SAN DIEGO — For a San Diego State team beginning the year without a returning starter for the first time under coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs 80-39 exhibition win against Cal State San Marcos gave Scarlet and Black fans a good look at nearly everyone on the 2024-25 squad.
Nick Boyd scored an efficient 18 points, knocking down seven straight shots after missing his first attempt, while Miles Byrd scored 12 and freshman forward Pharaoh Compton added 10 points as 11 Aztecs saw action in both halves.
“It felt great, (a) long time coming dealing with a foot injury,” Boyd said. “When I first got in here, I haven't really been able to practice much, but just trying to stay engaged as much as possible.”
His early engagement powered an offense that spread its touches and shot opportunities.
The initial starting lineup of guards Boyd, Byrd and BJ Davis with forwards Magoon Gwath and Jared Coleman-Jones also flashed early possibilities for what the length of the unit could cause defensively — the latest version of the staple on The Mesa.
Gwath and Byrd blocked shots on the first two Cal State San Marcos possessions, then Davis and Byrd created steals to get the fast break going as SDSU reeled off the first 11 points of the game. Byrd and guard Kimmo Ferrari led the team with four steals.
“This is something that's been in my game, just kind of playing the right way, bringing energy on both sides — that's always something I just prided myself on,” Davis said.
Four of the first nine Aztecs field goals came on the fast break, as SDSU snatched eight steals in the first half and 14 overall, creating 22 turnovers and scoring 23 points off the giveaways.
SDSU held Cal State San Marcos to 26% shooting from the field, with the Cougars making just 12-of-46 as Gwath had four blocks.
“We take pride in our defense and we work at it every day, it’s what we rely on,” Dutcher said. “These guys are good students because they've learned their lessons, watching a Lamont (Butler) and a Darion (Trammell) and the guys that came before them, picking up things from them and then putting them to use when it was their turn and it's their turn now.
“They were ready for their moment, and I was happy with our defensive effort tonight for the most part."
The second unit of guards Ferrari, Wayne McKinney III and Taj DeGourville and forwards Pharoah Compton and Miles Heide missed six of their first seven shots on the floor.
McKinney III, the University of San Diego transfer, knocked down back to back mid-range jumpers and kicked off a stretch of six straight buckets for the Scarlet and Black.
SDSU 19 of their 25 3-pointers for the game in the first half, finishing with seven makes from beyond the arc and six different players splashing the strings.
Boyd was the only player to make multiple 3’s, but the Florida Atlantic transfer was a perfect five-for-five from the field and drove to the basket to score four layups.
“I really didn't know what was to come,” Boyd said. “I just wanted to take any opportunity that was given to me and thankfully they all went down.”
In the second half the SDSU defense put the clamps down over a 7:48 stretch, forcing 10 straight misses from the field by the Cougars. Cal State San Marcos had three stretches where they clanked six straight shots or more, and did not make back-to-back shots in the second half where they made only 5-of-23.
Kyelin King scored 11 points for Cal State San Marcos and was the only Cougar to make multiple field goals until Keavie Love made an off-balance runner with 5:15 remaining and finished with nine points.
San Diego State opens the regular season against UC San Diego at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at Viejas Arena.
“They're fun to watch,” Dutcher said. “We're going to be good, but like I said, we have to be good in November, and that's the challenge because of our schedule."