SAN DIEGO – The No. 17-ranked San Diego State men's basketball team opened their 2023-24 season on Monday night at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena with an 81-50 victory over Cal State San Marcos.
Jaedon LeDee led all scorers with 20 points on 5-of-12 shooting and 8-of-10 at the free throw line. Miles Heide was the only other player on the home side in double figures with 10 points off the bench. Of the 14 Aztecs to see time on the court, 11 made at least one field goal.
In addition to their scoring, LeDee brought down eight rebounds and Heide grabbed seven. Elijah Saunders also recorded eight rebounds in the victory to go along with his eight points.
The Aztecs got off to a slow start with Cal State San Marcos owning a 9-4 lead at the first media timeout and leading by as many as six points through the first five and a half minutes. Momentum shifted after a Miles Byrd second chance layup with 14:17 on the clock sparked a quick 6-0 run to even the score. The rest of the half saw SDSU outscore San Marcos by 13, ending on a BJ Davis three with nine seconds to play. The Aztecs went into the break with a 43-30 lead.
The second half was all scarlet and black as their lead jumped out to 20 points by the second media timeout. The scoring run peaked at 14-1 over a 5:32 span that saw San Diego State lead 69-38 with seven and a half minutes to play. Part of that stretch included the defense forcing CSSM to miss 11 consecutive shots and just one in 18 attempts.
The Aztecs cruised down the stretch with their lead never falling below 29 points in the final eight minutes on their way to the 81-50 victory.
As a team, San Diego State shot 45.8% from the field while outrebounding the Cougars, 53-21, including a 17-4 advantage on the offensive side that led to a 21-0 difference in second chance points. SDSU also controlled the inside game, outscoring the opposition 36-12 in the paint, and points off turnovers with a 21-7 advantage.
Up Next: The Aztecs return to the court on Monday, Nov. 6 as they host Cal State Fullerton for their season opener. Tip-off will be at 7:30 p.m. live on FS1 at Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena.
No. 17 Aztecs Cruise to Exhibition Win
