PHOENIX – San Diego State led No. 1/2 Arizona for 16:38 in Saturday night’s game, a part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series, but ended up on the wrong end of a 68-45 score.
San Diego State (6-4, 1-0 Mountain West) has its three-game win streak snapped and will look to start a new one on Monday at 1 p.m. against Whittier.
Arizona (11-0) will try to stay unbeaten when it hosts Bethune-Cookman on Monday evening.
Miles Byrd opened the scoring with a pair of free throws 44 seconds into the contest.
The Aztecs trailed by two with 15 minutes left in the first half before a pair of Pharaoh Compton free throws tied the score and a three-pointer from Jeremiah Oden put the Aztecs up 11-8 at the 14-minute mark.
Two minutes later, Arizona had cut the lead to two. Reese Dixon Waters made a bucket and BJ Davis drained two free throws ahead of Magoon Gwath giving the Aztecs an eight-point lead with ten minutes remaining, the largest lead of the night for SDSU.
The Wildcats pulled within a possession multiple times before a Dixon-Waters jumper and a Tae Simmons layup put San Diego State back up by seven with 2:36 remaining.
After trailing by a point at halftime, the Aztecs retook the lead on Elzie Harrington’s layup 36 seconds into the second half. It was SDSU’s final lead of the game. The Wildcats responded with a dunk and a layup and pulled away, ultimately winning 68-45.
Gwath blocked four shots, Dixon-Waters scored eight points and Miles Heide and Simmons each pulled down five boards.
Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat scored 11 points to pace the Wildcats. Tobe Awaka’s 15 rebounds led Arizona.
San Diego State shot better from the free throw line (73.7%-66.7%) while Arizona was better from the field (37.9%-26.3%) and beyond the arc (24.0%-7.1%). SDSU had more blocks (6-3) and fewer turnovers (8-11). The Aztecs converted those turnovers into more points (9-2).
UP NEXT
San Diego State returns to Steve Fisher Court at Viejas Arena on Monday for a game against Whitter at 1 p.m. PT. The contest will be televised on KUSI and broadcast on San Diego Sports 760.