Bad Night, Bad Matchup: Recap of SDSU Basketball’s Upset at Home by GCU, 73-63

Bill Poche
Contributing Writer

Once again, Grand Canyon proved to be thorns in the side of San Diego State. In Tuesday night’s loss, the Aztecs let a golden opportunity to remain atop the Mountain West Conference standings slip away, falling 73–63.

It was a game of runs again. After briefly seizing momentum late in the first half, where the Aztecs closed the opening period on a strong run to build a lead and get the home crowd into a frenzy, they were unable to sustain that energy over the final 20 minutes.

The first and most glaring issue was three-point shooting. While GCU was limited to just seven made threes — a noticeable drop from its previous performance in Phoenix — the Aztecs failed to capitalize. San Diego State connected on only three shots from beyond the arc, all of them from a single source, Miles Byrd.

The rest of the roster combined to go 0-for-9 from deep. In a five-point game, that disparity loomed large. The Aztecs finished the night shooting just 35 percent from the field overall, never finding consistent offensive rhythm against GCU’s pressure defense.

Equally significant was the quiet performance from the two players SDSU needed most. Reese Dixon-Waters was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting, snapping a 13-game streak of scoring in double figures. He struggled to create clean looks and was forced into difficult attempts late in the shot clock.

Magoon Gwath, coming off a strong outing against Nevada, was unable to replicate that form. He managed just four points on 2-of-8 shooting, missed all three of his attempts from beyond the arc, and committed four turnovers—most of which came early and set a bad tone.

The Aztecs needed efficiency and poise from their primary options, but instead found themselves fighting uphill offensively all night.

The turning point came during a late push that nearly flipped the game. After trimming a 12-point deficit down to five with just a few minutes remaining, San Diego State had a chance to apply real pressure. Instead, back-to-back empty possessions halted the momentum.

A held-ball turnover gave GCU possession, and on the following trip a misfired pass under the basket resulted in another lost opportunity. Two critical possessions produced zero points, and the Lopes answered on the other end to stretch the lead back out.

Much like the first meeting between these teams, GCU’s guards consistently attacked the paint with ‘ruthless aggression’. Their ability to drive downhill forced help rotations, created second-chance opportunities, and generated key free throws down the stretch.

The Lopes finished with 30 points in the paint and made enough timely plays inside to offset their modest perimeter shooting.

Now the Aztecs must regroup quickly. There are still valuable Quad 1 opportunities ahead, but the margin for error continues to shrink. As head coach Brian Dutcher said postgame, “We have to put it behind us and learn from it — both coaches and players.”

The path forward remains in front of San Diego State, but the lessons from Tuesday night will need to stick.