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By Liz Alper
Video courtesy goaztecs.com
November 25, 2021 (Anaheim) - While the rest of us were gorging on turkey and stuffing on this Thanksgiving Day, Aztecs men’s basketball was in Anaheim gearing up for the semifinals of the Paycom Wooden Legacy against the Georgetown Hoyas.
Sophomore guard Lamont Butler wasted absolutely no time, nailing a three that bounced around the rim to give the Aztecs an early lead. But the Hoyas, who have educated such basketball greats as Patrick Ewing (who is literally their head coach) and Dikembe Mutombo (whose son Ryan, a freshman and center just like his dad, is on the team), stormed back with the help of freshman standout guard Aminu Mohammed, who capitalized on Aztec mistakes and put the Hoyas up by four midway through the half. But the Aztecs’ number 0 jersey singlehandedly brought the red and black back into the game too. Junior forward Keshad Johnson hit a couple of layups and a free throw and senior guard Matt Bradley hit a three to put the Aztecs back on top. By midway through the first half, the Hoyas came back once again and we were tied, both teams unable to get shots to fall. Senior guard Trey Pulliam put SDSU back on top with a long three and the Aztecs got a little boost, up 40-32 at the half.
The Aztecs picked up right where they left off in the second half, including a killer steal and layup by Butler. Butler was on fire with another layup and a three. The Aztecs had a dominant second half and it gave them the 73-56 win over one of the best basketball programs in the country, six straight wins against the Big East, 100 wins for Brian Dutcher and a ticket to the championship game on Friday.
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The Aztecs will face USC on Friday for the championship. Tip is set for 8:30 p.m.
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