SDSU SEEKING RÉSUMÉ WIN VS. GAELS
Aztecs have history of not playing well after break for finals
San Diego State’s basketball team faces 10-2 Saint Mary’s tonight in Phoenix after not playing for nine days during fall semester final exams. If you want an A in history, you’d know two things:
That can be a good, or a bad, thing.
Good, because the Aztecs faced an 8-1 Saint Mary’s team on a neutral court in a mid-December game last year and played arguably their best 40 minutes of the season, racing to a 25-point lead in the first half en route to a 74-49 win at Cal Poly’s Mott Gymnasium behind a monster night from Nathan Mensah.
Bad, because this year’s encounter comes after a long break.
The Aztecs historically aren’t the sharpest in the game immediately following final exams or Christmas, going 5-7 in their last 12 against Division I opponents. Last year, they suffered two of their five losses and their only defeats at Viejas Arena: 72-62 against BYU after an eight-day break for finals, and 70-67 against Colorado State (despite leading by 26) following an 11-day Christmas hiatus.
There also has been a post-finals loss to Grand Canyon, and post-Christmas Ls to Brown, Wyoming
and New Mexico.
History being what it is, coach Brian Dutcher will take the break. His 6-3 team needs the time to heal, time to practice, time to prep for a game with potential NCAA Tournament implications against a veteran Gaels outfit that is ranked 37th in the Kenpom metric and has wins against Notre Dame,
Oregon and Utah State.
And that has played twice since the Aztecs last did, beating UC Santa Barbara by 21 and Div. II Stanislaus State by 37.
“As much as you practice, sometimes your game timing is a little bit off,” Dutcher said. “But Saint Mary’s is such a different game plan and requires a special amount of detail. They can really shoot it. They know how to drive. They’re one of the best coached teams in the country. They provide unique challenges, so it’s good to have the extra days to get ready to play them. Even with that being said, they’ll be a huge challenge.
“They have the entire team back from last year, plus a few pieces that are