The student section wore party hats. During a first-half timeout, the band played “Happy Birthday.”
At the opposite end of the floor, inside the San Diego State huddle, things weren’t so festive. Failing to score on their first five possessions against a Division II opponent picked to finish seventh in its conference, … trailing six minutes into the game, … still tied midway through the first half, … clanking 3s and free throws, … not exactly what coach Brian Dutcher had in mind to celebrate his 64th birthday.
But he’s also seen a lot of these preseason exhibition games, so he knows they’re never Rembrandts. He also knows that size and athleticism and talent and work ethic generally prevail — a progression to the mean.
And it did Monday night, the 17th-ranked Aztecs finally pulling away from pesky Cal State San Marcos to win 81-50 before half-full Viejas Arena.
San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher looks on from the sideline during Monday’s exhibition.
(Denis Poroy)
The turning point came at the halftime buzzer, when freshman BJ Davis went iso against fellow freshman Max Tengan just across midcourt, dribbled hard, pulled back and drained a deep 3. Those good vibes carried into the second half, and it wasn’t long before the margin was in the 30s.
With senior guard Darrion Trammell entering his third week sidelined by a nagging shoulder injury, Dutcher scrapped plans for a four-guard lineup and inserted 6-foot-8, 230-pound sophomore forward Elijah Saunders into the starting lineup with Lamont Butler, Reese Waters, Micah Parrish and Jaedon LeDee.
LeDee won the opening tip, and then …
Turnover. Airballed 3. Missed 3. Missed 3. Missed elbow jumper.
Fans dutifully stood and rhythmically clapped, a longtime tradition at Viejas Arena until the home team scores, for nearly three minutes, until a fallaway jumper by Waters from the left baseline rolled around the rim and mercifully dropped.
Still, six minutes into the game, the Aztecs trailed 12-6. Midway through the half, it was 19-19. The Aztecs went ahead by 11, and the Cougars promptly cut it to six.
Like any preseason exhibition, there were extremes of good and bad.
Good: LeDee looked like a Mountain West player of the year candidate, finishing with a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) in 25 minutes while exhibiting a notable increase in range – making a pair of 3s and a couple contested mid-range jumpers.
Bad: SDSU otherwise struggled from deep, missing 10 of their first 12 and finishing at 28 percent. Parrish was 0 of 6 after going 1 of 7 behind the arc in the closed-door scrimmage against Arizona State.
Good: The Aztecs had edges of 9-0 on second-chance points and 11-0 off turnovers in the first half.
Bad: Everywhere else, they were outscored 30-23 in the half.
Cal State San Marcos’ Edwyn Collins shoots over San Diego State’s Miles Byrd.
(Denis Poroy)
Good: Sophomore Miles Byrd, who played in only four games last season, showed glistening promise to fill the stat sheet. He had six points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 17 minutes. His touch pass for a lob dunk by Miles Heide was arguably the top highlight of the night.
Bad: Byrd also had a technical foul for taunting after he slapped a fast-break layup by Mission Hills High alum Jayden White against the glass on the break, then glared at him.
Good: Forgotten center Damarshay Johnson Jr. had nine points in 12 productive minutes.
Bad: Butler, a preseason all-conference selection, had a curiously quiet night, not attempting a shot for the first 17 minutes and finishing with one assist against four turnovers.
San Diego State’s Demarshay Johnson Jr. dunks during Monday’s exhibition win.
(Denis Poroy)
Good: After struggling to get to the line against Arizona State, SDSU drew 26 fouls and attempted 32 free throws.
Bad: They missed 12.
All 10 scholarship players in uniform received meaningful minutes, and four walk-ons got in at the end — just as Dutcher planned.
“We want to look at all our guys and get them minutes,” Dutcher said last week. “The reason you play an exhibition is to put them into an actual game with people in the stands and an atmosphere where you can see what kind of slippage there’s been (from practice).”
There’s no more buffer, though. They play for real next Monday here against Cal State Fullerton, followed four days later at BYU in altitude.
Notable
The last time these teams played, an exhibition in 2016, SDSU won 80-42 … Cade Alger, the former walk-on who received a scholarship this season, broke his nose in practice last week and did not suit up … Mike Pope, who was briefly with SDSU’s program as a walk-on in 2019, had five points for the Cougars. The Aztecs will face his twin brother, Bryce, when they play at UCSD on Dec. 20 … Jermaine Rogers led the Cougars with 15 points.
