Credit: Don De Mars/ EVT Sports

Viejas Arena-

The Aztecs went up against the Fresno State Bulldogs as Coach Dutcher went back to a familiar starting lineup.

Coach Dutcher opted to start Magoon Gwath after he came off the bench in the last two contests. The Aztecs obliterated the Bulldogs 71-52 in the game on Saturday on the back of a massive game from Gwath. Magoon Gwath ended with 18 points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots. He was also a perfect 2-for-2 from three-point land.

Dutcher, in his opening statement, had this to say regarding the game. “We played three quarters of a really good game; it’s human nature, like Magoon said, to lose focus and let our foot off the gas. We took some tough shots, gave up some open looks, and let a good team have a chance to come back. The last two minutes and thirty seconds, we made a spurt of good plays to end the game,” Dutcher said.

Gwath spoke about him being added back to the starting lineup, “It’s a good feeling to be back in the starting lineup; nobody wants that; it was a good boost of confidence.”

The big center went right to work immediately, getting a putback off his own miss in back-to-back possessions to start the scoring. By the first media timeout, the Aztecs kept Fresno State scoreless with four turnovers. The Aztecs had plenty of opportunities to make the deficit larger than six before the first break in play.

Jake Heidbreder started the scoring for the Bulldogs with a deep three to finally put them on the board.

Pharaoh Compton had a couple of baskets around the rim to help the Aztecs reach double digits. The Aztecs’ defense early on was suffocating Fresno State. The Bulldogs recorded eight turnovers in just over eight minutes of play. A number Coach Dutcher loves, what he does not love is the fact that the Aztecs did not take advantage of fastbreak opportunities when given the chance. The Aztecs were yet to make a three on five attempts.

Credit: Don De Mars/ EVT Sports

Reese Dixon-Waters gave the Aztecs their first three-point make after the third media timeout. San Diego State was up 13, but it felt like it should be way more.

Dutcher was irate after calling a timeout with just under four minutes to go. The Aztecs had thrown back-to-back turnovers on fast breaks that could have extended the Aztec lead to at least 19. Instead, they led by 13 with 3:43 to go in the first half.

Dutcher spoke to his frustration after calling the timeout, “Just too many turnovers on the fast break, we had a chance to have a 30-point lead at halftime if we had capitalized on the break. We tried to make too many perfect plays… I have to listen and say next play,” Dutcher said.

Going into the half, San Diego State was comfortably in the lead with the score at 36-21. Even though the Aztecs were up 15, Dutcher could not have been happy heading to the locker room. The Aztecs left at least 12 points on the board due to mistakes in the fast break, missing shots around the rim, and wide-open looks from beyond the arc.

The start to the second half mirrored the beginning of the game, with two quick Gwath buckets.

Credit: Don De Mars/ EVT Sports

Coach Vance Walberg called a quick timeout with extreme frustration. Gwath did not slow down with yet another three added to his total. It was an absolute massacre with Magoon Gwath leading the charge for the Aztecs, along with a pair of Dixon-Waters-made buckets.

The Aztecs were up 50-23 by the first media timeout of the second half. The young and talented seven-footer from Ulysses, Texas, was having quite the performance. Gwath was at 16 points, seven rebounds, and two blocked shots with still 15 minutes to go.

Gwath spoke about the team’s struggles in the second half: “Not being mentally engaged, not bringing the right mentality and intensity, and letting them go on runs,: Gwath said.

After a productive start to the second half, San Diego State cooled off, scoring only six points from the 15-minute mark to the third media timeout.

Even with the frozen cold offensive stretch, the Aztecs were still up by 21 on the Bulldogs.

The cold stretch continued as the Bulldogs attempted a comeback to make the loss more respectable than a blowout.

With three minutes to go, the Aztecs were up 61-45, in solid control of the game. It was over.

The Aztecs’ next game comes on the dangerous altitude trip to Laramie, Wyoming, to face the Cowboys on Wednesday, January 14, at 5 PM on the CBS Sports Network.

Bryant is an Assistant Coach at Heritage High School. He is a big-time SDSU fanatic and a Padres fan.

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