks in dominating fashion. It was great to see this kind of performance from Gwath, and it’s expected he will build on this one, as this was just his seventh career game.
The first half of this contest showcased physical defense and a ton of missed shots.
The Aztecs could not find a rhythm to begin the game. They missed their first five shot attempts before scoring on back-to-back possessions. BJ Davis had a rough few minutes with two turnovers and two personal fouls.
After about seven minutes, the Aztecs picked up the pace. Coming off the bench, Pharaoh Compton converted on his first two attempts, including an and-one finish. He led the team with five points through the first 15 minutes of the half.
SDSU led 16-15 and was shooting only 33% from the field. The good news was that Fresno State shot much worse at 21%. Both defenses were playing very hard and making it difficult for anyone to attempt an open look.
With just under five minutes left in the half, Gwath lit a spark. He hit the second triple of the game for SDSU and just the third total three-pointer made in the game. Gwath would follow that triple up with another one to give his team their biggest lead of the contest at the time at seven. Then, seconds later, on a fast break, he pulled up for a heat check and drained yet another triple. The 7-footer finished the half 3-3 from beyond the arc with 11 points.
.@magoongwath is en fuego 🔥🔥🔥
📺: @FS1 pic.twitter.com/xrhiS5cBia— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) December 5, 2024
Gwath was the only player on the court during the first half that saw any success on the offensive end.
Alex Crawford hit a three for the Bulldogs right as the time expired in the first half to cut the lead to five. SDSU led 29-24 at the break.
The Aztecs shot 11-30 in the first half and held the Bulldogs to 7-33 from the field. If you love defense, this was the game for you. Fresno State stole the ball six times, while the Aztecs only had one first-half steal.
Bulldogs’ top scorer, Amar Augillard, left the game after five minutes and did not return after he picked up his third foul. He was 0-5 from the field. The Bulldogs missed his scoring in the first half.
SDSU started to pull away in the second half. Augillard returned for Fresno State and missed another three shots to go 0-7 from the floor.
As a result from his missed shots, the Aztecs ran in transition. Davis scored a lay-in for the Aztecs for his 7th point of the game. Fresno State head coach Vance Walberg proceeded to call a timeout with his team down 34-26. Walberg needed to figure something out quickly to get his offense going.
Davis and Wayne McKinney III hits triples to put the Aztecs up 42-29, which was their biggest lead of the game to that point. McKinney didn’t play many minutes in the first half but contributed when his opportunity arrived in the second half. He followed up his triple with an and-one finish but did not convert the free throw.
Buckets started to come easier for the Aztecs. SDSU hit five of seven shots as Gwath hit a lay-in plus the foul to extend the lead to 15 with just under 12 minutes remaining in the game. Gwath would miss the free throw. SDSU struggled from the line, starting 6 for 11 before Taj DeGourville nailed two in a row.
McKinney III continued his second-half performance with a triple in transition. He reached 10 points while only playing roughly three minutes in the first half. With 7:51 remaining in the game, WMIII played just 11 minutes but was +14 in point difference. SDSU’s field goal percentage reached 44% and had their highest lead of the game at 19, 61-42.
The Aztecs cruised to the finish line. Their defense would not allow the Bulldogs to really inch any closer to the lead. Augillard hit only one shot all game and finished 1-9 from the floor. Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher had a great game plan to shut down Fresno State’s top scorer.
Gwath continued to dominate and made the Bulldogs look silly. What a game for the redshirt freshman.
🔨🔨 time for @magoongwath!
📺: @FS1 pic.twitter.com/Hz2rcdenNP— San Diego State Men’s Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) December 5, 2024
The next contest for SDSU is in just a few days as they prepare to host another cross-town rival. McKinney III will take on his former school, the University of San Diego, on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. The game can be seen on the Mountain West Network.
- Gwath finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks and was 10-12 from the field
- Davis had 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists
- McKinney III had 12 points on 5-7 shooting and ended a game-high +22
- Miles Byrd ended with 9 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals
- Compton had 9 points on 4-4 shooting and had 1 block
- Boyd ended with just six points on 1-10 shooting. He added 4 assists
- SDSU ended the game shooting 48.5% from the floor and shot 57.9% in the second half
- Fresno State had the 11-4 steals advantage and had fewer turnovers
- Demarshay Johnson came in the game late and had two dunks
- SDSU had the 53-39 rebound advantage
- Led the second-chance points 29-19
- The Aztecs had 50 points in the paint
Chris is a graduate of the University of San Diego. He is the former Sports Editor for the USDVista newspaper. Chris has covered the San Diego Loyal, and now covers San Diego State Men’s Basketball. He also contributes regularly about the Padres. Chris is an athlete and is a huge fan of San Diego sports.