SAN DIEGO -- Senior guard Devin Watson connected on a career-high six three-point field goals and had a team-high 20 points as San Diego State opened its 2018-19 campaign with a 76-60 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Viejas Arena.
It was the sixth straight season-opening win for SDSU and the Aztecs have now won 14 consecutive home openers (regardless of the game being a season opener).
San Diego State led 39-36 with 17:38 to play when the Aztecs went on a 15-2 run to open up a comfortable 16-point lead. Senior guard Jeremey Hemsley had seven points during the spurt and was one of three Aztecs (Jordan Schakel and Watson) to connect on a trey during the decisive run.
The lead grew to 23 points (following a 30-10 run) before the Aztecs settled for the 16-point final margin.
San Diego State's trademark stellar defense on full display, limited Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 35.7 percent field goal shooting and forced the Golden Lions into 18 turnovers.
Watson recorded his fifth game with the Aztecs with at least 20 points, a figure he has reached 24 times in his career. His six treys are the fourth most by an Aztec player in Viejas Arena history.
Hemsley added 14 points, three assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Jalen McDaniels narrowly missed a double-double with 15 points and team highs with nine rebounds and five assists. Sophomore forward Matt Mitchell rounded out four Aztec players in double figures with 10 points and five rebounds.
McDaniels became just the fourth Aztec player in the last 22 seasons to record at least 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals in a game, joining Jamaal Franklin, Kawhi Leonard and Chase Tapley.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff by preseason SWAC player of the year Martayeous McKnight, who had 29 points and eight rebounds.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Sophomore forward Jalen McDaniels became just the fourth Aztec since the 1996-97 season to finish a game with at least 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals (also Jamaal Franklin vs. Redlands on Dec. 30, 2011, Chase Tapley vs. Bryant on Nov. 11, 2011 and Kawhi Leonard vs. Wichita State on Dec. 4, 2010).
HE SAID IT
"Devin might have played his best floor game that I've seen him play here. We were just running off those high ball screens and he was finding everybody. He was finding the low post, he was finding the skip for the three. His floor game was incredible., He was the catalyst for a lot we did offensively up top. We knew he wanted to ball screen the top and he was so good at it that it created all sorts of looks for the team." - SDSU head coach Brian Dutcher
NEXT UP
San Diego State will play host to Texas Southern, a team that opened the season with a victory over Baylor, on Wed., Nov. 14.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff will travel to Fort Collins, Colo. to face Mountain West Conference member Colorado State on Saturday.