The San Diego State Aztecs (7-3) came up just one point short in a painful 63-62 home loss against the California Golden Bears (4-6) Saturday at Viejas Arena. It was a heartbreak for a versatile team beginning to show signs of promise under its new leader.
Maybe they should have called a for code black instead of a code red.
Really bad three-point shooting didn’t help. The Aztecs went 6 for 28. Not taking care of the ball in the final minute during a mad dash turned this game on its side, and San Diego State men’s basketball found itself on the losing side of a 63-62 final score against the University of California, Berkeley.
The Aztecs were so close to a sizzling comeback after being down by 14 when a free throw from junior guard Jeremy Hemsley gave the Aztecs a 62-58 lead with 50 seconds to play. What happened next was the kind of thing a seasoned coach would take measures to avoid.
Cal would score the final unanswered five points during those final 50 seconds, and delivered the knockout blow after two free throws from freshman guard Juhwan Harris-Dyson put the Golden Bears up 63-62 with just over seven seconds left.
San Diego State’s head coach Brian Dutcher is in his first season, and we all hope he takes a cue from his long-time mentor, Steve Fisher to continue the legacy of closing games through smart strategy.
While Coach Dutcher is in his first season, eighteen seasons next to Steve Fisher at San Diego State and many more at University of Michigan has caused many Aztecs to anticipate the transition to be as seamless as any transition ever would be.
With a 7-3 record after the Golden Bears loss, first-season Head Coach Dutcher hasn’t exactly started on the wrong foot.
The Aztecs have another opportunity to post a big win when they face off against #12 Gonzaga (7-2) this Thursday, December 21st at 7pm PST.
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