San Diego State Goes Wild vs. Kansas State to Earn Final Eight NIT Berth, 70-52

Wed, Mar 25, 2009

The San Diego State Men’s Basketball team took another step forward in its quest for an NIT title, and more importantly, to building the program into a nationally prominent team.

In a game played across town, at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the campus of the University of San Diego, San Diego State looked pretty comfortable being the home team in a foreign building. They handled the visiting Kansas State Wildcats, 70-52.

The Aztecs only managed 27 points in the first half, partially because they had a number of turnovers to end the half, and also because they gave up 16 offensive rebounds to the bigger Wildcats. They cut that number to eight in the second half, and limited their turnovers as well.

Doing so allowed the Aztecs to do what they’re best at; that is getting easy baskets in transition. As a result, the Aztecs shot over 50 percent for the game. They got plenty of easy layups and dunks, including a fast break alley-oop from senior Kyle Spain to Sophomore Billy White, that brought the house down, and then some.

They also were aided by plenty of balls bouncing the right way. But as they say, “you make your own breaks.” The Aztecs did, as they constantly applied pressure to bigger, but slower Wildcats.

The win was big for the Aztecs, not only because of where it put them in relation to the NIT, but also that it gave the Aztecs their first 25-win season in the program’s history. It also was the first time in the D1 era of the program, the Aztecs advanced past the second round of any postseason tournament.

The Aztecs will host either St. Mary’s or Davidson Wednesday night at Cox Arena for the right to go to New York City for the NIT Final Four.

If the team is St. Mary’s, that would be a rematch of a game played earlier this season in Anaheim at the John R. Wooden Classic. A game in which the Aztecs had about 10 opportunities to tie or win the game at the buzzer, but couldn’t get the ball in the basket.

If it is Davidson, as I selfishly hope because I badly want to see Stephen Curry play in person, it would be a new challenge, but one it appears the Aztecs would very much be up for. They’ve already done some incredible things by this program’s standards. Why not stop Curry and go to New York?

Sounds good to me.

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