San Diego State will always play stifling defense. The question remains: can they shoot the ball well? If they do, they can defeat almost anyone in the nation. On Saturday, Furman witnessed that firsthand. San Diego State destroyed Furman 75-52. SDSU’s domination in the second round of the tournament makes them the first Mountain West Conference team to reach the Sweet 16 in half a decade.
Photo Cred: Mountain West Conference
For the third time in school history and the first time since 2014, the Aztecs move on to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Furman entered the contest as the 9th-highest scoring team in the country with 82 points per game. The Paladins have never seen a defense like SDSU’s in the Southern Conference. On a made free throw, the Paladins took the lead 17–15.
Phot Cred: San Diego Tribune
In the opening minutes, the Paladins were held without a point as the Aztecs put together a 15-0 run, seizing possession and refusing to relinquish it. The Aztecs took a 39-25 advantage into halftime as Furman went over 11 minutes without making a field goal, getting all their points from the free throw line. Micah Parrish, a junior, contributed significantly to the victory by scoring 14 points in the first half.
“I just said it before the game,” Aztec coach Brian Dutcher said. “Teams do not win that play on their heels. We have to play on our toes.”
Photo Cred: USA Today
The Aztecs were led by guard Micah Parrish who netted 16-points, followed by guard Darrion Trammell with 13-points, guard Lamont Butler with 12-points and guard Matt Bradley, who racked in 10-points to propel the team towards victory. The Aztecs have never advanced this far in the NCAA Tournament. They must defeat Alabama in the regional semifinal in Louisville next week to advance to their first Elite Eight. Alabama is coming off a 72-50 beat down of Maryland.
