San Diego State Beats Yale To Advance To Sweet 16 In NCAA Tournament

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego State is headed to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men's basketball tournament Monday to face top-seeded University of Connecticut in the East Region at TD Garden in Boston.

San Diego State, seeded fifth in the East Region, knocked out Yale, 85- 57, in the round of 32 on Sunday in Spokane, Washington. It is the fourth time in the past 13 tournaments San Diego State has advanced to the Sweet 16.

Senior forward Jaedon LeDee scored a game-high 28 points and senior guard Darrion Trammell added 18 as the Aztecs scored their most points in their 28 NCAA tournament games, topping the previous record of 83 in a loss to Indiana on March 16, 2006.

The 28-point victory was also San Diego State's largest in an NCAA tournament game. The previous record was 23 against Furman on March 18, 2023.

The Aztecs also set a school NCAA tournament record with 13 3-point baskets. The previous record was 11 against Syracuse on March 19, 2021.

San Diego State (26-10) advances to the Sweet 16 Thursday against Connecticut (33-3) in a rematch of last season's NCAA championship game, which the Huskies won, 76-59.

"We're just excited we get to get another crack at 'em," said Trammell, one of two returning starters from last season's team. "Obviously they won a national championship last year, but I feel like we were right there. Just to get another chance at it, I think we're up for the opportunity. We have the team to do it."

The 13th-seeded Bulldogs (23-10) missed their first five shots and two free throws and were scoreless until August Mahoney made a 3-point basket four minutes, two seconds into the game. An 11-2 run increased San Diego State's led to 39-16 3:47 before halftime.

The Aztecs led 45-21 at halftime and led by at least 21 as many as 31 in the second half before a crowd announced at 11,514 at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.

Yale had two players finish in double figures — junior guard Bez Mbeng who had 12 and senior forward Matt Knowling who had 11.

"Our guys battled. It just was not our day," Bulldogs coach James Jones said. "I told 'em in the huddle, basketball gives you life lessons and the lesson that we learned today is that everything's not going to be sunshine and roses for you. You have to fight through. And you're going to have a sandwich that you don't want to eat sometimes, and we had to eat this sandwich. It doesn't taste good, had to choke on it.

"And we also talked about there's only going to be one team standing at the end of this, but I can't be prouder of this team, and every coach says it, but I guess it's true because I know it's true with me. I can't be prouder of this group of young men."

— City News Service