SDSU tops No. 21-ranked Creighton 71-53 in Players Era Festival
Credit: NCAA
Las Vegas- Nevada
In the first game of the Players Era Festival, the SDSU Aztecs demolished the No.21-ranked Creighton Blue Jays, 71-53.
SDSU fell behind early in the game, going down 8-4 in the opening minutes. The Aztecs rallied on a 21-8 run, leading to a 32-28 half-time lead.
It was a wonderful effort from the Aztecs, who played team basketball to regain their composure. Creighton played the game without their best player, Steven Ashworth, who missed the game with an ankle injury. The loss was huge for the Blue Jays, who missed his shooting ability and passing skill.
The San Diego State defense was its usual self, as the team recorded eight steals and scored 13 points off turnovers. Creighton was pressed all game and struggled to get off productive shots. The No. 21 Blue Jays finished 21-of-62 (33.8%) from the floor. Creighton was overworked by the Aztecs in the game.
For SDSU, the team passed the ball successfully and earned excellent looks at the basket. The offense was not an issue, as the Aztecs were 30-of-62 from the floor (48.3%) and hit eight of their 17 attempts (47%) from the three-point mark. Their shooting was on par, and this is a great sign for SDSU moving forward.
Magoon Gwath again was impressive on the boards and with his offensive game.
Magoon Gwath finishes the first half strong šŖ@Aztec_MBB leads by 4 at the break! pic.twitter.com/uYLhXqUVZ9
ā NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 26, 2024
The bench also contributed to the win as Pharaoh Compton scored six, and the SDSU team outscored Creighton 18-7 with its reserves.
Compton is from Vegas and put on a show for his hometown crowd.
Pharaoh Compton puts the exclamation point on a dominant @Aztec_MBB performance āļø pic.twitter.com/2S3UAMZqs6
ā NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 26, 2024
Sophomore guard BJ Davis led the Aztecs with 18 points and nine rebounds in the game. Miles Byrd put up 16 points in the win. Davis is thriving with more playing time and is showing a lot of strengths.
SDSU faces Oregon at 1 pm Wednesday, with a chance to advance to the championship game on Saturday.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.