Michigan Dominates San Diego State 94-54 in Festival Opener

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – San Diego State’s men’s basketball team faced a tough challenge against the No. 7-ranked Michigan Wolverines, losing 94-54 on Monday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena during the opening round of the Players Era Festival.

The Aztecs got off to a promising start, leading 5-0 early on with a driving layup by Taj DeGourville and a step-back three-pointer by Miles Byrd. However, Michigan quickly retaliated with a 17-2 run, capitalizing on their size and depth to erase the early deficit and secure a commanding lead.

This loss marked San Diego State’s largest defeat in over 25 years, signifying a disappointing turn for a team that previously made a run to the national championship in 2023. Coach Brian Dutcher reflected on the humbling experience, stating, “When you’re bad, you’re bad from the top down, and I’m the top.”

Despite the Aztecs’ struggles, freshman Elzie Harrington and junior BJ Davis shone, scoring 15 and 11 points respectively. The rest of the starters struggled to find their rhythm, combining for only 21 points, while shooting just 27.4% from the field.

Michigan made a significant impact with six players scoring in double digits, led by Yaxel Lendeborg with 15 points. They out-rebounded San Diego State by 15 boards and dominated the paint, scoring 38 points inside while holding the Aztecs to merely 12.

In the second half, Michigan continued to pile on the points, extending their lead to as much as 42. San Diego State managed to stay resilient in the face of overwhelming odds, but Coach Dutcher emphasized the importance of moving past this defeat. He stated, “We can’t think one thing about Michigan when we walk out of the arena, or we’ll have no chance to play against Oregon.”

With their eyes now on a matchup against Oregon, the Aztecs aim to bounce back quickly. The game against the Ducks is set for Tuesday night at 8 p.m. PT on TNT, where Dutcher hopes to see improvements and regain the confidence that his team showed at the start of the season.