Jan 13, 2004
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By BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer
SAN DIEGO - Freshman Brandon Heath hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:24 left, then had two steals in the final 30 seconds to help preserve San Diego State's 65-61 win over Brigham Young on Monday night in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.
San Diego State (10-6) blew a 10-point lead in the closing minutes and saw its leading scorer, Aerick Sanders, foul out with 3:22 left. The Aztecs still beat the Cougars (10-4), the MWC preseason favorites, thanks to Heath.
BYU took a 61-59 lead on a layup by Luiz Lemes with 1:44 left. Heath then made a 3-pointer from the left corner to give the Aztecs a 62-61 lead. It was just the fourth basket for the Aztecs since they took a 54-44 lead on Chris Walton's 3-pointer with 9:06 to play.
BYU committed turnovers on its last three possessions, and Heath came up with two of them. Heath also made a free throw with 26 seconds left, and Trimaine Davis made a fast-break layup with 12 seconds left.
Sanders scored a game-high 18 points before drawing his fifth foul with 3:22 left, against BYU center Rafael Araujo going for a rebound. Araujo, the MWC's leading scorer, made both free throws to tie it at 59.
Wesley Stokes scored 15 for SDSU, Heath had 13 and Walton 12.
BYU also had four players in double figures, led by Mike Hall with 15 and Mark Bigelow 14. Araujo, averaging 20.8 coming in, scored just 12 points, none in the first half. He had a game-high 13 rebounds.
Araujo, who's bigger and stronger than Sanders, took only two shots in the first half, missing both. His first points came in the opening minute of the second half, when his putback gave BYU a 35-31 lead.