San Diego State hosted the No. 3 Gonzaga on Monday night. SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher entered the contest a perfect 6-0 against ranked opponents at Viejas Arena. 

The Bulldogs, though, represented the highest-rated team the Aztecs had faced in the Dutcher era. GU ended Dutcher’s streak, defeating SDSU 80-67 before a sold-out, raucous crowd of 12,414.

“A good early season basketball game for us,” Dutcher said in his opening statement postgame. “Obviously, we want to win. We’re used to winning games like this, but we ran into a really good Gonzaga team with a lot of experience. I think that experience paid off for them. There’s not many things they haven’t seen as a team.”

Saint Aloysius Gonzaga is the namesake of the university in Spokane, Washington. He is the patriot saint of young students, but the Zags’ older athletes dominated SDSU’s youth in this contest. The Aztecs started two second-year players, redshirt freshman Magoon Gwath and sophomore BJ Davis. Only one Bulldog, Dusty Stromer, the 34th overall recruit in the Class of 2023, competed with a similar dearth of experience. 

Stromer was a reserve. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few’s starting lineup consisted of five seniors: Khalif Battle, Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman, Michael Ajayi, and Graham Ike. Alayi replaced senior Ben Gregg to make his first start of the year. Dutcher countered with Miles Byrd, Nick Boyd, and Jared Coleman-Jones, in addition to Davis and Gwath. 

The adrenaline for a contest of this magnitude could be seen in the extra leaping ability of the already athletic Aztecs. Byrd, showing no signs of last week’s ankle injury, casually threw down a behind-the-back, monstrous dunk in warmups. 

Gonzaga erased any hope of SDSU playing off the crowd. They started the game on a 5-0 before Gwath drove into the lane and kicked to Coleman-Jones for a three. Fouls were a story early for GU. Ike picked up a pair on SDSU’s first two possessions. 

The Aztecs trailed 9-6 at the first stop in the action. Missing open jump shots was the early theme for the Red and Black. They missed three treys, but each was a good look. GU had five fouls called on them but still had a 4-0 free throw advantage. 

Wayne McKinney III checked into the game during the TV timeout. He provided instant offense. He answered a Braden Huff three with one of his own before scoring a spectacular “and-one” on the next trip down. McKinney caught a pass at the right elbow, spun past a defender, and finished through contact. Viejas erupted as McKinney tied the score at 12. 

The Zags went on a modest four-point run to take a 16-12 into the second break. Gwath initiated the pause with his second block of the night. He pinned a layup attempt between the glass and the rim for a jump ball. Any idea that Gwath’s elite shot-blocking ability in the first two games was due to the opponent was erased, as he dominated the defensive end against the Zags.  

GU’s sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth made foul shots of the night pushed its lead to 22-14. A short jumper from Ike gave the Bulldogs a 10-point advantage. Desperate for offense, Gwath’s third block ended in a fast break layup by Coleman-Jones, but the relentless GU attack quickly answered, pushing the lead back to double digits at the under-eight media timeout.

“We got in the bonus extremely early and shot six free throws for the first half,” Dutcher explained. “Like all coaches, I thought the refs were good, but I complain anyway because I’m trying to even up the free throws. I’m always throwing out the free throw numbers, and I’m like, ‘Come on, we shot six the first half. They shot 15’ and two refs told me, ‘No, you shot 13 in the first half.’ I said, ‘I don’t know what stat sheet you’re looking at.'”

Two more Gonzaga free throws sandwiched by misses from both teams moved the Zags’ advantage to a dozen. Pharaoh Compton’s jump hook cut the lead to ten. After Boyd made two foul shots, he emplored the Viejas crowd to its feet. A moment later, Boyd cut GUs lead briefly to six. 

With The Madhouse on the Mesa at full tilt, the refs ended the momentum with a ticky-tack whistle that gave the Bulldogs their 14th and 15th free throws of the opening 20 minutes. Nembhard hit both. After an SDSU miss, Stormer hit a transition three to give GU an 11-point advantage. The spurt forced Dutcher to call a timeout. 

SDSU’s youth grew up a little at the end of the second half. Taj DeGourville hit a contested three. Byrd found Compton for a dunk. The lead was 11 for Gonzaga with under a minute to play. Boyd made a crafty layup to shrink the advantage to nine, 40-31 at the half. 

At intermission, Boyd had the start of a monster game. He led all scorers with 11 and all rebounders with seven. Gwath had four blocks. Byrd forced his offense in the first but was scoreless at halftime. 

Overall, the Aztecs shot 31.4% from the field and 30.8% from three. The Zags were 41.4% and 36.4% in those categories. Nine more foul shots were the main difference in the game. GU was 12-15 from the stripe. SDSU was 5-6.

Dutcher said his message at the half was to stay in the game, make a run, and force Gonzaga to feel the Aztecs and the home crowd.

The Zags halftime adjustment was to attack Gwath in the block with Ike. It worked. Ike made an “and-one” on GU’s first possession. He added an easy layup in the key. Then, he drew the fourth on Gwath with a little over 17 minutes left. More Ike foul shots ballooned the lead to 16. 

Davis was the answer for the Aztecs. He only had two at intermission but quickly added nine to pull SDSU back to within nine. Another easy bucket for Ike gave GU a 53-42 lead with 15:05 left. 

With Gwath in foul trouble, Compton injured, and Coleman-Jones needing a breather,  Damarshay Johnson Jr made an appearance for some of the most significant minutes of his career. Johnson was tasked with guarding Ike and forced a stop on his first trip that ignited a transition three for Davis. 

“Demarshay comes in every single day with a great attitude,” Boyd said. “Probably one of the best teammates on the team. He had a DNP the first game of the season and didn’t really play much against San Marcos and Occidental. I don’t know if he played a crazy amount, but he still came into the gym and gave great energy. When we have a guy like that on the team, it trickles down.”

Ike, though, was awarded two more foul shots. He drained both. Johnson battled and drew a rebounding foul on Ike. When Coleman-Jones re-entered the game, it was for Heide, not Johnson. 

The disparity in free throw attempts grew to 14 as Gonzaga continued to pound the ball inside to Ike. The Bulldogs led by 12 with 10:47 left. Sensing the game slipping away, Dutcher put Gwath back in the game. A quick four-point SDSU spurt to move to within eight, but Gonzaga got two offensive rebounds on one possession. On the second, Gwath fouled Gregg for an “and-one,” ending his night.

GU led 62-53 at the under-eight-minute break and headed to the line for their 21st and 22nd free throws. They hit both. 

Twenty-three and 24 came on GU’s next trip. The Aztecs had made two more field goals and only one fewer three but trailed by 11 because Gonzaga was 19-23 from the line, and the home team was only 7-8. Another pair for Ike pushed GU’s advantage to 13. 

“It’s tough,” Davis replied when asked how hard it is to keep his composure when the whistle kept sending GU to the line. “You try to keep yourself composed throughout that whole process. It’s a very hard thing to do, especially against a team like Gonzaga. It feels like there’s no weak links out there. They were able to come up and make crucial plays in crucial moments.”

An SDSU foul shot brought them within ten with 3:55 left in the game. As he had done all night, Nembhard stopped any chances of a comeback. He hit a runner to send the Viejas masses to the exits. 

Kansas and UCONN are listed above Gonzaga in the AP poll. If the Jayhawks and Huskies are truly better than the Bulldogs, they have sensational teams. The Zags led the Aztecs the entire contest. Despite a gritty effort by the home team, GU was in control the entire game, winning 80-67.

Ike and Boyd led all scorers with 23. Davis (15) and McKinney (11) were the only other Aztecs in double digits. Boyd led the team with nine rebounds. Gwath had five blocks. SDSU shot 37.7% from the field and 32% from three. 

“I just tell them I’m going to be the same person tomorrow whether we won or lost,” Dutcher said. “We’re going to be consistent with our message. We’ll work every day. Know that every day is not your day. There’s going to be some games that don’t go our way. We just have to stay focused on getting better.”

SDSU’s next game is next Tuesday in the Power MTE – Players Era Festival in Las Vegas against no. 14 Creighton. Its next home contest is December 7 against crosstown rival USD. 

Paul Garrison

My earliest sport’s memory involve tailgating at the Murph, running down the circular exit ramps, and seeing the Padres, Chargers and Aztecs play. As a second generation Aztec, I am passionate about all things SDSU. Other interests include raising my four children, being a great husband and teaching high school.