San Diego State’s game against No. 3 Gonzaga on Monday was no easy task—think climbing a massive mountain. It was a tough challenge from the start, with the Zags coming in as one of the best teams in the country. They’ve got a lot of experience, with four returning starters from a team that had a great season last year and made it to the Sweet 16.
On the other hand, the Aztecs are still figuring things out. With a roster full of new faces, including freshmen and sophomores, they don’t have much experience at the Division I level. The Aztecs are learning as they go, and this game was another step in that process.
Despite the challenge, San Diego State didn’t back down. Gonzaga ended up winning 80-67, but the Aztecs kept fighting all the way. Head coach Brian Dutcher said Gonzaga’s experience really made a difference, but he was proud that his team didn’t give up.
Gonzaga is a balanced team that can score from anywhere, and they were scoring an average of 100 points per game before this one. Their offense is smooth, with almost everyone on the team contributing. San Diego State had a hard time keeping up, but they learned a lot from the experience.
Nick Boyd, a senior guard for the Aztecs, scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. He recognized that the Aztecs need to keep improving and figure out how to handle tough games like this.
The Aztecs have some standout players, like 7-foot freshman Magoon Gwath, who blocked 5 shots, though he also committed a few fouls. Boyd, along with guys like Wayne McKinney III and BJ Davis, showed they can compete at a high level, even though they’re still learning to work together as a team.
The Aztecs’ defense, which has been a strong point for the team, did a good job of limiting Gonzaga’s points. But the big difference in the game came at the free-throw line—Gonzaga made 14 more free throws than San Diego State. In a game that ended with a 13-point gap, that’s a big deal.
Even though they didn’t win, the Aztecs didn’t let the game get away from them. Boyd emphasized that they’re not just here to play close games—they want to win. The team knows they need to improve quickly because they’ve got another tough opponent coming up in Creighton.
Boyd and the rest of the Aztecs are learning fast and pushing themselves to get better. They’ve got a tough schedule ahead, with challenging games against teams like Creighton and Oregon. But Boyd is confident that, as the team keeps growing, they’ll get better and better. He’s excited about the potential of this group and believes they can go far. The mountain might seem steep right now, but it’s not impossible to climb.
