Ranked in the AP Top 25 last week for the first time this season, San Diego State celebrated by winning its Mountain West Conference opener, then earning city bragging rights.
More in-state challenges await.
Up one spot to No. 23 in the rankings, the Aztecs (6-2) will play host to California Baptist on Wednesday before taking an extended break in advance of a Dec. 21 game against Cal in San Jose.
Before earning an 84-62 Mountain West victory at Fresno State on Dec. 4 and a 74-57 home win over San Diego on Saturday, San Diego State went 2-2 in a rugged stretch against then-No. 3 Gonzaga (loss), then-No. 21 Creighton (win), Oregon (loss) and then-No. 6 Houston (win).
On Saturday, Aztecs coach Brian Dutcher improved to 100-12 in home games, but it was far from simple. San Diego State had a 33-31 lead at halftime before pulling away behind 17 points and six assists from Nick Boyd, who reached double figures in scoring for the sixth time this season.
San Diego State 7-footer Magoon Gwath, one game after he compiled 25 points and 10 rebounds at Fresno State, did not score and had one rebound in 13 minutes against the Toreros. The standout freshman took a hard fall in the first half and played just one minute after halftime.
Afterward, Dutcher said Gwath was “worn out” and “couldn’t get in a rhythm,” but the Aztecs still had plenty in reserve to get past San Diego.
“The depth of this team is really dangerous for people. You can take one guy away, but the other guy steps up,” Dutcher said. “Jared Coleman-Jones against Houston had (16), and then was quiet for a game or two. I love this team, the depth and the offensive capabilities it has.”
Coleman-Jones had 13 points and six rebounds against San Diego, while Miles Byrd added 13 points. Boyd scores a team-best 12.6 points a game, while Byrd and BJ Davis each contribute 12.3.
“We have so many guys who can have a big night, and that’s a special part about this team,” Boyd said. “When you think about teams that make deep runs in March, every night isn’t going to be your night, and they have deep teams. We have a deep team here.”
Cal Baptist (5-4) recorded a promising 86-81 double-overtime victory over Fresno State at Palm Desert, Calif., on Nov. 27, but then dropped a 74-59 decision at UCF on Dec. 1. Dominique Daniels Jr. had a season-high 33 points for the Lancers in Orlando, but none of his teammates scored more than six.
Daniels was 11 of 25 (44 percent) from the floor, while the rest of the team was 9 of 32 (28.1 percent). Cal Baptist also committed a season-high 19 turnovers.
Daniels, a senior, puts up 21.7 points per game, which ranked 12th in the nation through the weekend.
“Before you even get into his game, you have to talk about his character and his leadership because it’s real,” Cal Baptist coach Rick Croy said of Daniels. “… He’s an improved player. Obviously he can score the basketball, but he’s an improved passer and has grown as a defensive player.”
Cal Baptist will be facing a ranked team for the first time since falling at No. 8 Arizona in December 2021.
–Field Level Media
